Clarinet Family

Clarinet

Bb Clarinet

The Bb clarinet is one of the most popular woodwind instruments. The members of this large family of single reed instruments that are used in wind bands are the Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet, Eb alto clarinet, and Bb bass clarinet, but there are many others used in other places.

It has the widest range of notes of any woodwind instrument, with rich, velvety, mellow tones in the lower register, and lustrous and bright sounds in the higher registers.

The Bb clarinet is one of the mainstays of the concert band. Performing the same role that the string section would in an orchestra, clarinets provide much of the body of sound in the band. There are usually three or four Bb clarinet parts spread amongst 8-12 clarinettists. It is also used in many other ensembles such as orchestras, folk music groups and jazz groups.

The clarinet consists of a cylindrical tube whose mouthpiece has a single, vibrating reed. Construction is usually of African black wood or moulded plastic, with metal keys.

Fact: Until the 19th century, the clarinet was played with the mouthpiece the opposite way up to the way it is played today.

Bass Clarinet

The bass clarinet has the same range as Bb clarinet but one octave lower. It has a rich velvety tone, especially on the lower notes. Its dark sound usually accompanies the bass section but can also be heard on counter melodies with the tenor saxophone or euphonium.

The band will usually have one or two bass clarinets. It shares a role with the bassoon as the bass section of the woodwind family.
Bass clarinets have an extra low Eb key, and some will have their range extended down further to a low C by way of extra keys and being much longer.

Fact: The modern form of the bass clarinet was developed by Adolphe Sax, better known for inventing the saxophone.

Barney in the Bass Clarinet