Clarinet

A clarinet is a woodwind instrument in the orchestral and concert-band families. It is a single-reed instrument with a cylindrical bore and a flared bell, typically made of grenadilla wood or plastic. The instrument is played by covering finger holes and pressing keys, with a mouthpiece that holds a single reed vibrated by the player's breath.

The most common clarinet is the B-flat model, but other soprano variants include A and E-flat instruments. Lower-pitched members include the bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet, and there are smaller sopranino and alto models as well. The clarinet is a transposing instrument; when a C is written, concert pitch sounds as B-flat in the B-flat clarinet. It overblows at the interval of a twelfth, producing a higher register above the chalumeau range.

Its practical range runs from about E3 to C7, with alternate fingerings and extended techniques enabling higher notes in some players’ hands. The modern instrument developed from the chalumeau in the early 18th century, with Johann Christoph Denner of Nuremberg credited for invention and early refinements. The Boehm system of keywork, introduced in the 1830s, standardized fingering and intonation for most modern clarinets; two main systems remain: Boehm (the worldwide standard) and Oehler (primarily in German-speaking regions).

Clarinet repertoire spans classical to contemporary and jazz. Notable works include Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major and Clarinet Concerto, Weber’s and Brahms’s clarinet pieces, and Debussy and Ravel for orchestral writing. In jazz, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw helped popularize the instrument in the 20th century.

Materials vary by use; student models are often plastic, while professional instruments may use grenadilla wood or other hardwoods.