I have developed this page to aid composers and arrangers in choosing clarinets for their works. The sections on each clarinet contain information about its sound and usage, a link to a representative YouTube video and a list of notable repertoire. The article is structured as follows:

• Introduction
• Overview
• Transposition
• Register
• Nearby/distant range & tone-colour pairings
• High-range clarinets > piccolo clarinets
• piccolo clarinet in A-flat
• piccolo clarinet in E-flat
• High-range clarinets > clarinets in C, B-flat, A
• clarinet in C
• clarinets in B-flat & A
• Mid-range clarinets
• Bass clef
• clarinet d’amore in G
• basset horn in F
• alto clarinet in E-flat
• Low-range clarinets
• bass clarinet in B-flat
• contralto clarinet in E-flat
• contrabass clarinet in B-flat

The clarinet: a guide for composers and arrangers

Dear Reader,

If you are visiting this page from North America, you may find that my perspective on terminology, capitalisation and the clarinet family in general differs from yours. As an Australian who has lived in Europe for a long time, I’ve been privy to a clarinet culture that differs from yours, one that is influenced by the strong clarinet traditions of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. Switzerland is fortunate in that it is “stuck in the middle” of all of these countries, and can take and leave aspects of these practices as it likes. I work in the area of symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles and not in wind orchestras/concert bands and do not subscribe to clarinet nomenclature based on vocal ranges (unlike the saxophone family). It is, in my opinion, impossible to force clarinets into these boxes. Nor do I subscribe to the notion that instrument names are proper nouns (like people & places) and are deserving of capitalisation. They are inanimate objects. I also live in a country where the general availability of instruments is high and instrument repairers do outstanding work, meaning that rarer instruments are easier to come by and they are able to be brought to a professional playing standard with the right investment of time and money. Finally, I do not observe a break or cut in the continuum of classical music as it relates to repertoire for clarinet and I perform repertoire from all epochs relating to the development of the clarinet: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th and 21st centuries, however I am not a period instrument performer. All of this colours my perception and ways of talking about the clarinet family and its repertoire. So when you read this article, instead of taking offence to an opinion that may seem foreign to yours, please appreciate what this information may have to offer and allow it to complement your own understanding of the instrument, as I’m sure, you have different ideas, knowledge and experiences to my own.

—Richard Elliot Haynes

If you are a composer and/or arranger and will be writing/scoring for clarinet, you might be wondering which clarinet or clarinets to choose, which clarinets to form a clarinet section or which clarinets to combine with other instruments. As you surely already know, there are many different kinds of clarinets to choose from — some with varying degrees of availability — so how does one choose which one/s to write for? This article might help you decide which clarinet — or constellation of clarinets — is right for your new composition or arrangement.

It's important to note at this stage that a lot of the information contained in this article is generalised and that an attempt has been made to remain as objective as possible — even though describing the sound of instruments is very much a subjective practice — so as to not favour one clarinet or the other. The descriptions are based on existing repertoire and my experience of the sound of the instrument. There are so many aspects to each and every instrument just as there are manifold considerations for every composition/arrangement. The information is intended to give you more insight into the nature of each clarinet.

If you happen to be reading this because you are writing for me, I play Boehm-system clarinets, often called French system. Most of the clarinettists on the planet play this system. Oehler-system, or more commonly German system is played predominantly in Germany and Austria, and then relegated mostly to orchestras. The following descriptions of the sound of each instrument can be applied to both Boehm and Oehler-system instruments. When it comes to extended techniques — especially multiphonics — there are quite large differences between the two systems, as you may already know. For Boehm-clarinets, there are well-known books by Bartolozzi, Farmer, Rehfeldt, Richards and Sparnaay that all deal with extended techniques, so you can feel free to use these as a reference. If you need a text for Oehler-system, Krassnitzer’s Masters Thesis is worth a look. If you are looking for extended techniques for a more rare instrument, for which there is not yet a dedicated book, you can adopt techniques for eg. B-flat or bass clarinet and apply them to 'nearby' clarinets, bearing in mind that the results may vary. Here’s an overview:

A-flat, E-flat, C, B-flat, A clarinets — charts for any high clarinet

clarinet d’amore — mostly high clarinet charts, some aspects of bass clarinet charts

basset horn/alto clarinet — mostly bass clarinet charts, some aspects of high clarinet charts

bass clarinet — charts for bass clarinet

contralto, contrabass clarinets — dedicated charts for these instruments

It's extremely important to check anything from these books/charts with the player for whom you are writing and on the specific instrument in mind!

Clarinets come in many sizes and transpositions and were developed for different contexts such as salon, chamber, folk, military and orchestral music. The individual sonic characteristics of each clarinet can bestow your music with a unique sound, particularly when used in inventive instrumental combinations.

Transposition

Almost all clarinets are transposing instruments, which means that the player reads from a part, or a score that is transposed according to the instrument being played. The term "in C" means that an instrument is a non-transposing instrument, or transposes at the octave (eg. piccolo, contrabassoon). The preposition "in" does not imply that an instrument is pitched in any type of key (eg. C major, B-flat major etc.) it simply denotes the nominal pitch of the instrument, which means that when the instrument plays a C4 (c’) (or in any other octave…), the resulting pitch is the same as the nominal pitch of the instrument (see illustration above). When the B-flat clarinet plays a C4, it sounds as a B♭3 (b♭). The nominal pitch is the most objective descriptor of the instrument as it gives us little to no information about the sound of the instrument. It’s just a label, however it’s an important label because it tells us how it transposes and thus how one scores for it.

A simple example of transposition occurs at the beginning of every rehearsal and concert with the tuning note A4 (a’): because the B-flat clarinet is pitched one whole tone lower than C, it needs to play one whole tone higher than A4 (a’) in order to tune, which is a B4 (b’). The clarinet in A however, being pitched a minor third lower than C, needs to play the A4 a minor third higher in order to be in unison and so plays a C5 (c’’). The basset horn is pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than C, so it must play the A4 a perfect fifth higher, an E5 (e’’).

If you know the instrument well and have no trouble reading transposing scores, it can be worthwhile to compose/arrange directly to a transposing score. Using a C score and transposing later (the "transpose" button) can lead to some problems because the visual representation of the music is not where it lies on the instrument. A particularly high or low passage may not end up being in the high or low register of the instrument once it’s transposed, just to name one example. As all clarinets have a relatively similar transposed range, you can train yourself to know what the resulting pitches are whilst working with a transposed score, and you will know at all times which register of the instrument is being used. (More on register later…)

One final thing to note about transposition and computer notation software is this: if you are writing atonal/experimental music and don’t specify that your work is atonal in the program, then it will add a key signature to transposed parts, which isn’t very helpful for atonal/experimental music. This can be very irritating for performers and can slow down the process of learning your music. Please pay attention to this whenever you are writing for transposing instruments.

Register

All clarinets exhibit a division into three main registers: chalumeau, clarion and altissimo. These registers are determined by fundamental physical characteristics of the instrument that dictate that the clarinet overblows at a perfect 12th and then a major 6th. To be thorough, there are further register breaks within the altissimo but as these become more frequent and arguably less consequential for the sound, they are grouped here into one register.

The illustration of the transposed clarinet registers shows the three registers and their notional lowest and highest pitches. On instruments with a basset extension (clarinet d’amore, basset horn, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet) the lowest chalumeau pitch is C3 (c), a major third lower than shown here. Most alto and contralto clarinets have a lowest note of E♭3 (e♭), a semitone lower than shown here. Please keep this in mind. Also, it is possible to blur the boundaries of the register breaks with unconventional fingerings. In doing this, the chalumeau can extend up to C5 (c’’), the clarion up to about F6 or F♯6 (f/f♯’’’), but this is very context-dependent. Instruments with a basset extension can extend the clarion register down almost to a G4 (g’) but the intonation of these pitches differs greatly from instrument to instrument and so the regular fingerings are recommended. Even though these register breaks are the same on each clarinet, the ramifications of each break can vary: Larger clarinets will have more noticeable register breaks due to the — very generally speaking — change in the amount and size of open and closed tone-holes as well as a more complicated register mechanism. Smaller clarinets are more fluid in this regard.

