Clarinet family
Encyclopedia
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
family is a musical instrument family
Family (musical instruments)
A family of musical instruments is a grouping of several different but related sizes or types of instruments. Some schemes of musical instrument classification, such as the Hornbostel-Sachs system, are based on a hierarchy of instrument families and families of families.Some commonly recognized...
including the well-known B♭ clarinet
Soprano clarinet
The soprano clarinets are a sub-family of the clarinet family.The B clarinet is by far the most common type of soprano clarinet - the unmodified word "clarinet" usually refers to this instrument...
, the slightly less familiar E♭
E-flat clarinet
The E-flat clarinet is a member of the clarinet family. It is usually classed as a soprano clarinet, although some authors describe it as a "sopranino" or even "piccolo" clarinet. Smaller in size and higher in pitch than the more common B clarinet, it is a transposing instrument in E, sounding a...
, A
Soprano clarinet
The soprano clarinets are a sub-family of the clarinet family.The B clarinet is by far the most common type of soprano clarinet - the unmodified word "clarinet" usually refers to this instrument...
, and bass clarinet
Bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
s, and other clarinets.
Clarinets other than the standard B♭ and A clarinets are sometimes known as harmony clarinets. However, there are many differently-pitched clarinet types, some of which are very rare. They may be grouped into sub-families, but grouping and terminology vary; the list below reflects popular usage and compares it with systems advocated by a few influential authors. See separate articles for additional details.
- Piccolo clarinetPiccolo clarinetThe piccolo clarinets are members of the clarinet family, smaller and higher pitched than the more familiar high soprano clarinets in E and D. None are common, but the most often used piccolo clarinet is the A clarinet, sounding a minor seventh higher than the B clarinet. Shackleton also lists...
— Very rare. Also known as octave clarinet or Bb sopranino clarinet. Pitched an octave higher than the B♭ clarinet.- A♭ piccolo clarinet.
- Rendall uses the term octave clarinet and includes also obsolete instruments in C, B♭, and G.
- Shackleton lists also obsolete instruments in C, B♭, and A.
- A♭ piccolo clarinet.
- Soprano clarinetSoprano clarinetThe soprano clarinets are a sub-family of the clarinet family.The B clarinet is by far the most common type of soprano clarinet - the unmodified word "clarinet" usually refers to this instrument...
— The most familiar type of clarinet.- E♭ clarinet/Eb sopranino clarinetE-flat clarinetThe E-flat clarinet is a member of the clarinet family. It is usually classed as a soprano clarinet, although some authors describe it as a "sopranino" or even "piccolo" clarinet. Smaller in size and higher in pitch than the more common B clarinet, it is a transposing instrument in E, sounding a...
— Fairly common in America and western Europe; less common in eastern Europe. - D clarinet — Rare in America and western Europe.
- Rendall lists the E♭ and D clarinets, along with obsolete instruments in G, F, and E, as sopranino clarinets.
- Shackleton lists the E♭ and D clarinets, along with obsolete instruments in F, and E, as sopranino clarinets.
- The E♭ and D clarinets are commonly called piccolo clarinets in eastern Europe and Russia.
- C clarinet — Moderately rare. Clarinets in C are common in the scores of some composers' classical opera, in which clarinetists were expected to be equipped with instruments in A, B♭ and C.
- B♭ clarinet — The most common type of clarinet.
- A clarinet — Standard orchestral instrument used alongside the B♭ soprano.
- G clarinet — Also called a "Turkish clarinet". Primarily used in certain ethnic musics.
- Rendall lists the C, B♭, and A clarinets along with the obsolete instrument in B as sopranos, and the clarinette d'amourClarinette d'amourThe clarinette d'amour is a musical instrument, a member of the clarinet family. In comparison with the B♭ and A soprano clarinets, the clarinette d'amour had a similar shape and construction, but was larger, usually pitched in G...
in A♭ and G and the clarinet in G as obsolete altos. - Shackleton lists the C, B♭, A, and G clarinets along with obsolete instruments in B and A♭ as sopranos, noting that the A♭ and G often occurred as clarinette d'amour in the mid-18th century.
