The B♭ clarinet sounds a major second lower than written and has the widest dynamic range of the woodwinds, from a near-silent pianissimo to a strong fortissimo. Its registers differ so much that they have their own names.
Clarinet registers
| Register | Range | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|
| Chalumeau | Sounding D3 to about F4 | Dark, rich and hollow. The low clarinet sound used for mystery and menace. |
| Throat | Around sounding F4 to A♭4 | Weaker and less focused, a short band players work to cover. |
| Clarion | Sounding A4 to B♭5 | Clear and bright, the singing middle of the instrument. |
| Altissimo | Above sounding B♭5 | Piercing and harder to control. The practical top is about sounding F6. |
Writing for the clarinet
- Write a major second above the sound and add two sharps to the key signature, or remove two flats.
- The clarinet can enter and fade from almost nothing, which makes it the woodwind for sneaking in under a scene.
- The clarinet in A sounds a minor third lower. Orchestral players switch between them to suit sharp keys.
The clarinet in sample libraries
Libraries play the throat notes as evenly as the rest, and they rarely capture how quietly a real clarinet can start a note. Shape quiet entrances with CC11 as well as CC1.
The full range is every note a professional can produce. The practical range is narrower on purpose, leaving out the notes only strong players produce reliably. The figures here are cross-checked between orchestration references, and where they disagree the practical range takes the more conservative one.
Other woodwinds ranges
- Piccolo range: D5 to C8
- Flute range: C4 to D7
- Oboe range: B♭3 to G6
- Bassoon range: B♭1 to E5
See every instrument on one chart, or check a whole MIDI file against these ranges, in the instrument range chart.