The Features and Applications of a Clarinet

Along with many other woodwind instruments the clarinet has been, and still is, one of the most extravagant instruments there is. The clarinet consisting of a cylindrical wood, metal, or ebonite pipe with a bell-shaped opening at one end and a mouthpiece at the other end, to which a thin reed is attached. The clarinet has five different sections, the mouthpiece, the barrel, the upper section, the lower section, and the bell. The length of the entire instrument is 60 cm long. The mouthpiece section consists of a slotted cylinder, to which a reed is attached by a metal clamp called a ligature. The mouthpiece plugs into the next section which is a barrel. The barrel is simply a connecting cylinder to which the mouthpiece and the upper section plugs into. The upper section is a cylindrical pipe consisting of 4 holes and 9 keys placed in different locations along the pipe. On the back of the pipe there is a hole and a key that is used by the thumb. The lower section plugs into the upper section and is also connected via a special bridge key. This piece consists of 3 holes and 8 keys. On the inward facing side of the pipe, there is a protruding piece of metal called a thumb rest, which supports the entire clarinet. The bell plugs into the lower section. It consists of a cylinder that flares out into a bell shape and ends the clarinet. It’s rather unique meaning and figure was invented in the late sixteen hundreds by a builder named Johannes Christopher Denner of Nuremburg. Klose, Stadler of Vienna, and Iwan Muller, along with many others, later improved the instrument in the eighteen hundreds. The clarinet was slowly changed throughout the years, and now many versions have been created. There are easily about eight different types of this instrument. One of the many famous composers that used the clarinet to create art through music was Mozart. He was the first to use the clarinet in one of his symphonies. Moving on to the actual players, there were many well-known musicians that managed to play the clarinet very well. Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman were just few of the many talented clarinetist. But unlike other clarinet players, such as Sabine Meyer and Julian Bliss, there was an orchestra that accompanied those gentlemen. Since the clarinet is an instrument that most resembles a human voice, perhaps explaining part of its popularity with so many composers and performers. Either as a solo instrument or part of an ensemble, it has appealed to audiences and musicians for generations. However, the clarinet is a relatively new instrument, only being created at the beginning of 18th century and it has the unique distinction, as some would contend, of being invented rather then evolved from a previous instrument. Since it’s improvements the clarinet has become a standard instrument in the orchestra with its vibrant sounds.

The clarinet is an instrument made of wood that has a single reed. It produces a vibrating sound so fluid when someone blows air into it, between the reed and mouthpiece. When utilizing the metal keys located on the clarinet, with fingers of both hands, it allows the players to play quick notes efficiently. The clarinet is able to play three registers that are low, middle, and high. Lowest playing rich and full notes, higher playing higher pitch sounds. As a large volume begins to vibrate slowly it plays a low pitch. A smaller volume vibrates rapidly which results in a high pitch when fingers are opening and closing.

Unlike other instruments the clarinet has such a wide range and variety of music it can play. The most common type of music that you will find a clarinet in is Jazz, but aside from that there are much more types of places you can find it at. For instance, there is orchestral, concerts, marching bands, and even in ragtime. Artie Shaw is a great example; this legendary jazz bandleader began his own band in the nigh teen hundreds. After watching a video of “Woody Herman & his Orchestra” I was amused because of how the variation of the clapping and his clarinet playing mixed so well. The music was up beat and outgoing thanks to the tunes of his clarinet.