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JOHANN DENNER INVENTED THE CLARINET IN 1690 BY TRANSFORMING THE DOUBLE REED “CHALUMEAU” INTO A SINGLE REED INSTRUMENT. SINCE THE CHALUMEAU COULD ONLY PLAY NOTES IN A LOW RANGE, DENNER ADDED A REGISTER KEY WHICH ALLOWED THE INSTRUMENT TO PLAY NOTES IN A HIGHER RANGE. EVEN TODAY THE LOWER REGISTER OF THE CLARINET IS REFERRED TO AS THE CHALUMEAU REGISTER.
IN THE 1840’S FRENCH INSTRUMENT MAKERS CREATED A FINGERING SYSTEM FOR THE CLARINET IN THE STYLE OF THE FLUTE KEY SYSTEM. LIKE THE SAXOPHONE FAMILY THE MEMBERS OF THE CLARINET FAMILY (Bb CLARINET, A CLARINET, Bb BASS CLARINET, Eb CONTRABASS CLARINET, AND Bb CONTRABASS CLARINET) ALL SHARE THE SAME FINGERINGS. MOZART, BRAHMS, WEBER, BARTOK, AND MANY OTHERS ARE IMPORTANT COMPOSERS WHO HAVE FEATURED THE CLARINET.
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