Abstract: A mouth organ includes a voicing element which is a metal plate having in one surface a plurality of U-shaped recesses extending slightly more than halfway through the thickness of the plate, and having in an opposite surface a plurality of rectangular recesses which are each aligned with a respective U-shaped recess and which each extend slightly more than halfway through the thickness of the plate. Each pair of corresponding U-shaped and rectangular recesses communicate at their inner ends and define a respective elongate reed which is an integral portion of the plate and is secured at only one end to the plate. All of the recesses are can be formed simultaneously through photochemical machining. In a variation, each reed has a plurality of recesses spaced along its length which increase progressively in size, to simulate a tapered characteristic for the reed.