Wind Instrument Design |link| | Air Columns And Toneholes- Principles For

: A larger hole vents the air more completely, making the effective length closer to the physical position of the hole.

Before a single hole is drilled, the instrument is a closed or open tube. The air column inside is a mass of air with elastic properties. When disturbed (by a reed or air jet), it prefers to vibrate at specific resonant frequencies . These are determined entirely by the tube's length and boundary conditions (open or closed ends). : A larger hole vents the air more