The highest possible (transposed) pitch of the altissimo register is quite variable (denoted by the “+” next to the highest notional pitches). A good rule of thumb is this: for the highest clarinet (piccolo clarinet in A-flat) don’t write above G6 (g’’’) without asking the player you’re writing for. For the lowest clarinet (contrabass clarinet) don’t write above G7 (g’’’’) without asking the player you’re writing for. All the clarinets in between have reliable highest notes somewhere within this octave from G6 (g’’’) to G7 (g’’’’). This is shown in more detail later on.

Nearby and distant range / tone colour pairings

Within each clarinets’ description you will notice two short indicative lists of both nearby and distant instrumental pairings. First of all, these are purely suggestions and based on my experiences in ensembles and orchestras as well as general knowledge of range and tone colour. The second thing to note here is that the perception of tone colour can be influenced by the audible presence of other instruments, especially when the musical texture is relatively transparent. The third thing to remember is that the effect on the combined sound depends on if the instrument (or instruments) is playing in a strong, weak, comfortable or extreme area of their range. Here’s some food for thought:

high-range clarinets: These instruments are often used as solo instruments, regardless of instrumentation (chamber, large ensemble, orchestra etc.). What might be gained by having a high clarinet play the lowest part of the harmony? Would this work in a louder or softer dynamic? Which instruments would be suited to playing the upper voices, in order to balance with a high clarinet in its lowest register?

mid-range clarinets: Often called — for good reason — harmony clarinets, these instruments are known to fill out the harmony as needed, but of course, they can do much more than this. If one were to take these instruments out of their usual orchestrational context, where would they go? Delicately woven meanderings within a brass chorale? A high unison passage with the 1st violins? A prominent melody accompanied by a team of oboes?

low-range clarinets: The bass department of the clarinet family likes it low, but they like to — pardon the pun — get high, too. How could the altissimo registers of the bass, contralto or contrabass clarinets be infused with the seductive sound of flutes in their lowest register? How might a low clarinet extend the resonance of tuned percussion, harp or piano? How large is the shared range of a low clarinet, soprano saxophone and violin, and how might they best blend (unison, dissonant/consonant harmonies)?

There are countless ways in which instruments can be combined and my hope in including these suggestions is that you might think about interesting pairings/groupings. The listings below (within the description of each clarinet) are not exhaustive, do not guarantee good music and other combinations may be more successful within the musical context. Perhaps one of the most important things to bear in mind, especially when using unconventional pairings/groupings is balance: is any one instrument going to be naturally dominant over the others and spoil your imaginative combination? Can this be rectified by the use of different dynamic markings? Are extreme dynamics going to be reliable on certain instruments? All of these questions can be answered by experimentation and experience. Your notation software is not necessarily going to balance instrumental sounds in a realistic way.

High-range clarinets (piccolo clarinets in A-flat and E-flat, clarinets in C, B-flat and A)

For the purposes of this document I am dividing the clarinet family into three groups: high, mid, low.  The high-range clarinets can also be divided into two sub-groups: clarinets & piccolo clarinets. To my mind, these subgroups differ considerably in timbre, whilst still both being in the "highest" area of the clarinet family’s range. As this document goes from high to low, let’s start with the piccolo clarinets.

Piccolo clarinets

These highest and smallest (hence: piccolo) of all clarinets come in at least 4 different nominal pitches: D, E-flat, G and A-flat, at least these are the most common types and even then — except for the E-flat clarinet — they’re quite rare. They are the upward extension of the sound of the clarinet family and can pierce the sound of a tutti orchestra with ease, when played in the high register. There are very few limits to the technical virtuosity possible on these instruments and when played softly, they can sound magical and seductive. Multiphonics on piccolo clarinets can be more difficult to produce than on the other high clarinets (C, B-flat, A) so be sure to always check them with someone. All other extended techniques work well.

piccolo clarinet in A-flat

One of the highest clarinets in semi-regular circulation, the piccolo clarinet in A-flat experienced popularity in folk music and military bands. It is pitched a perfect fourth higher than the piccolo clarinet in E-flat, rendering the sound significantly more bright and penetrating. It is capable of everything from blistering virtuosity to surprising poetry and yearns to be aired more often. There is much to discover here.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: piccolo, flute, musette, oboe, sopranino saxophone, piccolo trumpet, high/small percussion, violin

Distant range and tone colour pairings: low woodwind, low brass, large/low percussion, low strings

Video example (18th century)
Video example (20th century)
Video example (21st century)

Notable repertoire:

Giuseppe Verdi — Rigoletto (1851) & Un ballo in maschera (1859) (offstage band)
Béla Bartók — Scherzo (1904) for piano and orchestra
John Tavener — Celtic Requiem (1969) for soprano, children’s choir and orchestra
Hans Joachim Hespos — Einander–bedingendes (1966) & VIF-bi (1987) for ensemble; Interactions (1971) for orchestra
Samuel Andreyev — Vérifications (2012) for six instruments & Fin d‘études (2023)
Oren Boneh — Municipal Shuffle (2022) main work for piccolo clarinet in A-flat and ensemble

piccolo clarinet in E-flat

The piccolo clarinet in E-flat is a prominent instrument in symphonic works of the early 20th century: if there’s a part for this instrument, there’s probably a solo or two. However, just the presence of this instrument (or any very high clarinet) in an orchestral tutti is clearly audible. The instrument is extremely versatile in all registers; it can almost do everything a B-flat clarinet can do, just higher. The classical music canon has deemed this instrument to be an extrovert, however it can be very much the opposite too.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: piccolo, flute, musette, oboe, oboe d’amore, soprano saxophone, piccolo trumpet, trumpet, high/small percussion, violin

Distant range and tone colour pairings: low woodwind, low brass, large/low percussion, low strings

Video example (18th century)
Video example (20th century)

Notable repertoire:

Hector Berlioz — Symphonie Fantastique (1830) for orchestra
Richard Strauss — Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (1895) for orchestra
Igor Stravinsky — Le sacre du printemps (1913) for orchestra
Anton Webern — Suite, op. 29 (1926) for ensemble
Paul Mefano — involutive (1958) for solo piccolo clarinet in E-flat
Conlon Nancarrow — Player Piano Study No. 7 (1965) for ensemble arr. Yvar Mikhashoff (1995)
Jeroen Speak — Epeisodos (1998) for solo piccolo clarinet in E-flat

Clarinets in C, B-flat and A

These three clarinets appear most often in orchestral writing and formed the core of the clarinet section before the higher and lower types of clarinets began to appear. During the time in which clarinets had only very few keys, a clarinet with a different nominal pitch, or transposition, could turn a "difficult" key into an "easy" key. For example, an overture in D major would call for clarinets in B-flat to play in E major, which having four sharps for a clarinet with as little as 5 keys (the mechanical kind) would have been quite a challenge, depending on the music. Playing the overture in D major on a clarinet in A would mean the clarinettist could play in F major, which having only one flat is much easier. Today, in part due to the fully chromatic keywork of modern clarinets, the necessity to change between B-flat and A clarinets on account of key signature has been minimised, even though one could still consider composing/arranging taking into account that key signatures of six or seven sharps or flats are still tricky, depending on the music. The individual sonic qualities of B-flat and A clarinets and the slightly larger range of the A clarinet are not to be underestimated in their ability to impact your music.

Clarinets in C appeared perhaps least often however they were quite noticeable because of their considerably brighter timbre. Clarinettists could use the same mouthpiece on a C clarinet so this was minimal inconvenience. C clarinets were used regularly in orchestral music from the mid 18th through to the early 20th century but their popularity has diminished since modern Bb and A clarinets now cover the full range of technical requirements needed, and so many — but not all — players have been transposing C clarinet parts at sight on B-flat clarinet for a century or so. The use of C clarinets today is something vaguely akin to historical performance practice: they are being used to get closer to the sound that composers wanted and there are some very good examples for this, particularly in the works of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. And on that note…

clarinet in C

The only common non-transposing instrument in the clarinet family, the C clarinet has a hint of the sound of the piccolo clarinets whilst still retaining relative warmth. In the orchestra, a group of two or three C clarinets can compete with the trumpets, having a brilliant, shiny sound. Mendelssohn used it in his incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream in two instances: the Wedding March and the Funeral March, from which one might surmise, that he thought the sound fitting in the context of rituals. In modern music, it has been known to sound like a hyperactive, wound-up regular clarinet.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: flute, oboe, oboe d’amore, cor anglais, soprano saxophone, trumpet, high/small percussion, violin

Distant range and tone colour pairings: low woodwind, low brass, large/low percussion, low strings

Video example (18th century)

Notable repertoire:

Ignaz Pleyel — Clarinet Concerto (1797) for clarinet and orchestra
Gioachino Rossini — The Barber of Seville (1816) opera buffa
Felix Mendelssohn — A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1826/42) stage play
Bedrich Smetana — The Bartered Bride (1866) opera buffa
Richard Strauss — Eine Alpensinfonie (1915) for orchestra
Richard Barrett — knospend-gespaltener (1992) for solo clarinet in C
James Erber — Strange Moments of Intimacy (1999) for solo clarinet in C

clarinets in B-flat & A

The subtle changes in timbre between clarinets in B-flat and A are noticeable in solo works and chamber music. Igor Stravinsky stipulated in his Three Pieces for clarinet (1918) a change from A to Bb clarinets between the second and third pieces, most certainly imbuing the third piece with a suddenly brighter tonal character. The 'standard' pair of clarinets that all professional clarinettists own are pitched in B-flat and A. They are both equally versatile since most players prefer to have matching instruments (same model, similar quality, same keywork etc.) due to the frequent changes between the two eg. in an orchestral setting. One reason for the continued existence of these neighbouring instruments is the ability to perform “difficult” key signatures (eg. sounding B major) on an instrument where that key signature is rendered “easy” by the transposition: sounding B major (five sharps) would be C# major (seven sharps) on a B-flat clarinet, however D major (two sharps) on a clarinet in A. Whilst key signatures are perhaps rare in contemporary works, the virtues of these instruments can be found in their two distinct tone colours: the B-flat clarinet is woody and bright and the A clarinet is woody and more mellow or dark. Both are capable of achieving colours from dark to bright depending on range, context and setup. The difference in timbre between B-flat and A clarinets might not be overtly apparent to the untrained ear, but even if this works on a subliminal level, it may be worth considering for your music. One virtue of the clarinet in A is the extra semitone in the low register thanks to its nominal pitch a semitone below the B-flat clarinet.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: flute, alto flute, oboe, oboe d’amore, cor anglais, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, trumpet, high-mid range percussion, violin, viola

Distant range and tone colour pairings: low woodwind, low brass, large/low percussion, low strings

Video example clarinet in B-flat (18th century)

Notable repertoire for clarinet in B-flat:

Carl Maria von Weber — Clarinet Concerto No. 1 and No. 2 in F minor and E-flat major (1811) for clarinet and orch.
Johannes Brahms — Sonatas No. 1 and No. 2 in F minor and E-flat major (1894) for clarinet and piano
Aaron Copland — Clarinet Concerto (1949) for clarinet and chamber orchestra
Pierre Boulez — Domaines (1961/1969) for solo clarinet or clarinet and ensemble
Helmut Lachenmann — Dal niente (1970) for solo clarinet
Liza Lim — Sonorous Body (2008) for solo clarinet

Video example clarinet in A (18th century)
Video example clarinet in A (20th century)

Notable repertoire for clarinet in A:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Clarinet Concerto in A major (1791) for clarinet and orchestra
Johannes Brahms — Clarinet Quintet in B minor (1891) for clarinet and string quartet
Carl Nielsen — Clarinet Concerto (1928) for clarinet and orchestra
Heinrich Sutermeister — Capriccio (1947) for solo clarinet
Jean Françaix — Theme and Variations (1974) for clarinet and piano
Chris Dench — Ruins within (1993) for solo clarinet

Mid-range clarinets

The group of mid-range clarinets is less well-known when compared to the high- and low-range instruments but I am particularly fond of them. The definitions of and boundaries between mid-range clarinets were for a time unclear but today, these have crystallised into a trio of instruments each with a nominal pitch one whole tone lower than the other, and each with unique sonic qualities: clarinet d’amore in G, basset horn in F and alto clarinet in E-flat. At the time that instrument makers began experimenting with lower/alto clarinets, a trend was set in motion by the oboe family to do with bell shapes. The oboe d’amore had come about around 1717 and was used widely in masses and cantatas particularly in combination with plaintive, mournful music. The covered (=less rich in overtones) sound of the instrument has inspired composers to write for it, from Graupner and Bach through to Ravel and Debussy. Clarinet makers around 1740 began experimenting with bell shapes and found that the same kind of sound was attainable. Whilst the clarinet d’amore and its gentle sound didn’t enjoy the same success as the oboe d’amore, the instrument was employed in various guises until the mid-19th century.

The mid-range clarinets are the highest clarinets that exhibit slight bends over the course of the instrument on account of their size. The clarinet d’amore was the first instrument to exhibit a bend in the form of a curved metallic (mostly) or wooden (rarely) neck. The earliest basset horns however were first built in a completely curved form (much like the oboe da caccia) ending in a box — in which the bore makes several final curves — and a metal bell. The box enabled a range to low written C3 (c) (also known as the basset range, lit. small bass) and the metallic bell/horn was directly inspired by the oboe da caccia and brass instruments, earning the instrument the name basset horn. The modern alto clarinet is considered to have developed after the d’amore and basset horn, even though low clarinets with flared bells in the 18th century were generally named alto clarinets. The alto clarinet was built in G, F and E, however developments in the regions now known as France and southern Belgium helped the instrument to migrate to its final nominal pitch of E-flat. Both the basset horn and alto clarinet have curved metallic necks and small, saxophone-like bells. A clarinet d’amore (Schwenk & Seggelke) and an alto clarinet (Dietz Klarinetten) both with basset range to low C were invented in the 21st century and so the future is bright for mid-range clarinets.

bass clef

Bass clef has been used when writing for clarinets capable of producing notes in the basset range of the instrument (Eb3 to C3 or e♭ to c). As today’s clarinet d’amore and basset horn (as well one make of German alto clarinet) fall into this category, a brief excursus into the use of bass clef is necessary at this point. Almost all music for clarinet is written in treble clef due to the practice of playing the clarinet as a transposing instrument, i.e. a written middle C4 (c’) always sounds different depending on the clarinet played (see instrument ranges above) and in the case of 8 out of the 10 clarinets in this document, sounds lower than written. Earlier examples of music for clarinet show us that sometimes bass clef was used to delineate the context of musical material in the lowest register of the instrument (chalumeau) in contrast to higher passages in eg. the clarion register, that were written in treble clef. Ensemble or orchestral works in which the clarinet part essentially played the role of a bass or tenor voice for the duration, may have been written entirely in bass clef. Over time various conventions evolved that any low clarinet player must be able to navigate.

