Clarinet

From Young Composers

The Clarinet

A clarinet is a type of woodwind instrument. The term, alone, most commonly refers to the Bb clarinet. The clarinet is usually constructed of grenadilla (African blackwood), though student instruments may be made of a high impact plastic resin.

Score Placement

In orchestral writing, the clarinet should be placed between the oboes and bassoons. The Eb (or D) clarinet is placed above the Bb (or A) clarinets, then any lower-pitched clarinets in order of pitch (basset horn, then alto, then bass, etc.). In wind ensemble or concert band writing, the clarinets may be played either below the oboes or below the bassoons and above the saxophones.

In an orchestral setting, it will usually be the lower chair players who double on other clarinets, leaving the principle player in his/her area of expertise on the Bb clarinet, especially if solos are called for in the first clarinet. The bass clarinetist is usually a specialist position and does not normally double. Many orchestras also retain a specialist Eb (or D) clarinetist who may double as the third Bb (or A) clarinet in works with larger clarinet sections.

In the wind ensemble or concert band, the clarinet section is typically the largest section in the ensemble, analogous to the string section of the orchestra. Normally there are at least three separate Bb clarinet parts and a bass clarinet part. In addition, a work may call for Eb, alto, contra-alto, or contrabass clarinet parts as well. Note that, like the piccolo in a wind ensemble, there is typically only one Eb clarinet player (though some famous examples to the contrary exist, such as Gustav Holst's First Suite in Eb), who may double on the first Bb clarinet part for music that does not contain an Eb clarinet part. Typically there are three to six clarinetists per Bb clarinet part (i.e., 3-6 first Bb clarinets, 3-6 second Bb clarinets, and 3-6 third Bb clarinets), zero to two alto clarinets, one to four bass clarinets, zero to two contra-alto clarinets, and zero to two contrabass clarinets.

Timbre and Range

The clarinet is probably the woodwind that has the most schizophrenic personality. It has four distinct timbral registers, and each one is quite unique. The following information is specifically regarding the Bb or A clarinet, though the concepts apply to all clarinets. The Bb clarinet is a transposing instrument sounding one whole step lower than written. The A clarinet is a transposing instrument sounding a minor third lower than written.

The lowest register (from E3 to F4), called the "chalumeau," for the clarinet's close ancestor, has a deep, rich colour. It is very dark and mysterious. Rapid figurations in this register have a quite spectacular effect.

The throat tones (from F#4 to Bb 4) are a little pale and could be characterized as slight "fuzzy". A professional clarinetist will be able to blend the natural throat tone timbre so as to minimize the difference between the adjacent registers if appropriate to the music. Many composers, however, write music in the throat tone range specifically for its unique tone quality.

Between Bb4 and B4 is the "break", so called because the player is moving from a nearly open tube with no covered tone holes (Bb4) to a fully closed tube with all fingers covering tones holes (B4). Unless you are specifically writing for a beginner (or are writing a particularly sadistic line that straddles the break incessantly), this should not be an issue.

The next register (from B4 to C6), the “clarino” register, has a bright and almost trumpet-like quality to it. This is not to be understood as meaning that the clarinet only plays loudly in this register. It has quite complete control over dynamics throughout the entirety of its range.

The highest register (from C#6 to C7), or “altissimo” register, loses some of the characteristic qualities of the clarinet, and in soft dynamics may have an almost flute-like quality. This higher register (particularly above G6) is more difficult to control in soft dynamics, and does have a tendency towards shrillness in louder dynamics. In general, all passages above G6 are more difficult to produce and satisfactorily control, and should be written in consultation with a competent professional clarinetist.

All major and minor second trills are possible on the clarinet.

Illustration of written range for the soprano Clarinets in C, Bb, and A.

C, Bb, or A clarinet?

