Clarinet - Extended Family of Clarinets

Extended Family of Clarinets

There is a family of many differently pitched clarinet types, some of which are very rare. The following are the most important sizes, from highest to lowest:

Name Key Commentary Range (concert)
Piccolo clarinet A♭ Now rare, used for Italian military music and some contemporary pieces for its sonority;
E-flat clarinet (sopranino clarinet) E♭ Characteristic timbre, used in concert band repertoire because its tonality is considered "compatible" with other instruments, especially those in B♭.
Sopranino clarinet D Obscure because of its limited repertoire in Western music.
C clarinet C Rare because its timbre is considered too bright.
B♭ soprano clarinet B♭ The most common type: used in most styles of music.
A clarinet A Has a richer sound than B♭, frequently used in orchestral and chamber music.
Basset clarinet A Clarinet in A extended to a low C; used primarily to play Classical-era music. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was written for this instrument, though it is frequently played in a version for the ordinary A clarinet. Basset clarinets in Bb also exist; this instrument is required to play the obbligato to the aria "Parto, parto" in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito.
Basset-horn F Similar in appearance to the alto, but differs in that it is pitched in F, has an extended range to low C, and has a narrower bore on most models. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was originally sketched out as a concerto for basset horn in G. Rarely used today.
Alto clarinet E♭ Used in chamber music and wind ensembles.
Bass clarinet B♭ Used in contemporary music, concert band and jazz; sometimes used in orchestral music.
Contra-alto clarinet (also called E♭ contrabass clarinet) EE♭ Used in clarinet choirs.
Contrabass clarinet (also called B♭ subcontrabass or double-bass clarinet) BB♭ Used in clarinet choirs and sometimes in orchestras and wind ensembles.

Experimental EEE♭ and BBB♭ octocontra-alto and octocontrabass clarinets have also been built. There have also been soprano clarinets in C, A, and B♭ with curved barrels and bells marketed under the names saxonette, claribel, and clariphon.

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