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Facts About The Clarinets – The Woodwind Instrument Of its Class

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Clarinet the woodwind instrument

The Clarinets

The clarinet is a musical instrument with a single reed, cylindrical bore, and a flared bell. It belongs to the group known as the woodwind instruments.  The modern Clarinets are manufactured using the finest woods and with always-reliable key work, this gives performers the finest instruments to ply their trade with.

The clarinet is one of the musical instruments that were flexible both in sound and playing techniques. In order to produce sound, the clarinetist blows air through the opening between the reed and the mouthpiece facing.

The reed vibrates and produces the clarinet’s sound. The modern clarinet uses a system of rings and keys, to allow the clarinetist fingers to play a wide range of notes (sounds).

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Clarinet shows quite different sounds in the different registers and more characteristic than any other wind instrument. Its dynamic or loudness ranges from practically inaudible pianissimo to a hurting fortissimo, this range can only be achieved and louder by brass and saxophones.

When playing quietly, the sound becomes soft and gentle instead of becoming weak. The clarinet is not really difficult to play. Like all the instruments it just takes a little practice to learn.

The Brief History Of the Clarinets

clarinet key and holes development
Keys and Hole Development

The invention of the first clarinet was attributed to Johann Cristoph Denner, a Nuremberg instrument maker, in the late 17th century. He was a renowned Baroque era’s woodwind musical instrument maker.  Instrument building was said to trend in the family. This is because his father was a maker of hunting horns and game whistles.

In 1678 Johann started his business as an instrument maker, his son then also became instrument builders. In short, parts of his instruments are still in existence today. His early clarinets looked much like recorders. It was made in three parts, and with the addition of two keys to close the holes.

Clarinet as an instrument played well in the middle register with a loud and shrill sound, that it was given the name clarinetto which means “little trumpet” (from the Italian word for trumpet, “clarino”, and -“etto”). A clarinet that was made and have a flared bell, like the modern clarinet is presumed to be made by the son of Denner.

Original clarinets by Denner are popular with two keys and the capacity to run a chromatic scale. However, the design of the clarinet improved by the end of the 18th century. The time various makers added more keys in order to have improved tuning, easier fingerings, and a somewhat larger range. The two keys pave way for five or six keys that gave the instrument more pitch control.

The clarinet was developed further in the nineteenth century. At this time, its intonation was improved by a rearrangement of the holes. Also, by addition of more keys that extended the range of the instrument. Notwithstanding, the later models had a mellower tone than the originals.

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The most common arrangement of the keys and holes on a clarinet was inspired by the Boehm system. Specifically, from the major development of the flute key mechanism by Theobald Boehm.

However, in the year 1839, Hyacinthe Klose used the Boehm system to develop the clarinet’s arrangement. Their arrangement of keys and holes is different from the original flute arrangement. In the history of the instrument the next major development was the invention of the modern pad.

This was great because early clarinets used felt pads to cover the tone holes and they leaked air. This called for pad-covered holes to be kept to a minimum, restricting the number of notes the instrument could play with a good tone.

In 1812, a Baltic German community-born clarinetist and inventor, Iwan Müller, developed a new type of pad that was covered in leather or fish bladder.

Description and Construction of Clarinets

Clarinet parts
Clarinet in Segment

There are different types of clarinets out there. Although each of the clarinets is built slightly differently, parts of the clarinets are similar in design.

Clarinets (like saxophones) is an instrument that uses a single reed unlike the double reed use by oboe and bassoon. This reed is made from the cane of Arundo donax, a type of grass.

However, all the reeds for this instrument are not created equally. Most seasoned clarinetists will let you know that simply changing the kind of reed you play the clarinet with can make a major difference in your sound.

The mouthpiece of the clarinet is made out of a kind of hard rubber called ebonite. In actual fact, the mouthpiece of a this woodwind instrument comes in three pieces in one pack.

It has the ligature that makes the reed on the mouthpiece safe. The player moves the ligature smoothly over the mouthpiece and make it tight to safeguard the reed.

Material Used For the Clarinets

The body of the instrument is made of hardwood, most of the earlier clarinets were made of boxwood or ebony. Nowadays, African Blackwood which is sometimes called Grenadilla is used.