The Bb and A clarinet represent a matched pair in the orchestra. Before the clarinet's key work was fully developed and modernized, many notes had awkward fingerings or produced an unsatisfactory tone quality. Even today with modern key work and a fully chromatic scale, the clarinet plays best in key center close to it's home key of C major (for example: D, G, C, F, and Bb major and the related minor keys). To overcome this limitation, clarinetists used a variety of soprano clarinets to make more keys simpler to play in. The C clarinet (a non-transposing instrument) was used for G, C, and F major, while the Bb clarinet would be used for concert F, Bb, or Eb major, and the A clarinet would be used in E, A, or D major.

Eventually, as the key work of the clarinet family improved and the instrument became fully chromatic, the C clarinet fell out of usage, as its tone quality was found to be inferior to the Bb clarinet (usually due to the instrument not being scaled correctly). To this day, however, the Bb and the A clarinet are used as a pair in the orchestra. The Bb clarinet is more fluent in "flat" keys, while the A clarinet is more adept in "sharp" keys. The A clarinet also has a slightly darker tone quality than the Bb clarinet, though the difference can be subjective, and varies between individual clarinets and clarinetists. It should be noted that more music written today is written specifically for the Bb clarinet rather than the A clarinet, regardless of key. Clarinetists will also sometimes transpose music written for Bb clarinet to the A clarinet (or vice versa) if the passage has easier fingerings in the other key, regardless of the composer's instruction.

Note that the A clarinet is not used in the wind ensemble or concert band; the Bb clarinet is standard.

Auxiliary instruments

Eb or D sopranino clarinet

The sopranino clarinets in Eb and D are smaller, higher-pitched cousins of the standard Bb and A soprano clarinets (sopranino being the diminutive for soprano). In a perfect world, the Eb and D clarinets would be used in the orchestra in much the same way the Bb and A clarinets are used; the Eb is suited for flat keys and the D clarinet is suited for sharp keys, a logical and seemingly beneficial arrangement. In practice, however, the D clarinet is rarely if ever available (few clarinetists have ever seen a D clarinet, let alone played one), despite many important solos written specifically for it (Strauss, Stravinski). It is assumed and expected that all music written for the D clarinet will be performed instead on the Eb clarinet.

The timbre of the sopranino clarinets is an exaggeration of the soprano clarinets; the chalumeau register sounds slightly pale and not quite as rich or mysterious, and the throat tones are thinner. The bright clarino register is where the Eb clarinet begins to shine as a separate voice, and the altissimo register is commanding and can be shrill at loud dynamics.

The Eb clarinet has a perky, bright, and blatant sound that is agile and assertive, particularly in the upper half of its range. It is a tiring instrument to play due to the extreme amount of control required to keep the instrument in tune, as well as to maintain the firm embouchure required to make the reed vibrate. While in theory the written upper range is to C7, the practical upper limit would be Ab6 or A6 for a professional clarinetist.

The Eb and D clarinets are both rare examples of transposing instruments that sound higher than they are written; most transposing instruments sound lower than written. The Eb clarinet sounds a minor third higher than written and the D clarinet sounds a major second higher than written.

Illustration of written range for the sopranino Clarinets in Eb and D.

Eb alto clarinet

The Eb Alto Clarinet is an uncommonly encountered lower auxiliary clarinet, and sounds a major sixth lower than written. The timbre of the alto clarinet warm, dark, and rather unassertive and blends exceptionally well with other instruments. The chalumeau register is richer and blends more readily into the throat tones than any of the soprano clarinets. The clarino register is clear and even, and the altissimo register (though infrequently used) is bright yet reserved.

Rarely, if ever, found in the Orchestra (the basset horn in F being used instead), the alto clarinet is most commonly found in the band, where it is often used to fill out background harmony or thicken the timbre of the clarinet section.

Illustration of written range for the Eb Alto Clarinet.

Bb bass clarinet

Illustration of written range of the Bb Bass Clarinet.

Eb contra-alto and Bb contrabass clarinets

Illustration of written range for the Eb Contra-alto Clarinet.

Illustration of written range for the Bb Contrabass Clarinet.

Basset horn in F

Illustration of playing range for the basset horn.