Clarinet Terminology
There are specifications on different models that you may have no idea what they are. Here is some terminology (and more on the way) to help you understand the different parts of the clarinet. It may seem like there is too much detail but it may be an interest to those who are more advancing clarinet players.
Obviously there are many things I still have not mentioned and left out details in each term but, if you find something else that you are wondering about the clarinet, add a comment I’ll try my best to find out for you. If you find an error please comment as well!
Difference between a student clarinet and a Professional clarinet
Student clarinets are made of plastic which can be identified by the black shininess of the body.
ABS resin body is a hard plastic that is also used in other products such as automotive car parts, piping and toys such as leggo. It is resistant to weather, less expensive, cannot crack and is a lot lighter.Clarinets can also come in a variety of colours and other materials .
As plastic sounds cheap, various names are also given to sound more sophisticated such as Resonite, or Resotone. Some plastics that are found more in intermediate models, are made to look like wood which are called names such as composite wood.
Professional models are made out of wood. The type of wood used for professional clarinets are mostly African black wood. This type of wood is hard, heavier than plastic and almost black in colour, hence the name of the wood. It can also be called grenadilla, m’pingo or ebony. Wood clarinets are prone to cracking if not taken care of but is debated that it creates a better tone than plastic. With that said, comparing a professional model with others similar however do create slightly different tones depending on the quality of the wood.
Companies such as Buffet make clarinets (Greenline model )by mixing ebony powder and carbon to help prevent cracking in the wood.
There is a lot more care and detail taken in professional models and better material is used to prolong the life of the instrument.
Mouthpiece
The top piece of the clarinet. This is the part that comes in contact with the mouth during its use. It is made out of Ebonite, a rubber-type material that is compressed by heat. The mouthpiece is responsible for the timbre and pitch. Attached to the mouthpiece is the reed and its held in place by a ligature. The combination of the quality of the Ligature, Reed and Mouthpiece affect how resistant blowing through the clarinet can be and the type of tone it produces. There are many different brands of mouthpieces and prices that range from ~$30 – $100+
Reed
The reed is responsible for tone and of course to produce the sound. It is a thin strip of cane with a flat side that rests on the flat side of the mouthpiece and is rectangular in shape with a curved tip that is similar to the tip of the mouthpiece. The vibrations of the reed produce the sound of the clarinet. The reeds are made out of Arundo Donax.
Reeds come in different strengths indicated by numbers. 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 … 5.
1.5 reeds are the thinnest reeds used by beginning students and the reeds become thicker as the number reed increases. The tip of the reed is very thin and is often chipped if it not taken care of. Reeds cost from $3 each and they come in boxes of 10.
Ligature
Devise that holds the reed on the mouthpiece. Originally, string was used to hold Reeds to the mouthpiece which have grooves to keep the string in place. (Some clarinetists still use this today) Shoestring ligature picture here
There are many different types of Ligatures. Some are made out of a variety of metals and others are made out of leather. Different metals used are said to give different resonances.
Barrel
The barrel (also known as a tuning barrel or neck) is the section where it is adjusted to do fine tuning on the clarinet. The barrel is tuned by lengthening or shortening the gap between the barrel and the upper joint. This is referred to as “pulling out” or “pushing in”. When the barrel is pulled out, the clarinet sounds lower (flatter). When the barrel is fully pushed in, the clarinet will sound higher (sharper). Longer the tube, the lower it sounds basically.
Upper joint and Lower Joint
The Upper Joint is attached to the Barrel at the top and the Lower Joint on the bottom. When assembled, this joint is played by the left hand. (Doesn’t matter if the person is left or right handed) This is the only part of the clarinet that has cork tenons on the top and bottom of the joint.
Lower Joint is the largest joint. It is played by the right hand and has a cork tenon on the bottom which connects with the Bell.
Bell
The bell is the bottom joint of the clarinet that flares outwards. Bells are also used on other instruments such as Brass and saxophones. The bell on the clarinet is important to help project the low notes and also to keep the low notes in tune
More advanced models have a metal ring around the bottom and a tenon ring top to prevent chipping of the wood. Some plastic models have this just for looks.
Because of the flared shape, the clarinet can stand up by itself (not recommended!) Use a clarinet stand or put the clarinet back in its case when not in use.
Tenon Corks
Tenon Corks are found on the end of the mouthpiece, on the ends of the Upper Joint and on the bottom of the lower joint. A thin strip of cork is attached to the tenon to help seal air from coming out when playing.
