On some models of clarinet, such as many Albert system clarinets and increasingly some higher-end Boehm system clarinets, the register key is a 'wraparound' key, with the key on the back of the clarinet and the pad on the front. Advocates of the wraparound register key say it improves sound, and it is harder for moisture to accumulate in the tube beneath the pad. The body of a modern soprano clarinet is equipped with numerous tone holes of which seven six front, one back are covered with the fingertips, and the rest are opened or closed using a set of keys.
These tone holes let the player produce every note of the chromatic scale. On alto and larger clarinets, and a few soprano clarinets, key-covered holes replace some or all finger holes. The cluster of keys at the bottom of the upper joint protruding slightly beyond the cork of the joint are known as the trill keys and are operated by the right hand. Finally, the flared end is known as the bell.
Contrary to popular belief, the bell does not amplify the sound; rather, it improves the uniformity of the instrument's tone for the lowest notes in each register. Theobald Boehm did not directly invent the key system of the clarinet. Boehm was a flautist who created the key system that is now used for the transverse flute.
Although the credit goes to those people, Boehm's name was given to that key system because it was based on that used for flute. The current Boehm key system consists of generally 6 rings, on the thumb, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th holes, a register key just above the thumb hole, easily accessible with the thumb. Above the 1st hole, there is a key that lifts two covers creating the note A in the throat register high part of low register of the clarinet.
The clarinet has its roots in the early single-reed instruments or hornpipes used in Ancient Greece , old Egypt, [53] Middle East , and Europe since the Middle Ages , such as the albogue , alboka , and double clarinet. The modern clarinet developed from a Baroque instrument called the chalumeau. This instrument was similar to a recorder , but with a single-reed mouthpiece and a cylindrical bore. Around the turn of the 18th century, the chalumeau was modified by converting one of its keys into a register key to produce the first clarinet.
This development is usually attributed to German instrument maker Johann Christoph Denner , though some have suggested his son Jacob Denner was the inventor. Early clarinets did not play well in the lower register, so players continued to play the chalumeaux for low notes.
The Circle of Fifths
Original Denner clarinets had two keys, and could play a chromatic scale , but various makers added more keys to get improved tuning, easier fingerings, and a slightly larger range. Clarinets were soon accepted into orchestras. Later models had a mellower tone than the originals. The next major development in the history of clarinet was the invention of the modern pad. This required pad-covered holes to be kept to a minimum, restricting the number of notes the clarinet could play with good tone.
Why do we need transposition? (Asking for a friend.)
Modern instruments may also have cork or synthetic pads. It was inspired by the Boehm system developed for flutes by Theobald Boehm. These countries still use a direct descendant of the Mueller clarinet known as the Oehler system clarinet. Other key systems have been developed, many built around modifications to the basic Boehm system: Each of these addressed—and often improved—issues of particular "weak" tones, or simplified awkward fingerings, but none has caught on widely among players, and the Boehm system remains the standard, to date. Before about , due to the lack of airtight pads see History , practical woodwinds could have only a few keys to control accidentals notes outside their diatonic home scales.
This involves more keywork than on instruments that "overblow" at the octave— oboes , flutes , bassoons , and saxophones , for example, which need only twelve notes before overblowing. Clarinets with few keys cannot therefore easily play chromatically, limiting any such instrument to a few closely related keys. Difficult key signatures and numerous accidentals were thus largely avoided.
With the invention of the airtight pad, and as key technology improved and more keys were added to woodwinds, the need for clarinets in multiple keys was reduced. The lower-pitched clarinets sound "mellower" less bright , and the C clarinet—being the highest and therefore brightest of the three—fell out of favour as the other two could cover its range and their sound was considered better. While technical improvements and an equal-tempered scale reduced the need for two clarinets, the technical difficulty of playing in remote keys persisted, and the A has thus remained a standard orchestral instrument.
