The Clarinet
Wind | Woodwind | Single Reed Aerophone
I moved on to the Clarinet from the Recorder. It was a new challenge, a single reed to deal with and different fingerings.
Based on its predecessor the Chalumeau, the Clarinet is generally accepted to have been invented by Johann Christoph Denner in the early 1700s.
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The Clarinet has a mellow, woody sound, very different to the recorder. Learning to play the Clarinet gave me the opportunity to play in the beginner band at school. I made new friends and had a great experience.
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A favourite of classical composers, with many concertos to choose from. The Clarinet is also a key player in Big Band and of course Jazz. A single reed aerophone, the Bâ™ soprano clarinet and A soprano clarinet are the most popular.
Listen to the Clarinet
Notable pieces that feature the Clarinet:
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Aaron Copland - Clarinet Concerto
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Carl Maria von Weber - Clarinet Concerto No. 2
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Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E flat
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Leonard Bernstein - Sonata for Clarinet & Piano
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George Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
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Claude Debussy - Premiere Rhapsodie
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Malcolm Arnold - Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano
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Gerald Finzi - Clarinet Concerto
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Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5
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Francis Poulenc - Sonata for Clarinet &Piano
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If you are thinking about learning to play an instrument, or you’ve decided, but aren’t sure which one, let me help you choose. We can chat, and you can have a go at different instruments, to see which one would suit you best. If you leave your email, or ask your mum and dad to, I will get back to you, or your parents, with more information.