Clarinets have a smooth, mellow tone. With a very large range of four octaves, from warm low notes to a pure and clear upper register, the clarinet is often featured in orchestral solos. It can play a long, beautiful, velvet melody, and then burst into a ripple of fast scales.

Here's a picture of the clarinet, so you can see all its parts.

The clarinet mouthpiece fits into the top of the instrument and holds the reed. It is usually made of wood or plastic.

The clarinet has a complex keywork system. The keys cover holes in the body of the clarinet, and make it possible to control pitches.

The little finger keys are very important on woodwind instruments. Pressing down one of these keys opens or closes a pad further down the instrument, beyond reach of the hands.

The thumb rest is a small metal plate, attached to the back of the clarinet, that helps the clarinetist support the weight of the instrument with the right thumb.

One technique clarinetists often use is called "bending" notes. This means varying the air pressure on the reed and partly covering tone holes to change pitch. This is especially useful in jazz solos! In fact, clarinets are as common in jazz bands as in orchestras.

back to Clarinet


Mini Stage