Clarinet - Modern Music Assignment

7/22/2019 Clarinet - Modern Music Assignment

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1.0 Introduction

The clarinet is a music instrument under the woodwind family. The woodwind family is actually part of

wind instruments category, which defines musical instruments that uses the vibration of air to produce

sound. “Woodwind” indicates these instruments are made of wood, though that may not necessarily be

so. Originally, the clarinet produced a sound and tone that was similar to the trumpet, hence its name

“clarinet” which means “little trumpet”, The name “clarinet” comes from the Italian word “clarino”

meaning “trumpet” with the suffix “-et” to mean “little”.

There are many different types of clarinets such as the A clarinet, the B clarinet, the E clarinet,

the bass clarinet and the most common variety, the Bb clarinet. The different variations indicate that the

clarinet is tuned to the stated key. For example, the Bb clarinet will be tuned to the key of Bb. This will

mean that the C major scale on a Bb clarinet will be the same as a Bb scale on a piano. Different tuningsof the clarinet will allow the player to use different ranges of notes. However, a clarinet player has to be

aware that the music must be transposed into the correct key to suit the clarinet he or she is using.

The clarinet consists of five parts: the mouthpiece, the barrel joint, the upper joint, the lower

joint and finally the bell. Clarinets are usually made from wood, but it can also be made from other

materials such as plastic, metal, hard rubber, resin and ivory. Traditionally, the wood is an ebony from

Africa, Asia or South America that is called granadilla wood, however the generally the modern

inexpensive clarinet is constructed from plastic resin.

Many different styles and genres feature the clarinet as a key musical instrument, notably jazz,

classical, folk, Latin, traditional and even rock. Clarinets are an essential for standard orchestra, concert,

military and marching bands, A person who plays the clarinet is known as a clarinetist. Some examples

of well-known clarinetists are Anton Stadler, Karl Leister, Sabine Meyer and Benny Goodman.

The continuous evolution of music has ensured that the clarinet remains a popular instrument in

various genres all around the world. Its range of notes and unique sound allows it to be used for great

solo pieces but also lets it blend well with other instruments. Its versatility has allowed it to become one

of the most favoured wind instruments worldwide.



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2.0 History of the Clarinet

The clarinet was first invented in the late 17th

century by Johann Christoph Denner of Nuremberg,

Germany along with his son Jacob Denner. Before this, there were many forms of woodwind

instruments that were part of its journey to existence. The earliest of these inspirations was the

zummara, the Egyptian invention of a single-reed, double-bore instrument during 2700 B.C. Another

music instrument that was the clarinet’s inspiration is the recorder. During A.D. 200, recorders were

invented thanks to the continuous change of their early ancestors from the Iron Age. They were made to

have seven holes and a solid whistle shape to produce sound.

The baroque era, which was the 1600s, led to the evolution of many music instruments,

including the previously mentioned recorders. The baroque version of the recorder has a two octave

range. During this time, the baroque chalumeau was also invented. The chalumeau is a single reedattached to the body of a recorder. Johann Chirstoph Denner added a register key to the chalumeau,

hence creating the clarinet. A register key helps to raise the pitch of most of the first register notes. This

in turn gave the clarinet a wider range of notes. Besides that, the Demmers also changed the shape of

the mouthpiece from the chalumeau as well as improved the bell.

The clarinet had a more complicated structure than the chalumeau or the recorder, and this led

to it remaining unpopular until around the 18th

century, where composers such as Mozart began to

include a clarinet part into their compositions. In 1716, Antonio Vivaldi wrote an orchestral composition

which included the clarinet – his oratorio Juditha Triumphans. Mozart in turn wrote “Clarinet Quintet in

A Major” which specially features the instrument in 1789. As the clarinet’s popularity began expanding,

so did its evolvement. More keys were added and tone holes were altered for better sound quality.

In 1812, Iwan Muller, a German clarinetist and instrument maker, presented a 13-key clarinet he

developed to the Paris Conservatoire, which is a famous music school in Paris, France. He also invented

new pads for the clarinet. Clarinet pads were formally made from leather or felt strips, which caused air

leakage. The new pads were made of leather or gut stuff with wool and this provided Muller with the

opportunity to add more keys compared to the original six or seven keys.

