clarinet

The clarinet uses a single reed attached to a mouthpiece and has the widest range of any woodwind instrument — nearly four octaves. Its cylindrical bore gives it a distinctive warm, round tone in the lower register (the chalumeau register) and a bright, piercing quality in the upper range. Mozart was among the first major composers to write extensively for the clarinet, and his Clarinet Concerto in A major remains one of the instrument's greatest works. The clarinet is equally at home in orchestras, wind bands, jazz ensembles, and klezmer groups. Benny Goodman brought it to the forefront of swing-era jazz.