Several ways to stop a note in a clarinet - a comparative view of note extinctions

International audience; In a self-sustained instrument, the sound is maintained as long as energy is supplied to the oscillating system, and the control parameters are kept in a range that permits a periodic regime. Stopping a note is thus a voluntary action, in opposition to what can happen in plucked strings, membranophones, xylophones etc. In a reed instrument two basic methods of stopping the note can be identified, although usually the musician will use a combination of these. One is to stop the oscillation of the reed by using the tongue, or less likely by using a stronger biting force that can close the reed. The other is to cut the supply in air from the lungs, or to reduce it below a critical level that is called the threshold of oscillation. These two methods have very different consequences on the characteristics of the sound of the note extinction. Using simulations and experiments, this presentation identifies the main characteristics of each of the extinction methods. Whenever possible, an investigation into the causes of the effects identified in the description are justified with basic models or further experiments.