Grenadilla has a higher relative density than boxwood, this property gives instruments made of it a rich and beautiful tone. Its black wood is often confused with Ebony, but not the same, this wood is capable of taking a high polish.

New materials have emerged today that make uses of Ivory powder and carbon fiber. These were glued together with a special resin as a combination of materials that should possess the same physical characteristics as wood with the cracking exception. Due to its powerful acoustic value, Grenadilla is the most suitable material for what musicians look for in a clarinet.

The keys of the clarinet are usually made out of an alloy material called German silver. The alloy and product from copper, zinc, and nickel. The alloy looks exactly like pure silver, but it does not tarnish.

Some specially designed instruments can be made with pure silver keys. The costly models are also available with the gold-plated keys.

The keypads of the clarinet require cardboard and felt or leather. It pitched an octave lower than the B♭ clarinet and possesses a powerful sound in the lower registers.

Types Of The Clarinets

Different types of Clarinets
Different Types of The Instrument

There are a variety of clarinet types including the piccolo clarinet, the E-flat clarinet, and the soprano clarinet (in D-and-C). The type of clarinet will have also include the A clarinet, B-flat clarinet, the alto clarinet and contra-alto clarinets. Further more, we have the basset-horn clarinet, the bass clarinet, the basset clarinet, and the contra-bass.

The Clarinet that is most commonly used in today’s world is known as the B-flat (B♭-soprano) clarinet. It is naturally used for solo and orchestral roles, and is also a major force in music for wind instruments. A huge number of repertoire of music was recorded written for the Bb clarinet.

So the instrument is the most popular choice for beginning students. Also, it can serve as a good crossover instrument, which permit players to easily pick up other instruments.

It will be very easy to pick other instrument like the saxophone or flute at a later time. Furthermore, the B-flat clarinet is known to be about 60cm (23.6inches) long and have tone range of more than three octaves.

Clarinets Use in Music

Clarinets use in music

Clarinets as a musical instrument are frequently used in the production of chamber music in combinations with other instruments, such as the clarinet and piano duet, the clarinet and the piano with another instrument or vocals, the clarinet quintet that includes the string quartet and the clarinet, and several others.

The clarinet is a versatile member of the orchestra, the principal treble woodwind of the concert band. In addition, it was the last instrument to be included in the symphony orchestra.

And it is a transposing instrument. Its part in the score is written at a different pitch from the one actually sounded.

The clarinet is used sometimes to balance the flute sound that is known to be high. Also, it is introduce to blend the wood section by adding more middle voices. Due its functional range, the clarinet is regularly utilized to interpret many different moods in orchestral pieces.

How To Maintain The Instrument

Maintenance of the clarinets
Maintenance of the instrument

To keep your instrument in a good condition, you need to take good care of it in the right way. These are some ways you can rightly take care of your clarinet.

When you are not using your clarinet, keep it closed in its case to help protect it. This is necessary because it will prevent it from the possibility of damage. Also, ensure you keep your reeds in a reed guard.

This will allow them to properly dry out and to avoid any chipping or cracking.

No gum or soft drinks before playing. Sugar mixed with saliva builds up on the pads and causes them to stick, making it difficult to play the instrument.

After playing, take your reed off, squeeze the excess water out of it and place it in your reed guard. Because as you play, your instrument do collect moisture inside from the warm air that’s coming out of your mouth.

This warm air as a moisture can accumulate in your keypads. If you do not clean it after each playing session, it can result to air leaks in the clarinet.

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The outside of the instrument should also be wiped off with a clean cloth to remove fingerprints. This will prevent the instrument from tarnishing and will also hp in keeping it in good working condition.

Make sure you clean your mouthpiece once a week using warm soapy water and your mouthpiece cleaning brush.

This will sanitize the mouthpiece and also remove any foreign materials. Never use pliers or hammers on your instrument.

Improper use of household tools is a common cause of unnecessary damage to instruments and do not leave a woodwind instrument in a hot car, or in your trunk. Extreme temperatures can damage your instrument.


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