Clarinet

History

Assembly

Cleaning

History of the Clarinet

Johann Christoph Denner (1655 -)

invented the clarinet.

Invented around 1690, the clarinet is a

single-reed woodwind instrument with a

cylindrical tube. The clarinet evolved

from an earlier instrument called the

chalumeau, the first true single reed

instrument.

Johann Christoph Denner of

Nuremburg with the help of

his son Jacob improved the

chalumeau, creating a new

instrument called the

clarinet. Denner added two

keys to the chalumeau and

increased that instruments

range by over two octaves.

He also created a better

mouthpiece and improved

the bell (end) of the

instrument.

In 1843, the clarinet was further improved when Klose adapted the Boehm flute key system to the clarinet. Mozart was the first composer to use the clarinet in a symphony.

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Clarinet-Concerto-Quintet/dp/B0000006VG

http://encarta.msn.com/media_461532918_761554446_-1_1/Mozart's_Clarinet_Quintet_in_A_Major_K_581.html

1862 Clarinet

Mozart

1756-1791

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Parts of the Clarinet

Clarinet Assembly Begin by sitting in a chair and setting the case on the floor. It can be

difficult to balance it on your lap and put your clarinet together at the

same time.

Make sure that the case is right side up.

Start by putting cork

grease on all of the

corks where the pieces

will fit together. This

will not always be

necessary, but is

important when you

first get your clarinet.

Remove the reed from

its protective case, and

put it in your mouth. It

will play better if it is

wet.

First pick up the Lower Joint. This is the biggest piece in the case. Always pick up the parts at the edge, not by the keys. Remember you don't want to bend any

keys.

Remove the bell and second joint from the case. Carefully twist and push the cork end of the second joint into the bell, turning it back and forth until it is all the way in.

Next, remove the first

joint from the case. In the

picture , a black arrow

points to the bridge key.

This key is very

important, and can easily

be bent if you are not

careful. Hold the first

joint in your left hand,

with your fingers over the

ring holes on the front of

the clarinet as shown.

This will cause the bridge

key to lift up.

Holding the second joint

close to the bell with

your right hand, slowly

twist and push the first

joint into the second.

Look at the picture to

see where the two

sections should meet.

Try to turn it back and

forth in small motions,

so that the keys don't

bang into each other.

Remove the barrel from the

case and twist and push the

large end onto the first joint.

Remove the mouthpiece

from the case and take off

the ligature (the ligature is

the metal or sometimes

plastic piece that has one or

two screws in it). Twist and

push the cork end of the

mouthpiece into the barrel.

The flat side of the

mouthpiece should line up

with the back of the clarinet

(the part with the fewest

keys).

Putting the reed on

Place the Reed on the flat part of the Mouthpiece.

Center it and hold it in position with your thumb

Slip on the Ligature being careful not to hit the reed because you will crack it. Next, center the Ligature over the reed making sure that the Ligature is quite low on the Reed and over the unshaved part of the Reed. Tighten the screws nice and tight and you are ready to play.

Cleaning Drying your Clarinet

Did you know that you are not actually

Cleaning your clarinet. What you are doing is

Drying it. Clarinets do not like moisture. Pads

will deteriorate sooner if they are wet and the

clarinet will get moldy after a while. use a

swab to remove the moisture from the

instrument.

Pull-through swabs

have a weight on a

string that is dropped

through the instrument

and when it comes out

the other side you

simply pull the swab

through the instrument

several times. Simply

just remove the

Mouthpiece after

playing. Let the weight

drop through from the

Barrel end to the Bell

end.

Pull gently because the Swab has to clear two metal tubes in the inside of the clarinet. If you pull too hard and too fast the Swab can get stuck and tear.

Hold on to the weight at the Bell end and pull the swab through the instrument

Cleaning the Mouthpiece

Surely there's nothing

to cleaning

mouthpieces - a drop

of detergent in some

lukewarm water, a bit

of gentle scrubbing

with a soft mouthpiece

brush - how difficult

can it be? Do this

every week.