- Rice classifies G clarinets with flared bells as altos, with pear- or bulb-shaped bells as clarinets d'amour.
- Rendall lists the C, B♭, and A clarinets along with the obsolete instrument in B as sopranos, and the clarinette d'amour
- E♭ clarinet/Eb sopranino clarinet
- Basset clarinetBasset clarinetThe basset clarinet is a clarinet, similar to the usual soprano clarinet but longer and with additional keys to enable playing several additional lower notes...
— Essentially a soprano clarinet with a range extension to low C (written).- A basset clarinet — Most common type.
- Basset clarinets in C, B♭, and G also exist.
- Rendall includes no basset clarinets in his classifications. Shackleton has three in his collection: Numbers 5389 (Bb and A set) and 5393 (in A). See Catalogue of the Sir Nicholas Shackleton Collection, Edinburgh University Collection.
- Basset horn — Alto-to-tenor range instrument with (usually) a smaller bore than the alto clarinet, and a range extended to low (written) C.
- F basset horn — Most common type.
- Rendall lists basset horns in G (obsolete) and F as tenors.
- Shackleton lists also basset horns in G and D from the 18th century.
- Neither Rendall nor Shackleton lists A, E, or E♭ basset horns though these apparently existed in the eighteenth century.
- F basset horn — Most common type.
- Alto clarinetAlto clarinetThe alto clarinet is a wind instrument of the clarinet family. It is a transposing instrument pitched in the key of E, though instruments in F have been made. It is sometimes known as a tenor clarinet; this name especially is applied to the instrument in F...
— Pitched a perfect fourth lower than the B♭ soprano clarinet.- E♭ alto clarinet — Most common type. Range usually down to low E♭ (written).
- Rendall lists the E♭ alto and F tenor clarinets as tenors (along with the basset horns).
- Shackleton lists F alto clarinet as obsolete.
- E♭ alto clarinet — Most common type. Range usually down to low E♭ (written).
- Bass clarinetBass clarinetThe bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B , but it plays notes an octave below the soprano B clarinet...
— An octave below the B♭ clarinet often with an extended low range.- B♭ bass clarinet — The standard bass.
- A bass clarinet — Very rare.
- C bass clarinet — Obsolete.
- Rendall and Shackleton list C, B♭, and A; Rendall lists only C as obsolete, while Shackleton calls A "rare". Rendall groups these in baritone and bass.
- Contra-alto clarinetContra-alto clarinetThe contra-alto clarinet is a large, low-sounding musical instrument of the clarinet family. The modern contra-alto clarinet is pitched in the key of EE and is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the EE contrabass clarinet...
— An octave below the alto clarinet.- EE♭ contra-alto clarinet, also called EE♭ contrabass clarinet.
- Rendall lists "contrabasset-horns" in G, F, and E♭ (none marked obsolete), grouping these in baritone and bass.
- Shackleton lists only "E♭ contrabass clarinet", grouping it in contrabass (pedal) clarinets.
- EE♭ contra-alto clarinet, also called EE♭ contrabass clarinet.
- Contrabass clarinetContrabass clarinetThe contrabass clarinet is the largest member of the clarinet family that has ever been in regular production or significant use. Modern contrabass clarinets are pitched in BB, sounding two octaves lower than the common B soprano clarinet and one octave lower than the B bass clarinet...
— An octave below the bass clarinet.- BB♭ contrabass clarinet.
- Rendall lists also contrabass clarinet in C as obsolete, and groups it and the BB♭ contrabass in baritone and bass.
- Shackleton lists only the BB♭ contrabass, grouping it in contrabass (pedal) clarinets
- BB♭ contrabass clarinet.
- Two larger types have been built on an experimental basis:
- EEE♭ octocontra-alto — An octave below the contra-alto clarinet. Only three have been built.
- BBB♭ octocontrabass — An octave below the contrabass clarinet. Only one was ever built.
- Neither Rendall nor Shackleton includes these in their classifications.