Free-reed instrument

Free-reed instruments are musical instruments that produce sounds from a reed vibrating in a chamber, as opposed to "fixed reed" instruments, which use a vibrating reed "fixed" to (or vibrating against) some other part of the instrument.

The oldest known free-reed is the Chinese sheng, widely accepted as the musical ancestor of the harmonica and accordion.

Other well-known free-reeds include the bagpipes, bandoneon and reed organ[?].

External links

• What Is A Free Reed? (http://www.patmissin.com/history/whatis)
• Classical Free Reeds (http://trfn.clpgh.org/free-reed/)
• Reeds World Musical Instrument Gallery (http://www.asza.com/ihm.shtml#Free)
• The History of the Accordion in China (http://www.accordions.com/index/his/his_cn.shtml)