About Clarinets

Clarinets are musical instruments in the woodwind family. The name "clarinet" comes from adding the suffix -et, which means little, to the Italian word "clarino" which means a specific type of trumpet. This came about due to the first clarinets producing a tone similar to that of a trumpet. Clarinets have a cylindrical bore and use a single reed.

History

Clarinets were invented in the late 1600s by Johann Christoph Denner, a German woodwind instrument maker. Clarinets were an evolution of the earlier instrument, the chalumeau. Two keys were added to the chalumeau by Denner and the instrument's range increased by over two octaves. Clarinets were improved further in 1843, when Hyacinthe Klose, a French clarinet player, introduced a different arrangement of finger holes and keys to the instruments. His system, which makes for easier playing, was the final design for modern clarinets.

Features

Clarinets are made from a variety of materials. The bodies can be constructed of wood, plastic, metal, ivory, resin or hard rubber. Professional musicians commonly use clarinets made of African hardwood. Less expensive instruments are made of plastic resin. Mouthpieces are typically made of ebonite, although plastic, wood and metal have also been used.

Clarinets use a single reed made of Arundo donax, a type of cane grass. These reeds come in varying degrees of hardness and are generally measured on a scale of one to five, with one being the softest and five being the hardest. Reeds are attached to the mouthpiece by a ligature.

The body of a clarinet is equipped with tone holes, seven of which are covered by the fingers. The remaining holes are either opened or closed using a complex system of keys. Clarinets are cylindrical in shape with a bell at the bottom that flares slightly to improve tonality of lower notes. Other parts of the clarinet include the barrel, upper and lower joints and trill keys.

Types

There are numerous types of clarinets in existence today. These range from sopranino to contra bass. When the term is unmodified, it typically refers to the B flat clarinet, which is the most popular.

The sopranino clarinet has the highest voice, while the contra bass has the lowest. Between these two extremes is the clarinet in C, which is most suited to beginners and is small in size, the bassette clarinet, which is rare and used in orchestral settings, the alto clarinet, which is large in size and played within small musical ensembles and the bass clarinet, which requires a floor stand to be played.

Tone

Clarinets have the ability to play over four different octaves. The cylindrical shape is responsible for the instrument's distinctive timbre. The tone varies greatly depending upon musician, type, style and reed. Bass and alto clarinets have the deepest tones, while orchestral instruments such as the A, B and E clarinets have lighter, warmer tones.

Range

Clarinets have the largest pitch range of any woodwind instruments. The intricate key organization makes this range possible, but can make playing more difficult and even awkward at times. The range of clarinets can be divided into three different registers. The lowest, known as the chalumeau register, consists of notes up to B flat above middle C. The middle register, known as the clarion register, spans an octave from B above middle C to the C two octaves above middle C. The top register, known as the altissimo register, comprises the notes above C two octaves above middle C.

Resources

• History of the Clarinet
• Types of Clarinets