Clarinet School
The clarinet is a wind musical instrument. It appeared in its current form in the 19th century. The clarinet currently holds a key position in the symphony orchestra, and belongs to the category of woodwinds. The clarinet is also very common as a member of jazz orchestras. In Greece, where the name clarine prevailed, as well as in many Balkan countries, it is one of the main instruments of traditional music.
History
The clarinet came from an evolution of older similar instruments. The bibliography mentions as an ancestor of the clarinet the French wind instrument salymo (French chalumeau, etymologically from the Greek word “cane”), to which a series of keys were gradually added. Crucial was the addition by the German Johann Christoph Denner of the key next to the back hole of the instrument (in Greek it is also called “soul”). As early as the beginning of the 19th century, the clarinet, having a form very similar to the present, has found its place in the symphonic orchestra. In 1839, the Frenchman Hyacinth Klose rearranged the keys, bringing the clarinet to its present form.
Shape of the instrument
It has an elongated tubular shape, while in its body there are six main holes in the front and one hole in the back, visually resembling a flute and other corresponding wind instruments. In addition, the clarinet has a series of metal keys that cover or reveal other holes in its body. The sound of the clarinet comes from the pulsating tongue located on the mouthpiece at the top of the instrument, to which it is attached via the clamp.
The clarinet is usually split into five parts and stored in a suitcase in pieces. These parts of the clarinet starting from the top, are the mouthpiece, the barrel, the upper stem, the lower stem and the bell. The clarinet is made of wood, mainly African ebony or Honduran roses. The tongue, or in the slang of musicians reed, is made of reed, cut to a suitable thickness. There are also plastic clarinets in the market today, which are suitable for students, at much more affordable prices.
Regarding the arrangement of the keys of the instrument, we distinguish two basic systems, the Oehler system, popular in Austria and Germany, which is also preferred in Greek traditional music, and the Boehm system (by Y. Klose) which generally prevails in symphony orchestras. However, even the oldest Albert system exists in some parts of the world, like the southern United States.
The tone of the instrument depends to a large extent on the skill of the instrument player, as well as on the quality and the material of construction of the instrument. The thickness of the epiglottis used, also affects the complexion, but mainly the ease of playing. Apprentices usually use thinner tongue mouthpieces, because they are easier to play (number 1 on a scale of 1 to 5) while professional musicians prefer thicker tongues (greater than 2.5) because their sound is much better, especially on high notes.
