The Clarinet

The Clarinet The word clarinet comes from the latin “clarinetto” which means “little trumpet” It is the main soprano instrument of the single reed instruments It has the largest pitch range of any of the common woodwinds

The Clarinet The clarinet evolved from the early reed instruments like the aulos in Ancient Greece, and other early reeds like Crumhorns In the renaissance and Baroque era, it was similar to a recorder, just with a reed. In this form it had a very limited range. With the addition of keys and a register key, it can now play many notes

The Clarinet

The Clarinet continued The clarinet has three registers, or ranges of pitches, and each has its own unique sound The lowest notes are in the chalumeau register, the middle in the clarion, and the highest notes are in the altissimo register Unlike most woodwinds, the clarinet does not have an octave key but a register key, so the fingering changes in the upper register

The Clarinet continued The clarinet has been a part of many genres as it developed The clarinet plays in classical settings, as well as a lot of folk music, especially in Eastern Europe In the 20th century, it became well known as a jazz instrument as well

The Clarinet Family Apart from the Clarinet, also called the Bb Clarinet, there are a couple of other clarinets that feature in the orchestra The most common are the Eb Clarinet, the A clarinet, and the Bass Clarinet The alto clarinet and even the contrabass are also occasionally seen in the orchestra, and are common in the wind band

Clarinet Family