Clarinet

Clarinet being played by a marching band. Surrounding the clarinetist are other instruments, such as a saxophone.

Clarinet

a Boehm clarinet and an Albert clarinet
Woodwind instrument
Classification	Woodwind
Playing range

The three main key systems on the clarinet are the Albert system, the Oehler system, and the Boehm system. The Boehm clarinet is the most common by classical orchestras and by jazz musicians. In North America and other Western countries, the most popular clarinet is the clarinet pitched in B flat. This means that if a clarinet player plays a note that is written as a C, it sounds like a B flat on a piano. The B flat clarinet is used in concert, marching, and school bands. Musicians in orchestras also play the A-clarinet (a semitone lower), the sopranino E flat clarinet (a fourth higher) and the bass clarinet in B flat (sounding an octave lower).

A beginner clarinet player usually can play a note within the first minutes of a lesson. Making a sound with the clarinet is easier than making a sound with many other wind instruments. Most instrumental music teachers consider it to be a good instrument for young players as soon as the lower adult teeth have grown. The fingering system is very similar to the flute and the saxophone, so changing from playing the clarinet to one of these instruments is not too difficult after the student is comfortable playing the clarinet and has reached a certain level.

A famous piece that features a clarinet is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, which has the clarinet playing the melody with the rest of the orchestra playing along. Written in 1791, it is often considered the first great composition for the instrument.

Components

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  Components in case

Notable players

• Benny Goodman
• Artie Shaw
• Sabine Meyer
• Martin Fröst
• Charles Neidich
• Paul Meyer (clarinetist)
• Jörg Widmann

Other websites

• The International Clarinet Association