Free reed

Free reed (Fr.: anche libre; Ger.: durchschlagende Zunge; It.: ancia libera), metal or cane tongue that vibrates through a closely fitting frame, moving freely at one end and held down at the other. Length and thickness determine its pitch. Such reeds can be tuned by filing close to the free end to raise the pitch, or close to the fixed end to lower it. Known for millennia in Asia, where free-reed pipes are still in use singly or combined (as in mouth organs), it was not introduced to Europe…