CLARINET

ACCORDIAN
BAGPIPES
BASSOON
CLARINET
FLUTE
HARMONICA
OBOE
RECORDER
SAXOPHONES

BRASS
KEYBOARDS
PERCUSSION
STRINGS
WOODWINDS

MI: LIBRARY: INSTRUMENTS: WOODWINDS: CLARINET

History
The modern orchestral clarinet is widely considered one of the most versatile of all modern instruments. Its ancestor is the chalumeau, from which it was developed somewhere around 1700. The creator was J.C. Denner, a German instrument-maker. From there on Denner’s creation would evolve to have anumber of new features. A bell, a seperate mouthpiece, and extra keys. Not only did these features allow a broader range of notes, but they helped it overtake the popularity of its ancestor.

During the 1840’s, the Boehm key system which had recently revolutionized the
flute, was applied to the clarinet. This new key system revolutionized
clarinets in a manner similar to what it had done with the flute. The
sucessful key system is still used today on modern instruments.

Description
The clarinet is a woodwind made of plastic or blackwood. Clarinets are single-reed instruments whose sound comes from a reed, usually made of cane. When the musician blows on the reed vibrating air creates the tone. The tone of a clarinet is usually a warm and rich sound however it can vary widely. One of the many reasons for the instruments wide range of uses.

The clarinet can be heard in many different types of musical groups from military bands to orchestrasto jazz groups. In orchestras, clarinets can play wonderful accompaniments due to how well they blend with other many other instruments. They also can play gorgeous solos and many composers allow them to do just this.

In jazz groups, the very bright and sassy clarinet can provide a wonderful solo as well as enhance others. Many groups, including the Glen Miller orchestra, utilized this trait of the clarinet. Particularly in the 30’s, clarinets played many solos in swing music, but still today clarinets are a big part of jazz and often found in “Big Band” music.

Clarinet Variations
Bass clarinet: This popular clarinet variation plays like the clarinet, only an octave lower. It is usually made of blackwood and is difficult to play. Generally, clarinetists leave the instrument for specialize bass clarinetists. However, the instrument is a common second instrument for jazz saxaphone musicians.

Chalumeau: A descendant of the recorder, this wooden instrument is the ancestor of the modern orchestral clarinet. Today, while the instrument is rarely played, the word “chalumeau” is used to describe the lower register of a clarinet.

Basset-horn: Contradictory to its name, the basset-horn is a woodwind. It isn’t written for much today, but once was popular and even one of Mozart’s favorite instruments. It is longer than the clarinet and bent at the middle. Basset-horns are generally made of wood and ivory.

Zummara: The zummara is a double clarinet. In other words, it has two pipes joined together, each with its own reed. The musician puts both reeds in their mouth, and uses the bamboo, bone, or reed instrument to create an almost bagpipe sound.

Bungi: Few people recognize the name, but this is the “snake charmer” used in India to perform deadly tricks with cobras. It has a round “windcap” with two pipes sticking out of the bottom, and a mouthpiece at the top. Like the zummara, it produces a bagpipe type of sound and is made of wood, cane, and/or gourds. Because pungi songs typically have no pauses for breaths, musicians use circular breathing. Circular breathing requires the musician to breath in through the nose while they blow through their mouth.

Diple: The diple, like the zummara and pungi, sounds like a bagpipe. In fact, it can be used as a chanter for a bagpipe. It is a double clarinet and sounds like two musicians playing simultaneously. It is made of wood and used often by shepherds.

Launeddas: Launeddas consist of three pipes, each with a reed, all tied
together. The player puts all reeds in their mouth at once. Launeddas are
made of cane and originated on an island off the coast of Italy.

	Name: Leah maconochie
	EMail: sneaker87@gateway.net

Comments

I play the bass clarinet and I do not think it is hard to play the bass clarinet it is easer than the clarinet

	Name: Tara
	EMail: kool_chick10@hotmail.com

Comments

I think that the clarinet is eirer to lear if it is your first time playing.

	Name: lisa
	EMail:

Comments

I think that the clarinet is eirer to lear if it is your first time playing.

	Name: Kelsey
	EMail: kelsey@digitalme.com

Comments

I seriously do play the bass clirnet and I think it is way eaiser than the clairnet, and I think you need more information than that on them.

	Name: Kelsey
	EMail: kelsey@digitalme.com

Comments

I seriously do play the bass clirnet and I think it is way eaiser than the clairnet, and I think you need more information than that on them.

	Name: Autumn A
	EMail: kittie214@hotmail.com

Comments

I play the Bass Clarinet...it's not that hard...it may not be harder than the clarinet...but it isn't any easier.

	Name: Autumn A
	EMail: kittie214@hotmail.com

Comments

I play the Bass Clarinet...it's not that hard...it may not be harder than the clarinet...but it isn't any easier.

	Name: Bob
	EMail: ingram_88@hotmail.com

Comments

I have a question: How do you make the clairnet sound so clear!? Is it something to do with the reed placement? I've spent about 20 hours trying to make it sound right.

