When you play an instrument what happens to the air inside?

When you play a wind instrument, such as a flute or a trumpet, the air inside the instrument vibrates. This vibration creates sound waves, which are then transmitted through the air to your ears. The pitch of the sound depends on the frequency of the vibration, while the timbre depends on the shape of the instrument and the materials used to make it.

In general, the air inside a wind instrument is set in motion by the player's breath. As the player blows into the instrument, the air pressure inside increases, which causes the air to flow through the instrument. This flow of air creates a Bernoulli effect, which is a reduction in air pressure that occurs when the air flows over a curved surface. The Bernoulli effect causes the air to vibrate, and these vibrations create the sound waves.

The shape of the instrument and the materials used to make it affect the timbre of the sound. The shape of the instrument determines the length of the sound waves, while the materials used to make the instrument affect the resonance of the sound. Resonance is the tendency of an object to vibrate at a specific frequency when it is disturbed. The resonance of an instrument is determined by the elasticity and density of the materials used to make it.

By controlling the shape of the instrument and the materials used to make it, instrument makers can create instruments with a wide range of sounds. This allows musicians to create a variety of different musical effects.