The alto clarinet, like other clarinets, flutes, saxophones, the oboe, and similar instruments, belongs to the woodwind family. The body of the alto clarinet is similar to that of the soprano clarinet, but it is larger, longer, and has an upturned bell at the end. In an orchestra or band, it is used to accompany other instruments. The notes it produces are lower in pitch than those produced by a regular clarinet, but not as deep as those produced by a bass clarinet.
The alto clarinet works in the same way that many other woodwind instruments do. The player blows air through a mouthpiece with a single reed attached. The reed vibrates rapidly as a result of the air, producing sound. The musician can control the flow of air and the tightness of his or her lips to make the sound higher or lower. The player makes notes by covering and uncovering holes in the instrument with his or her fingers.
Because the alto clarinet is so large, it’s impossible to cover much of the instrument’s body with just one hand. Instead, a set of levers is used to control pads that can be made to rise or fall in response to user pressure. The air flow inside the instrument is affected when a pad covers or uncovers a hole, resulting in different notes. To produce each note, several keys are typically pressed at the same time. It can play a wide range of notes thanks to the numerous combinations available.
The first alto clarinet was made in France in 1810, adapting the soprano clarinet’s fingering technology to the larger instrument. It was used in military bands at the time, but as other instruments became more popular, it was phased out. Despite regaining some of its former popularity, it has never been used to the same extent as it was in the early 1800s.
The alto clarinet is less common than the standard soprano clarinet, which is smaller and more familiar. Its deep sound isn’t heard as often in high school and college bands. The rich, mellow tones of the alto clarinet appeal to some artists and composers, who work to keep this instrument alive and well. Music for a piano and alto clarinet duet was written by composers such as Leon Dallin, Alfred Reed, and George Schwartz. For the past 20 years, performing artist J.D. Parran has used one as his primary instrument in all of his musical performances, introducing countless people to it.