Clarinet

The word clarinet is derived from adding the suffix ’et’, meaning ’little’ to the Italian word clarion, meaning a particular type of trumpet. Clarinet belongs to the woodwind family. Clarinets come in different sizes and pitches. The ’soprano clarinet’ is known to be the most common clarinet. The bass clarinet has a typically deep and mellow sound. Saxophone is a musical instrument developed from the bass clarinet in 1840. The clarinet uses a single reed made from the cane of arundo donax, a type of grass. It produces a very distinctive tone and has the largest pitch range compared to any common woodwind instrument. Some of the different types of Clarinets include Basset horn in F, Piccolo clarinet in Ab, Contra-alto clarinet in EEb and others. Clarinet sheet music can be found online.

The outer body of the Clarinet may be made from a wide variety of materials including wood, plastic, hard rubber, metal, and ivory. Majority of the clarinets used by professional musicians are made from African hardwood, often granadilla. Clarinets in various colours and sizes are available in stores and on the internet. The clarinets mouthpiece, reeds and cabinets are also available separately in many stores and online sites. In Chamber music, a clarinet is played in combination with the flute, piano, and bassoon. In wind bands, clarinets form an essential part of the instrumentation. Filmmaker and actor, Woody Allen is a notable jazz clarinet fanatic. He performs New Orleans-style jazz regularly in New York City.