Contra-alto clarinet

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Contra alto clarinet.jpg

The contra-alto clarinet is a large, low-sounding musical instrument of the clarinet family. The contra-alto clarinet is pitched in the key of E-flat and is sometimes called the E-flat contrabass clarinet. The unhyphenated form "contra alto clarinet" is also sometimes used, as is "contralto clarinet", but the latter is confusing since the instrument's range is much lower than the contralto vocal range; the more correct term "contra-alto" is meant to convey, by analogy with "contrabass", that the instrument plays an octave lower than the alto clarinet. It is the second-largest member of the clarinet family in significant use, larger than the bass clarinet but not as big as the B-flat contrabass clarinet.

Like other clarinets, the contra-alto clarinet is a wind instrument that uses a reed to produce sound. The keys of the contra-alto are similar to the keys on smaller clarinets, and are played in the same way. The range of the contra-alto clarinet is from the lowest G on the piano to a few notes above middle C.

The contra-alto clarinet is a relatively recent addition to the clarinet family. It is used mostly in concert bands and clarinet choirs, where it usually (though not always) plays the bass line of a piece of music. It is occasionally used in jazz, and a few solo pieces have been written for it.