Clarinet

The clarinet is a popular member of the woodwind family (instruments that require a reed to produce sound) and has been used in many different genres including Western classical music, jazz and klezmer music. The clarinet’s history stretches back to the chalameau, an instrument similar in style to a clarinet although relatively inflexible in the sound it could produce. The clarinet as we know it today was developed during the 18th century. It was one of Mozart’s favourite instruments and he used it in a number of his greatest orchestral and chamber works. There are several different types of clarinet, which produce sounds at differing pitches. They range from the high-pitched sopranino clarinet through to the big bass clarinet, an instrument often used by film composers to add dramatic atmosphere. Clarinets were originally all made of wood, although nowadays plastic composites feature prominantly in materials used in their construction.