During this time, more advanced and improved methods for playing the clarinet were also

developed. Sometime around 1839 and 1843, Theobald Boehm, a German flute maker developed the

Boehm fingering, which is similar to the fingering method when playing the flute. This method can also

be used to play the saxophone and the oboe. This was popularly accepted in France and today this



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method is used commonly in the United States. Boehm also invented the ring key which makes it

possible for a player to cover a hole larger than the finger. From this, Hyancinthe Klose and Louis-August

Buffet introduced the “Boehm” design, which has seventeen keys and six rings, which is the same as

clarinets in the present day. In Germany, other instrument makers developed the Oehler system and this

used in other countries today.

In the 1910s, the clarinet was a huge part of the jazz movement in America. Many different

varieties of jazz such as Dixieland Jazz from New Orleans, ragtime and Chicago Jazz all included the

clarinet in their music. It was also during this time that clarinetist Benny Goodman was born. He was

known for his incredible talent on the clarinet and was hailed as the best jazz clarinetist of the 20th

century. The legacy of the clarinet continues until today.

3.0 Parts of the Clarinet

(Picture from Cappelli, 2007)



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3.1 Mouthpiece


The mouthpiece of the clarinet is where the player places his or her mouth to blow air to

cause the reed to vibrate. It is usually made of ebonite or plastic. The reed is attached to the

mouthpiece with the metal ligature. The reed is the part of the clarinet that produces the

sound. Reeds come in different strengths varying from soft to hard.

3.2 Barrel Joint


The barrel joint is a short length of a tube located just below the mouthpiece. It is used to

fine tune the clarinet. The tuning of the clarinet is pretty constant, but the barrel allows the

player to make adjustments if needed.

Reed

Ligature



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3.3 Upper Joint and Lower Joint

The body of a clarinet consists of an upper joint and a lower joint. The upper joint keys are

played using the left hand. The left thumb plays the thumb hole and register key. It also has

a cluster of keys at the bottom, which are overhanging from the cork of the joint. These are

known as trill keys. The lower joint keys are then played using the right hand. The lower

joint also has the thumb rest.

3.4 Bell


The bell is located at the end of the clarinet. It flares out at the end to help highlight the

clarinet’s tone, especially when lower notes are played.

Lower JointUpper Joint



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4.0 Playing the Clarinet

Correct method to hold a clarinet (Picture from Cappelli, 2007)

The clarinet produces sound due to the vibration of the reed when the clarinetist blows on

the mouthpiece. In order to produce different notes, the player has to cover various

combinations of tone holes with either fingers or keys. Every note has a different

combination which would allow air to flow through a different length of tubing and escape

through the bell and the uncovered holes.

The clarinet is a wind instrument, so players need to breathe correctly in order to inhale a lot

of air quickly and quietly. One of the important aspects in this method is posture. When

standing, the player should stand tall with the head up but the neck and shoulders relaxed

with an equal balance of body weight on both feet. If sitting, he or she uses the same

posture but sits at the front of the chair. When inhaling air, the player fills the area below the

stomach below with air without raising the shoulders. When exhaling, air is released slowly

and the diaphragm is expanded. The player should inhale through the nose and exhale

through the mouth.

When playing, the clarinet is help in place mainly by the right thumb. The left hand should be

on the top, which is the upper joint, whereas your right should be on the bottom at the lower

joint. The fingering for the clarinet is as shown in the diagram below.



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References

Cappelli, F. (2007). Learn to Play The Clarinet. Eldorado Ink.

Eberhard. (n.d.). Retrieved from the-clarinets.net: http://www.the-clarinets.net/index.html

Hey Kids, It's A Clarinet . (n.d.). Retrieved from Making Music Fun:

http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library/hey-kids-its-a-clarinet.htm

Nave, C. (2013). The Clarinet . Retrieved from HyperPhysics: http://hyperphysics.phy-

astr.gsu.edu/hbase/music/clarinet.html

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Clarinet - Modern Music Assignment