air column vibration

Air column vibration refers to the back-and-forth movement of air inside a tube or cavity, which creates sound. When a sound source, like a musician's reed or a wind instrument's mouthpiece, causes the air to vibrate, these vibrations travel through the air column. As the air moves, it produces pressure waves that our ears detect as sound. The length and shape of the column determine the pitch, with longer or differently shaped columns producing lower or higher notes. Essentially, air column vibration is the fundamental process behind how wind instruments generate musical tones.