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Clarinet Facts

Clarinet Facts
The clarinet is a musical instrument, considered to be a woodwind type of instrument because of the way music is made with a single-reed mouthpiece. In order to produce sound the clarinettist blows into the mouthpiece and uses their fingers to play the rings and keys to produce different sounds. Single-reed instruments date back to Ancient Greece, but the modern clarinet was developed from the chalumeau in the late 17th century after modifying its design. There is debate as to who the true inventor of the clarinet is, with some believing it was a German instrument maker named Johann Christoph Denner, and others believing it was actually his son Jacob Denner. In 1791 Mozart was already a fan of the instrument and it didn't take long for other composers and musicians to follow.
Interesting Clarinet Facts:
The clarinet's earlier single-reed instrument relatives include the alboka, the albogue, the double clarinet, and the chalumeau.
The chalumeau was converted to a clarinet by changing a key into a register key. The chalumeau was a single-reed instrument made with 8 finger holes. It was first made in France but later it was also made in Germany.
As the clarinet was further developed the pads were added to cover the tone holes.
The clarinet body is made up of the mouthpiece, barrel, upper joint, pads, keys, ring key, rod, lower joint, and bell.
Most believe that it was Johann Denner, not his son Jacob that invented the clarinet in the late 1600s.
Johann Denner was an instrument maker in Germany, who opened his shop in 1678. Soon after he developed the clarinet.
The last instrument to be included in the symphony orchestra was the clarinet.
George Gershwin composed on the most popular clarinet solos ever created. It is called 'Rhapsody in Blue'.
Famous clarinettists include Benny Goodman, Eddie Daniels, Richard Stoltzman, and Sabine Meyer.
The most common arrangement of keys and holes on a clarinet was inspired by the Boehm system, developed by Theobald Boehm for the flute. In 1839 Hyacinthe Klose used the Boehm system to develop the clarinet's arrangement. The clarinet arrangement is however different than the original flute arrangement.
Clarinets are commonly used in the creation of chamber music in combinations such as the clarinet and piano, the clarinet, piano, and another instrument or vocals, the clarinet quintet which includes the clarinet and string quartet, and several others.
Clarinets were popular in jazz music beginning in the early 1900s, continuing to be popular until the 1940s.
Early clarinettists included Sidney Bechet, Larry Shields, Alphonse Picou, Jonny Dodds, and Jimmie Noone.
The clarinet has also been used in rock music and other popular music genres. Musicians and groups such as Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Billy Joel, and Jerry Martini have included the clarinet in their music.
There are a variety of clarinet types including the piccolo clarinet, the E-flat clarinet, the soprano clarinet (in D and C), the B-flat clarinet, the A clarinet, the basset clarinet, the basset-horn clarinet, the alto clarinet, the bass clarinet, and the contrabass and contra-alto clarinets.


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