clarinet d'amore in G

The modern clarinet d'amore is a very recent development in the clarinet world. The sound of this instrument is perhaps the most gentle of all the clarinets but it can dominate the texture, should it have to. The clarinet d'amore was an instrument used from the late 18th to mid 19th centuries predominantly in chamber music and operas. Its covered sound was unobtrusive but very lyrical and warm. It is the only clarinet with a pear-shaped bell. The modern instrument exhibits a basset range and is extremely agile in all registers. As with most low clarinets, there are few limits to its sonic capabilities. There needs to be more music written for this instrument to ensure it doesn't disappear from the concert stage again.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: alto flute, oboe d’amore, cor anglais, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bassoon, flügelhorn, horn, alto trombone, mid range percussion, viola, cello

Distant range and tone colour pairings: extremely high or low sounds from any instrumental group

Video example (18th century)

Notable repertoire:

Henri Joseph de Croes — Partitas (ca. 1780) for two clarinets d’amore, two violas and double bass
Johann Simon Mayr — Gloria patri & Sacrificium (ca. 1830) for vocal soloists, clarinet d’amore and orchestra
Chris Dench — Ghosts of Motion (2020) for solo clarinet d’amore
Sachie Kobayashi — être (2022) for clarinet d’amore and ensemble

basset horn in F

The basset horn was one of Mozart’s favourite instruments in a time where its construction was very different to today’s model. The first draft of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto was written for a basset horn in G, reflecting his love of the sound of the instrument. Both the basset horn and alto clarinet underwent a streamlining of design in France during the second half of the 19th century, in the case of the basset horn making it more compact and easier to play, whilst retaining its range and sonic qualities. The modern basset horn may look like a mini bass clarinet but the sound is quite unique, slightly airy and reedy in the low register, glowing and bright in the clarion. Stockhausen fell in love with the basset horn and incorporated it in many of his large works, evoking the persona of EVA. The basset horn oozes potential and there is still much to be discovered here.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: alto flute, oboe d’amore, cor anglais, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bassoon, flügelhorn, horn, alto trombone, mid range percussion, viola, cello

Distant range and tone colour pairings: extremely high or low sounds from any instrumental group

Video example (18th century)
Video example (19th century)
Video example (20th century)

Notable repertoire:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Serenade No. 10 (Gran Partita) (1781) & Requiem (1791)
Felix Mendelssohn — Concert Pieces No. 1 & 2 (1832/33)
Richard Strauss — Serenades (1943-45)
Karlheinz Stockhausen — Susani (1984), Xi (1986), Harmonien (2006) and many more…
Samuel Andreyev — Sextet in Two Parts (2019)

alto clarinet in E-flat

For the die-hard alto clarinet fans, this space is coming soon…! In the meantime, take a look at the section on basset horn: they’re closely related instruments after all.

Low-range clarinets

The group of low-range instruments is most commonly represented by the bass and contrabass clarinets, as well as their less well-known sibling the contralto clarinet. There were however more instruments created that today spend their lives in museums. Bass clarinets in C and A were manufactured for some time and a total of three octocontralto clarinets and one octocontrabass clarinet were made. Rising costs of materials and labour may explain the fate of these now obsolete instruments, but also streamlining in the way composers wrote for low instruments. Parts for bass clarinet in C and A became virtually non-existent after World War I. The emergence of the bass clarinet in B-flat as a solo instrument as early as 1928 (Othmar Schoeck — Sonata op. 41) piqued widespread interest and thus this instrument underwent a period of constant improvement during the 20th century. Today’s bass clarinets are masterpieces of technical ingenuity with improvements still being made.

Whilst the bass clarinet enjoyed a shining career in the symphony orchestra, the contralto and contrabass clarinets were relegated to the wind symphony, even though some works for orchestra with contrabass clarinet do exist. Nonetheless both of these instruments possess great potential as solo instruments, as already proven in some cases, and are a great asset to any kind of small to large ensemble. Makes of these instruments differ wildly to the extent that some solo pieces are written for a particular model and performances on other models have to be "adapted". The way multiphonics behave is also quite different.

