Wind instruments produce pitch and timbre from standing waves in an enclosed or semi-enclosed column of air. Designers control acoustic length, impedance, and radiation to produce desired notes, intonation, response, and tone color. This essay explains the physics of air columns, the role of toneholes, and practical design principles used in flutes, clarinets, saxophones, oboes, bassoons, and brass instruments.
Theobald Boehm’s 1847 flute is a masterpiece of applying air column principles. He: