What Are the Names of the Clarinet Parts?
- Clarinet reeds
Clarinet reeds are made of wood and about 68 mm long and 13 mm wide at the top. The reed vibrates against the mouthpiece to produce the clarinet's distinctive sound. - Mouthpiece
Clarinet mouthpieces are usually made of black plastic with a ring of cork on the bottom end where it fits into the clarinet barrel. The opening where the reed vibrates is called the table. The reed is held close to the table with a ligature made of metal or plastic. - Clarinet barrel
Both the mouthpiece and upper body piece fit into the barrel. The barrel is essentially a wooden tube. Its length can vary by a few millimeters to help the clarinet be in-tune. - Clarinet body
The clarinet's body is usually in two parts and it's made of wood or plastic. There are many metal keys attached to the clarinet's body. Some work like levers and are meant to be played by certain fingers and others are rings that are depressed when the player covers a finger hole. Each pinky finger has four lever-type keys. - Clarinet Bell
The bell, made of wood or plastic, attaches to the bottom of the clarinet and enhances the instrument's cone shape. - Register key
The register key is a lever-type key made of metal and attached to the back of the clarinet. It is played by the left thumb and causes the clarinet to over blow--or play--a note an octave plus a fifth above the note that is fingered. This invention is what set the modern clarinet apart from its ancestors.