	Name: Bob
	EMail: ingram_88@hotmail.com

Comments

I have a question: How do you make the clairnet sound so clear!? Is it something to do with the reed placement? I've spent about 20 hours trying to make it sound right.

	Name: Bonnie
	EMail:

Comments

ya,ya,ya you and your classicals think your hot stuff but youre not really.punk beats all this crap!!!!

	Name: David Ciancaglini
	EMail: dciancaglini@yahoo.com

Comments

I think that it would also be nice to include the Sopranino, Alto, Contra-Alto, and Contrabass Clarinets As well

	Name: Ashley
	EMail:

Comments

It's my first year playing the clarinet and i had to do a project on the making of a clarinet. I found the information on this website thanx

	Name: Jeffrey
	EMail: vizax@mindspring.com

Comments

u eat $#it

	Name: Michelle Dudek
	EMail: hahaha@hotmail.com

Comments

I luv clarinets, but I think that if you change to bass clarinet for a "particular" reason, that's dumb!

	Name: Nicole
	EMail: meat_products_02@yahoo.com

Comments

flutes and piccolos are better than clarinets! hahahahahahahahahahahaha

	Name:
	EMail:

Comments

trumpets are so cool cuz hott guys play em

	Name: Brent B.
	EMail: attillathehun

Comments

	Name: Brent B.
	EMail: attillathehun_86@hotmail.com

Comments

I love playing the clarinet. I think that the clarinet is one of the best indtruments to be played

	Name: Jenny
	EMail: clair111883@netscape.net

Comments

I had a lot of fun playing the clarinet. I went through 2 years marching with it. I have to say that I had the most fun out of life when I was marching

	Name: Megan
	EMail: daprincess2112@aol.com

Comments

i hate the stupied clairnet the only reason i play the dumb thing is cuz i have to and i dont like my teacher she is so gay

	Name: C.J
	EMail: yankees_girl_19@hotmail.com

Comments

This is my frist year playing the clarinet and I love it because it's not that hard ro play

	Name: Amanda Zinn
	EMail: panda2000_1234@yahoo.com

Comments

I have plyed the clairnet for five years and the bass clarinet for 3 years I think that they are both eazy to play. If you know how to play one it is eazyer to play the other one. I like playing the clairnet the best, only because I have the melody more.

	Name: Amanda Zinn
	EMail: panda2000_1234@yahoo.com

Comments

	Name: eva beeb
	EMail: swimmer185@aol.com

Comments

thanks a bunch, this site really helped me with my music project!!!!!!

	Name: maggie
	EMail: k_kittycat55@hotmail.com

Comments

I have a question, Im just begining to play it and I think you should show how to play it like show the fingering on a page or somthing so people could learn!

	Name: Dman
	EMail:

Comments

I am a bass clarinet player and this site really did not help me. Maybee you should put some tips and playing tricks on this site. The history was good but I really think most people ge ton this site to learn something cool. Oh and by the way, the Bass clarinet is (in my opinion) equally as hard as the soprano.

	Name: Dman
	EMail: fruitloopsareus@yahoo.com

Comments

	Name: stefan persaud
	EMail: SILVER_SCOOTER@Hotmail.com

Comments

I think you should add i how to play the clairnet.

	Name: stefan persaud
	EMail: SILVER_SCOOTER@Hotmail.com

Comments

I think you should add i how to play the clairnet.

	Name: stefan persaud
	EMail: SILVER_SCOOTER@Hotmail.com

Comments

I think you should add i how to play the clairnet.

	Name: Morgan Hoyle
	EMail: Morganahoyl4u@hotmail.com

Comments

love playin the clarinet

	Name: Stephanie Boardman
	EMail: pinkbabyspikes@hotmail.com

Comments

Thankyou very much for your site. I found it very clear, informative and easy to understand. I learnt a lot about the clarinet from one small paragraph! Keep up the good work!

	Name: ice cream women
	EMail: tell_the_good_news@yahoo.com

Comments

i love blair lee sauve i love blair lee sauve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

	Name: Bill Woods
	EMail:

Comments

This is a very good site and i will use it every time i can.

	Name: Karma Dorje
	EMail: vajrasattva@newmail.ru

Comments

Trashi deleg! Just got me a pungi at Bodhgaya. Where can I find any useful info on the instrument (maybe, any tune notations for pungi)? I don't mean the common descriptions...

	Name: Tom Hell
	EMail: deadkennedyfan@hotmail.com

Comments

Oi! Bonnie! You're giving us Punks a bad name...Us old school punks are alot more intelligent than the borgois might think, and you're hardly doing a good job representing us.

Anyway, the Zumarrah (or Mijwiz, "Zumarrah" being a Egyptian varient of the same instrument. Also refered to as a "Yarul" in Yugoslavia) is quite capable of being used in a punk rock setting (though why it hasn't I'll never know.) It can be loud and obnoxious, and the sound will be able to carry over a guitar riff quite nice. Rather well suited to angry political punk involving lyrics dealing about the colfict in the Gaza Stip or Palastine (see "F*ck Religion" by PROPAGHANDI, for example.)

Same goes for the Punji (not "Bungi", I don't know how they came up with that spelling). Although lyrical subjects would probably more in the vein of the Kashmiri struggle...

	Name: Bethan
	EMail: missmakebelieve@AOL.com

Comments

The info is very good but I think the site could include some pictures of the clarinet

	Name: Sam
	EMail: wat2kewl4u@yahoo.com

Comments

hello i was wondering,... how do you find the right clarinet for yourself?

	Name: mazie
	EMail: cassandra@creese99.fsnet.co.uk

Comments

I play the clarinet, the bass clarinet and the Alto plus tenor sax. I do think that the clarinet is quite a difficult instrument to play compared to the sax and must admit when I started playing the Bass it was a little awkward quite possibly because I have an old bass clarinet. Also I think flamers are stupid people who don't have a life, but that's just my opinion. I have also found that getting the right smooth tone out of the clarinet comes from practice. As they say practice makes perfect also blow from the diaphram.

	Name: mazie
	EMail: cassandra@creese99.fsnet.co.uk

Comments

	Name: Kimberly Simmons
	EMail: bonkeshia@yahoo.com

Comments

I play bass clarinet and b flat clarinet and neither one is hard, matter a fact, they are very similar and uses the same fingering pattern except that the bass is bigger and has more keys.

	Name: Kimberly Simmons
	EMail: bonkeshia@yahoo.com

Comments

I play bass clarinet and b flat clarinet and neither one is hard, matter a fact, they are very similar and uses the same fingering pattern except that the bass is bigger and has more keys.

	Name: Caity
	EMail:

Comments

I've being playing Bb clarinet for about 5 to 6 years now. It is one of the easiest instruments to play. But my school doesn't allow clarinets as a regular part of jazz band.

	Name: Louise
	EMail: watz_up101@hotmail.com

Comments

this helped me alot but it needs alot more information orit suckes

	Name: Louise
	EMail: watz_up101@hotmail.com

Comments

this helped me alot but it needs alot more inormation but i play the Bflat clarinet it is easy

	Name: Michael williams
	EMail:

Comments

Clairinet rocks my world

	Name: patricia
	EMail: wlpatr@aol.com

Comments

trying to figure out what one we want for school

	Name: carmela rivera
	EMail: carmela_snoopy

Comments

	Name: carmela rivera
	EMail: carmela_snoopy @yahoo.com

Comments

hey i think that this site is really good this was excally what i needed thankz

	Name: kur maneval
	EMail: reuthermaneval@alltel.net

Comments

I play the bflat clarinet in the a marching band.

	Name:
	EMail:

Comments

im searching for the worlds history of the clairinet.

	Name: josh
	EMail: powerviper56@hotmail.com

Comments

very good i think that tenor is better than carinet

	Name: Meg
	EMail: TooCute934 @ aol.com

Comments

I just started to play the clarinet. Got Any tips??

	Name: Eddie bank
	EMail: ebanks@alhi.com

Comments

I am a new student to the bass clarinet. I am having some dificulty playing on the upper register... are there any tricks you can recomend to speed up the process in reaching a good tune on the upper register? About the reed and mouthpiece... I already have an excellent mouthpiece... Vandoren... Now should the Reed be place in a certain way.. lose? tight? long . short...If you can provide any trick to playing the bass clarinet... I would really appreciate it .. thanks

	Name: Elena
	EMail: onelazykid2002@aol.com

Comments

I think you should iclude more pictures about the clairnet and prices

	Name: Elena
	EMail: onelazykid2002@aol.com

Comments

I think you should iclude more pictures about the clairnet and prices

	Name: c.m.e
	EMail:

Comments

i lov playing the clarinet its fun and easy. i lov it more than the flutes flutes are stupid

	Name: c.m.e
	EMail:

Comments

i lov playing the clarinet its fun and easy. i lov it more than the flutes flutes are stupid

	Name: c.m.e
	EMail:

Comments

i lov playing the clarinet its fun and easy. i lov it more than the flutes flutes are stupid

	Name: c.m.e
	EMail:

Comments

i lov playing the clarinet its fun and easy. i lov it more than the flutes flutes are stupid

	Name: Makara
	EMail: Love_Is_Everything@rangdong.com

Comments

I play the bass clarinet and I don't think it's that's hard. I agree with Leah.

	Name: Lenore Hardy
	EMail: dotty_and_very_spotty@hotmail.com

Comments

Hye, i think itz a great site but i fink u need more info like a piccy wit labels and stuff yea cya

[WELCOME] [ HOME ] [ LIBRARY ] [ CONCERT HALL ] [ INTERACTIVE ] [ APPLAUSE ] [ HELP ]