In discussing the longitudinal instability problem for a coasting beam in a conducting ring, an important consideration is the electromagnetic self-coupling of a particular frequency component of the beam due to the presence of the conducting walls. This is parametrized by the longitudinal coupling impedance, which is the average voltage change, per unit amplitude of beam current at this frequency, experienced by a beam particle in one turn. By using a more general formulation of the problem in terms of Green's functions instead of electric fields, it is possible to understand the origins of these general features before specifying a particular configuration and to lay a convenient framework for carrying out detailed calculations in some more complicated cases. In particular, the relationship is clarified between the impedance properties of cavities, pipes, and other components in isolation and when combined into a realistic machine.