Clarinet

Musical instruments are classified by the way they produce sound; such as string, voice, keyboards, percussion, wind, and electronic. The Clarinet is a woodwind instrument that produces sound when a column of air is made to vibrate through it. The name Clarinet has evolved from the Italian word 'Clarino' that means Trumpet and the suffix 'et at the end means little; thus the Clarinet is called a 'Little Trumpet'.

Clarinets are a family of instruments comprising of more than two dozen types that have different sizes and pitches. The Clarinet first took shape out of an instrument called the Chalumeau. A typical Clarinet is made from African hardwood; however these days clarinets are made with Resonite. The Clarinets made from synthetic materials are less affected by humidity, but are heavier than their wooden variants. The mouthpieces are made of ebonite, although cheaper mouthpieces made of plastic are also available. The Clarinet uses a single reed made from the cane of a type of grass called arundo donax. The reed is joined to the mouthpiece by the part of the instrument held by the player in his/her mouth called the embouchure. The barrel is the part of the instrument that is used to fine-tune the Clarinet; its pitch is temperature sensitive and the barrel may be interchanged to obtain perfect tuning. However synthetic barrels with thumbwheels are also available that let you adjust the length of the barrel without replacing it.

The main body of the Clarinet is divided into the upper joint and lower joint. The upper joint keys and holes are operated with the left hand whereas the lower joint keys and holes are operated with the right hand. The final part of the Clarinet is the bell. A common misconception of the bell is that it amplifies the sound of the Clarinet; however in reality it improves the uniformity of its tone. Three distinctive registers divide the range of the clarinet. These are the 'chalumeau register', the 'clarion register' and the 'altissimo register'.

Clarinets are used extensively across various genres of music. It was highly popular with classical musicians such as Igor Stravinsky, Richard Strauss, Olivier Messiaen, Beethoven and Mozart. It is also admired by Jazz artists all over.