Clarinet

he clarinet is a type of woodwind instrument that has a single-reed mouthpiece, a straight cylindrical tube with an approximately cylindrical bore, and a flaring bell. A person who plays the clarinet is called a clarinetist or clarinettist.

The word clarinet may have entered the English language via the French clarinette (the feminine diminutive of Old French clarin or clarion), or from Provençal clarin, "oboe". It "is plainly a diminutive of clarino, the Italian for trumpet", and the Italian clarinetto is the source of the name in many other languages. According to Johann Gottfried Walther, writing in 1732, the reason for the name was that "it sounded from far off not unlike a trumpet". This may indicate its strident quality in the upper register, although in the low register it was "feeble and buzzing". The English form clarinet is found as early as 1733, and the now-archaic clarionet appears from 1784 until the early years of the 20th century.

There are many types of clarinets of differing sizes and pitches, comprising a large family of instruments. The unmodified word clarinet usually refers to the B♭ soprano clarinet, by far the most common type, which has a large range of nearly four octaves. The clarinet family is the largest woodwind family, with more than a dozen types, ranging from the (extremely rare) BBB♭ octo-contrabass to the A♭ piccolo clarinet. Of these, many are rare or obsolete (there is only one BBB♭ octo-contrabass clarinet in existence, for example), and music written for them is usually played on more common versions of the instrument.

Johann Christoph Denner invented the clarinet in Germany around the turn of the 18th century by adding a register key to the earlier chalumeau. Over time, additional keywork and airtight pads were added to improve tone and playability. Today, the clarinet is used in jazz and classical ensembles, in chamber groups, and as a solo instrument.

Extended family of clarinets

There is a family of many differently pitched clarinet types, some of which are very rare. The following are the most important sizes, from highest to lowest:

Name	Key	Commentary
Piccolo clarinet	A♭	Now rare, used for Italian military music and some contemporary pieces for its sonority;
E-flat clarinet (soprano clarinet)	E♭	Characteristic timbre, used in concert band repertoire because its tonality is considered "compatible" with other instruments, especially those in B♭.
Soprano clarinet in D	D	Obscure because of its limited repertoire in Western music.
Soprano clarinet in C	C	Rare because its timbre is considered too bright.
B♭ soprano clarinet	B♭	The most common type: used in most styles of music.
A clarinet	A	Has a richer sound than B♭, frequently used in orchestral and chamber music.
Basset clarinet	A	Clarinet in A extended to a low C; used primarily to play Classical-era music.Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was written for this instrument, though it is frequently played in a version for the ordinary A clarinet. Basset clarinets in Bb also exist; this instrument is required to play the obbligato to the aria "Parto, parto" in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito.
Basset-horn	F	Similar in appearance to the alto, but differs in that it is pitched in F, has an extended range to low C, and has a narrower bore on most models. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was originally sketched out as a concerto for basset horn in G. Rarely used today.
Alto clarinet	E♭	Used in chamber music and concert bands.
Bass clarinet	B♭	Used in concert bands, contemporary music, and jazz; sometimes used in orchestras.
Contra-alto clarinet (also called E♭ contrabass clarinet)	EE♭	Used in clarinet choirs and is common in concert bands.
Contrabass clarinet (also called B♭ subcontrabass or double-bass clarinet)	BB♭	Used in clarinet choirs and is common in concert bands. It is sometimes used in orchestras.

Experimental EEE♭ and BBB♭ octocontra-alto and octocontrabass clarinets have also been built. There have also been soprano clarinets in C, A, and B♭ with curved barrels and bells marketed under the names saxonette, claribel, and clariphon.

Clarinet

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Clarinet

Clarinet

Extended family of clarinets

List of Songs (Clarinet and other)