Sometimes the cork can dry and it is hard to put together, especially when the clarinet is new. Cork Grease or Vaseline is used to help lubricate the joint.
On some wooden clarinets, there is a metal cap on the end of the tenon joint, this is to prevent the wood from cracking. You can also find a tenon ring around the end of a joint that does not have a tenon joint to prevent chipping. Some student clarinets will not have the silver rings and others will do just for the looks.
Cork
Cork is also used on the silver keys for reasons such as: To prevent certian keys to be pressed more than they need to; or help mute the sound of a key hitting another key. Sometimes felt is used instead of cork.
Keys
Keys are to do with the silver mechanism that are pressed by the fingers. keys come in different shapes and sizes on the clarinet. Some are round others are oblong in shape which are all attached to rods and posts that screw into the body of the clarinet. Depending on what keys are pressed depends on the sound and pitch when played.
Keys can be made out of different metals:
Silver plating gives a shinier appearance.
Nickel plating is stronger and lighter than silver but can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Copper fill gives added strength to the key
Stainless Steel found in some professional models
You may find on some specifications 17 keys 6 rings. The 17 keys mean the keys that are oblong in shape that act like levers. When pressed, they close the closed round keys with a soft padding situated underneath to cover the holes in the clarinet. 6 rings mean the open round keys. There are 5 rings on the front and one on the back.
Sometimes you may find the word Boehm to describe the key work. This is relating to how the keys are set out on the clarinet. The Boehm system is the key set up used today. There are other systems used which can be found here
Pads
Pads are found underneath particular keys called cups that are situated above tone holes in the clarinet, just like the cork on the tenon joints, the pads help seal the air from escaping when pressed down. Pads are basically a round cotton like material covered with a water proof skin to protect it from moisture. Normally double fish skin is used. GORE TEX (or GT) a material that is used for wet weather gear is used more in professional models. There are also pads that use leather or even cork.
You may also come across Valentino Pads. You find these pads used in models such as Yamaha. Valentino pads do not need glue to stick the pads onto the cups, they use adhesive instead. Because of this they also make repair kits for emergencies.
Springs
Springs are found hiding underneath the rods of the keys. They are straight and used to keep certain keys “spring back” to its normal position after closing or opening a key. Sometimes you may find the term blue steel strings. The blue is a coating to protect it from rusting. More info found here.
Tone Hole
Tone holes are the drilled holes found on the body of the clarinet. There are 6 holes on the front of the clarinet where fingers cover and several more that are covered by closed keys. Covering and uncovering certain tone holes will give different sounds and pitches. The more tone holes covered the lower the sound.
Some specifications say undercut tone holes. The cut of the tone hole widen as it progresses to the inside of the bore of the body. this is found on more advanced clarinets as it helps with the player to adjust the pitch of a note played. Student clarinets do not have this feature so the tone hole is completely straight when it reaches the bore. This is an advantage as it prevents fluctuations of pitch when playing notes.
Bore
The bore of the clarinet is the column inside the clarinet where the air passes through when played. One of the characteristics that determines the timbre of the clarinet is how the bore is drilled. The shape of the bore affects how the air vibrates inside.
Clarinets are considered cylindrical in shape meaning the diameter of the column remains consistant through the whole bore (with the exception of the bell). Used in student models, it is easier to blow but can cause more pitch fluctuations.
One some specifications it mentions the term polycylindrical. . Poly meaning many in polycylindrical means that the column has different diameter lengths at certian places on the clarinet.
Even though the bore looks mostly straight, the diameter from the upper joint suddenly gets slightly smaller . This gives a bit of resistance which helps give a better tone colour.The change of diameter remains constant through the upper and lower joints untill about half way down the lower joint it gradually becomes larger. More info can be found here
The sound is also affected by how thick the bore is. Measurements such as Cylindrical / .583″ – 14.83 mm are given to determine the width of the inside of the bore. It ranges from about 0.577″ - 0.585″ (14.63 – 14.85 mm). Measurements are always given in inches and millimeters.Even though the differences look very small in numerals, the feel and sound is noticeable when played.
The larger the bore, the more projection, flexibility and free blowing the clarinet has and it is used by jazz players. The smaller the bore, the more resistant and focused the sound. It is also easier to pitch notes in tune.
The bore can be made out of the materials as stated at the top of the page but can also be made of of ebonite (a hard rubber) and Rosewood.
