Family: Wind instruments
Photo: Leitner & Kraus GmbH, Neustadt/Aisch, Editor/Bearbeiter User:Gisbert K, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The clarinet is a single-reed woodwind instrument. It has a very wide range and can sound soft and dark as well as bright and piercing.
A short history
The clarinet was created around 1700 in Nuremberg – it is attributed to Johann Christoph Denner, who improved an earlier instrument called the chalumeau.
Fun facts
- George Gershwin’s „Rhapsody in Blue” opens with a famous clarinet glissando – a smooth slide up the scale.
- Benny Goodman, the „King of Swing”, was a clarinettist. His 1938 Carnegie Hall concert is one of the milestones of jazz.
In rock and jazz
Jazz: Johnny Dodds, Sidney Bechet, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw. In rock the clarinet is rare – listen to The Beatles’ „When I’m Sixty-Four”, featuring a clarinet trio.
Do you play this instrument? Share your experience in the comments below – tell others what is worth knowing.