TRIANGLE

TIMPANI

CYMBALS

CONDUCTOR

Watch subsequent issues of Overture as we explore more INSTRUMENTS of the orchestra !

• The clarinet is a singlereed instrument — the reed produces sound by vibrating against the mouthpiece .

• There are numerous sizes of clarinet , each with a different appearance , range , and transposition .

• The clarinet is closely related to the saxophone , another single-reed instrument which uses a similar fingering pattern .

Mouthpiece

Upper Joint

Lower Joint

Bell

Tone Holes

Keys

Bell Ring

HISTORY OF THE CLARINET

Ligature Early history : The modern clarinet evolved from the chalumeau , a single-reed instrument used during the Baroque

Barrel Ring period . It had a limited range of only about one-and-a-half octaves , roughly half of the average range of the human voice .

After 1700 : In the early 18th century , German instrument maker Johann Christoph Denner added two keys to the chalumeau to extend its range , creating the first clarinets . Additional changes in construction were made over the following centuries , and the clarinet has been a standard part of the symphony orchestra since the time of Beethoven .

Recent history : In the 20th century , the clarinet continued to be an important symphonic instrument , but also became popular in jazz , klezmer , and concert band settings .