The Clarinet
Single-reed woodwind with cylindrical bore and flared bell.
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Auckland Museum Collections from Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand · CC BY 2.0
The clarinet belongs to the woodwind family and uses a single reed. Its body has a nearly cylindrical bore and ends in a flared bell. The instrument comes in many sizes and pitches, forming the largest woodwind family, from the massive BB♭ contrabass down to the tiny A♭ piccolo. The most common version is the B♭ soprano clarinet, and this is the instrument people usually mean when they say "clarinet."
Etymology
The word "clarinet" likely entered English through the French clarinette, a feminine diminutive of Old French clarin, or from the Provençal clarin meaning "oboe," both going back to the Latin clarus for "clear." It is related to the Middle English clarion, a type of trumpet with the same root. The earliest known use of clarinette for the instrument appears in a 1710 order from the Duke of Gronsfeld for two instruments made by Jacob Denner. The English form "clarinet" shows up by 1733, while the now-outdated "clarionet" was used from 1784 into the early 1900s. A player is called a clarinetist (North American English), a clarinettist (British English), or simply a clarinet player.
Development
The modern clarinet grew out of a Baroque instrument called the chalumeau. This earlier instrument looked like a recorder but had a single-reed mouthpiece and a cylindrical bore. Without a register key, it was played mostly in its lower register, covering only about an octave and a half. It had eight finger holes like a recorder, with a written range from F3 to G4.
At that time, players placed the reed against the upper lip, the opposite of modern practice. Around the start of the 18th century, German instrument maker Johann Christoph Denner (or possibly his son Jacob) added two keys to an alto-register chalumeau. One key opened up a higher register, which did not start an octave above the first like other woodwinds, but rather an octave and a perfect fifth higher.
A second key at the top extended the lower register up to A4 and, used with the register key, to B♭4. Denner later lengthened the bell and added a third key to reach down to E3. After these innovations, other makers added more keys to improve tuning and fingering, and the chalumeau fell out of use. The Classical-period clarinet, like the one Mozart wrote for, typically had five keys.
Lore & Background
The clarinet developed from a Baroque instrument called the chalumeau, which had a single-reed mouthpiece and cylindrical bore but lacked a register key, limiting its range. Around the beginning of the 18th century, German instrument maker Johann Christoph Denner (or possibly his son Jacob Denner) added two keys to an alto-register chalumeau, one enabling access to a higher register that started an octave and a perfect fifth above the first.
Later, Denner lengthened the bell and added a third key to extend the pitch range downward. Over time, additional keywork and airtight pads were added to improve tone and playability. The word 'clarinet' may have entered English via French 'clarinette' or Provençal 'clarin', from Latin 'clarus' meaning 'clear'.
Common Misconceptions (Editorial)
It is sometimes thought that the clarinet's second register begins an octave above the first, but in fact it starts an octave and a perfect fifth higher. Another common error is that the clarinet was entirely invented from scratch in the 18th century; it actually developed from the earlier Baroque instrument called the chalumeau.
Why It Matters (Editorial)
The clarinet’s unique ability to bridge both delicate, lyrical passages and bold, robust tones has made it an indispensable voice in orchestral, concert band, and solo repertoire for centuries. Its enduring evolution—from the chalumeau to the modern instrument with intricate keywork—reflects a constant human drive to refine and expand musical expression, ensuring the clarinet remains a vital and versatile presence in nearly every musical genre.
Reader's Guide
The clarinet's cylindrical bore is the main reason for its distinctive timbre, which varies between the three main registers: chalumeau, clarion, and altissimo. The A and B♭ clarinets have nearly the same bore and nearly identical tonal quality, though the A typically has a slightly warmer sound. The E♭ clarinet is brighter, and the bass clarinet has a deep, mellow sound.
The clarinet is a standard fixture of the orchestra and concert band and is used in classical music, military bands, klezmer, jazz, and other styles. Today the Boehm system is standard everywhere except Germany and Austria, where the Oehler clarinet is still used. Some Dixieland players continue to use Albert system clarinets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How large is The Clarinet family?
It spans the largest range of any woodwind family, stretching from the BB♭ contrabass clarinet at the low end to the A♭ piccolo clarinet at the high end. The B♭ soprano clarinet is the default type most musicians simply call 'the clarinet.'
Where does The Clarinet appear in ensembles?
It is a standard fixture in symphony orchestras, concert bands, and a wide variety of other genres from jazz to klezmer to contemporary film scoring.
More in Musical Instruments
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Clarinet (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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