Essentially all three instruments (bass, contralto, contrabass) offer strong bass voices, a wide variety of spectral, fingered and dyadic multiphonics and all other extended techniques. The character of the sound of each instrument should be investigated up close to determine which instrument is right for you. Please refer to the earlier section on bass clef as this is applicable to these instruments.

bass clarinet in B-flat

Pitched one octave below the standard B-flat clarinet, the bass clarinet plays as low as a bassoon and as high as an alto saxophone. Modern bass clarinets have a powerful tone colour and many developments have made the instrument very agile, despite its size. The bass clarinet has been an enormously popular instrument in new music, its sound almost becoming synonymous with the genre itself and therefore perhaps also slightly overused. It features in many of the great orchestral works of the 20th century thanks to its brooding, sombre and at times heroic sound.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: bass flute, cor anglais, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, bassoon, contrabassoon, horn, trombone, bass trombone, percussion, viola, cello, double bass

Distant range and tone colour pairings: high woodwinds, high brass, high/small percussion, high strings

Video example (19th century)

Notable repertoire:

Othmar Schoeck — Sonata, op. 41 (1928) for bass clarinet and piano
Eugene Bozza — Ballade (1958) for bass clarinet and piano
Harald Genzmer — Sonata, GeWV 202 (1984) for solo bass clarinet
Johannes Maria Staud — Black Moon (1998) for solo bass clarinet
Georges Aperghis — Damespiel (2011) for solo bass clarinet
Liza Lim — Microbiome (2020) for solo bass clarinet

contralto clarinet in E-flat

The contralto clarinet is pitched one octave below the alto clarinet and is a mystery for many low clarinet players. One could say that the sound is more similar to the contrabass clarinet than the bass clarinet, in part because most contralto clarinets are constructed in a similar way to contrabass clarinets and are played with similar if not identical material (mouthpiece & reeds). Passages that might be very difficult on bass or contrabass clarinets due to being too low or too high, are very likely much easier on a contralto clarinet. As there is very little research on this instrument, there is much to discover. Please also refer to my article on the nomenclature of this instrument.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: bass oboe, baritone saxophone, bassoon, contrabassoon, horn, trombone, bass trombone, percussion, cello, double bass

Distant range and tone colour pairings: high woodwinds, high brass, high/small percussion, high strings

—Video example in preparation—

Notable repertoire:

Chris Dench — Funk (1989) for contralto clarinet and percussion
Oren Boneh — Municipal Shuffle (2022) epilogue for contralto clarinet and ensemble

contrabass clarinet in B-flat

This is the lowest instrument of the clarinet family today, pitched one octave below the bass clarinet. Despite the size and cost of contrabass clarinets, they are relatively common coming in different shapes and sizes. A lot like the bass clarinet, the sound of the contrabass clarinet can be heard quite often in new music, but also film scores and more recent orchestral works. It has a very large range offering many different colours from subsonic rumblings to glassy high harmonics.

Nearby range and tone colour pairings: bass oboe, baritone saxophone, bassoon, contrabassoon, horn, trombone, bass trombone, percussion, cello, double bass

Distant range and tone colour pairings: high woodwinds, high brass, high/small percussion, high strings

—Video example in preparation—

Notable repertoire:

Gérard Grisey — Anubis-Nout (1983) for solo contrabass clarinet
Franco Donatoni — Ombra (1984) for solo contrabass clarinet
Richard Barrett — interference (1996-2000) for solo contrabass clarinet, voice & bass drum
Liza Lim — Machine for Contacting the Dead (1999-2000) for solo bass/contrabass clarinet & cello and ensemble
Dominik Karski — the outward impulse (2007) for solo contrabass clarinet & tam-tam