Clarinet
Instruments that function like the clarinet have been around for many hundreds of years, although the instrument that we recognize as a clarinet wasn't invented until the end of the 17th century. Here are some fun facts!
- Mozart was one of the earliest composers to write for the clarinet.
- Instruments in the clarinet family all have a single reed (sometimes called a tongue) which vibrates against an opening to create the sound. This reed is either attached to, or carved from, a cylindrical tube.
- The Native Americans had an instrument that was a fairly short tube with a reed tied between two hollowed out pieces of cedar wood, while in South America there was a version that had a gourd like bulb on the end, and an instrument called a "bumpa" developed in the Upper Volta area of Africa that had bulbs on both ends and was played sideways like a modern flute!
- Other early instruments were made from animal horns or bones with reeds attached to the end. In some cases the player blew into one mouthpiece area, but two pipes were attached, each with its own reed and finger holes! Imagine, you could play duets with yourself! Each tube usually had only three or four holes or the player covered the holes on both pipes with the same finger. These double clarinets were popular in such diverse places as Egypt, South America, Palestine, the Balkans, and Yugoslavia.
- Our modern-day clarinet originated from the instrument called a chalumeau. (The lowest register of the clarinet is still called the "chalumeau" register.)
- Clarinets come in many different sizes and all are transposing instruments, which means that the music for the clarinets is written in different pitches than the note actually sounds. The most common ones used are Clarinet in B-flat and Bass Clarinet (also in B-flat). The fingerings are the same for each instrument in the clarinet family so the player can switch easily from one to another. But, even though middle C is always fingered the same way, it will create a different sounding note on each instrument.
How to Assemble Your Clarinet
How to Clean Your Clarinet
How to Make First Sounds on Your Clarinet
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Proper Playing Posture