In addition, by the late 19th century, the orchestral clarinet repertoire contained so much music for clarinet in A that the disuse of this instrument was not practical. In classical music , clarinets are part of standard orchestral and concert band instrumentation. In concert bands, clarinets are an important part of the instrumentation. There is generally only one player per part on the other clarinets. This practice of using a variety of clarinets to achieve coloristic variety was common in 20th-century classical music and continues today.
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The clarinet is widely used as a solo instrument. The relatively late evolution of the clarinet when compared to other orchestral woodwinds has left solo repertoire from the Classical period and later, but few works from the Baroque era. Many works of chamber music have also been written for the clarinet. The clarinet was originally a central instrument in jazz, beginning with the New Orleans players in the s. It remained a signature instrument of jazz music through much of the big band era into the s. Swing clarinetists such as Benny Goodman , Artie Shaw , and Woody Herman led successful big bands and smaller groups from the s onward.
Harry Carney , primarily Ellington's baritone saxophonist, occasionally doubled on bass clarinet. Meanwhile, Pee Wee Russell had a long and successful career in small groups. With the decline of the big bands' popularity in the late s, the clarinet faded from its prominent position in jazz. By that time, an interest in Dixieland or traditional New Orleans jazz had revived; Pete Fountain was one of the best known performers in this genre. In the British clarinetist Acker Bilk founded his own ensemble.
The clarinet's place in the jazz ensemble was usurped by the saxophone , which projects a more powerful sound and uses a less complicated fingering system.
The French composer and clarinetist Jean-Christian Michel initiated a jazz-classical cross-over on the clarinet with the drummer Kenny Clarke. The clarinet is uncommon, but not unheard of, in rock music. Clarinets feature prominently in klezmer music, which entails a distinctive style of playing. The popular Brazilian music styles of choro and samba use the clarinet. In Moravian dulcimer bands, the clarinet is usually the only wind instrument among string instruments. The instrument is equally famous in Turkey , especially the lower-pitched clarinet in G.
The western European clarinet crossed via Turkey to Arabic music , where it is widely used in Arabic pop , especially if the intention of the arranger is to imitate the Turkish style. Also in Turkish folk music , a clarinet-like woodwind instrument, the sipsi , is used. However, it is far more rare than the soprano clarinet and is mainly limited to folk music of the Aegean Region. Groups of clarinets playing together have become increasingly popular among clarinet enthusiasts in recent years.
List of transposing instruments
There is a family of many differently pitched clarinet types, some of which are very rare. The following are the most important sizes, from highest to lowest:. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Albert system , Boehm system clarinet , and Oehler system. Tudor Tulok — Fragment from 'Late Spring'.
Clarinet and piano including clarinet sonatas [74] Clarinet trio ; Clarinet, piano, and another instrument for example, string instrument or voice [72] Clarinet quartet: Wind quintet , consists of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. The Free Dictionary By Farlex. Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Archived from the original on Musical Times Publications Ltd. The Clarinet and Clarinet Choir. A Comprehensive Guide for the Performer and Educator. New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Archived from the original PDF on Acta Acustica united with Acustica.
In the early days of clarinets there were even more types than we have today.
Category:B-flat instruments
In the meantime a reduced set has established itself in orchestras that is used by professional players and amateurs alike. This set is part of the modern family that is shown on the picture. All clarinets except the counter base are common in orchestras today. You will find a description of each type on its own page: The clarinet is a transposing instrument.
If a composer asks for a C clarinet you will have to transpose the notes for your B flat or better for your A clarinet, if you have got one. The instrument types above are the common ones for the classical symphonic orchestra and harmony orchestras including marching bands and big bands of western culture. In other cultures things look different: The traditional Turkish orchestra - which by the way plays music that is harmonically and rhythmically much more complex than that of western style - employs different clarinets, for example a clarinet in G.
One reader - Thomas Aigner - writes: Tracy Patterson Winthrop University. Bob Sheppard Bob Sheppard Quartet. Dan Cipriano Independent Artist. Alden Banta Independent Artist. Guillaume Berceau Independent Artist. Jorge Montilla University of Iowa. Mikhail Beznosov Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra.