Numerical and experimental modal analysis of the reed and pipe of a clarinet

A modal computation of a complete clarinet is presented by the association of finite-element models of the reed and of part of the pipe with a lumped-element model of the rest of the pipe. In the first part, we compare modal computations of the reed and the air inside the mouthpiece and barrel with measurements performed by holographic interferometry. In the second part, the complete clarinet is modeled by adjoining a series of lumped elements for the remaining part of the pipe. The parameters of the lumped-resonator model are determined from acoustic impedance measurements. Computed eigenmodes of the whole system show that modal patterns of the reed differ significantly whether it is alone or coupled to air. Some modes exhibit mostly reed motion and a small contribution of the acoustic pressure inside the pipe. Resonance frequencies measured on a clarinet with the mouthpiece replaced by the cylinder of equal volume differ significantly from the computed eigenfrequencies of the clarinet taking the actual shape of the mouthpiece into account and from those including the (linear) dynamics of the reed. This suggests revisiting the customary quality index based on the alignment of the peaks of the input acoustical impedance curve.