Extended Family of Clarinets
There is a family of many differently pitched clarinet types, some of which are very rare. The following are the most important sizes, from highest to lowest:
| Name | Key | Commentary | Range (concert) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piccolo clarinet | A♭ | Now rare, used for Italian military music and some contemporary pieces for its sonority; | |
| E-flat clarinet (sopranino clarinet) | E♭ | Characteristic timbre, used in concert band repertoire because its tonality is considered "compatible" with other instruments, especially those in B♭. | |
| Sopranino clarinet | D | Obscure because of its limited repertoire in Western music. | |
| C clarinet | C | Rare because its timbre is considered too bright. | |
| B♭ soprano clarinet | B♭ | The most common type: used in most styles of music. | |
| A clarinet | A | Has a richer sound than B♭, frequently used in orchestral and chamber music. | |
| Basset clarinet | A | Clarinet in A extended to a low C; used primarily to play Classical-era music. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was written for this instrument, though it is frequently played in a version for the ordinary A clarinet. Basset clarinets in Bb also exist; this instrument is required to play the obbligato to the aria "Parto, parto" in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito. | |
| Basset-horn | F | Similar in appearance to the alto, but differs in that it is pitched in F, has an extended range to low C, and has a narrower bore on most models. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto was originally sketched out as a concerto for basset horn in G. Rarely used today. | |
| Alto clarinet | E♭ | Used in chamber music and wind ensembles. | |
| Bass clarinet | B♭ | Used in contemporary music, concert band and jazz; sometimes used in orchestral music. | |
| Contra-alto clarinet (also called E♭ contrabass clarinet) | EE♭ | Used in clarinet choirs. | |
| Contrabass clarinet (also called B♭ subcontrabass or double-bass clarinet) | BB♭ | Used in clarinet choirs and sometimes in orchestras and wind ensembles. |
Experimental EEE♭ and BBB♭ octocontra-alto and octocontrabass clarinets have also been built. There have also been soprano clarinets in C, A, and B♭ with curved barrels and bells marketed under the names saxonette, claribel, and clariphon.
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