Wind instruments
Clarinet
A wooden wind instrument with keys, blown through a single-reed mouthpiece; in Turkish music the lower-pitched G clarinet is mostly played.
In brief
- Family: Single-reed wind instrument with keys; cylindrical bore
- Origin: Born around 1700 in Nuremberg when J. C. Denner added an octave key to the chalumeau
- Body and materials: Mostly African blackwood (grenadilla); plastic or ebonite on student models
- Tuning / range: About three octaves; in Turkish music the low-pitched G clarinet is common
- In Turkish music: Introduced in the 19th century with the Mızıka-yı Hümâyun; the Albert (simple) system is preferred
- Music: Fasıl, taksim, dance tunes, Romani and Rumelian music; Western orchestra and jazz
- Well-known players: Şükrü Tunar, Mustafa Kandıralı[1, 2]
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History
Developed in Europe in the early 18th century, the clarinet reached the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century with military bands. Over time it became a favourite of fasıl ensembles and of Romani and Rumelian music; masters such as Şükrü Tunar and Mustafa Kandıralı shaped the Turkish clarinet style.
Construction
It consists of a cylindrical body made of a hard wood such as ebony or of ebonite, a single-reed mouthpiece, finger holes, metal keys and a flaring bell. In Turkish music the Albert-system G clarinet is mostly used.
How it is played
It is blown with the reed resting on the lower lip; the fingers close the holes and the keys give additional notes. Pitches are finely adjusted by lip pressure, half-holing and slides.
Its place in makam music
Although its holes are laid out for an equal-tempered scale, master players render the commas of the makams with lip and finger techniques. Its bright, exuberant sound stands out in taksim, fasıl, dance tunes and Romani tunes.
Getting started: types, sizes, tuning
Start with this instrument
Masters on recordings
Performers who play this instrument on recordings of works in the score archive (MusicBrainz).
Frequently asked questions about the Clarinet
Why is the G clarinet played in Turkish music?
Performers of Turkish music mostly use the G clarinet, which is larger and lower than the B-flat clarinet common in the West. Its timbre is darker and softer, and it fits the range and notation of makam music better. Its Albert (simple) system keys lend themselves to bending pitches and half-hole techniques, which makes it easier to produce commas.
What is the difference between Albert and Boehm system clarinets?
The difference lies in the key layout. The Boehm system is standard in Western classical music and designed for fast, equal-tempered passages. The Albert system is older and simpler; it has fewer keys and gives more room to slide the fingers over the open holes. That is why the Albert system is preferred in Turkish, Romani and Balkan music for glissandos and in-between pitches.
Who are well-known Turkish clarinet players?
Şükrü Tunar and Mustafa Kandıralı are regarded as the masters who shaped the Turkish clarinet style into its present form. In the generations that followed them, performers such as Hüsnü Şenlendirici and Serkan Çağrı both carried on fasıl and Romani music and took the clarinet to jazz and world music stages. The recordings of these masters are an important resource for learning the makam style.
Is the clarinet hard to learn?
Producing the first sounds and learning the basic notes is possible within a few weeks. Producing commas with the lip pressure specific to makam music, slides and ornaments, however, takes long practice. Usually basic tone and finger technique are practiced first, and then the style is acquired through Turkish music études and by listening to the masters' recordings.
Can I play the clarinet on this site?
Yes. The “Play in the browser” button opens the virtual clarinet; the sounds are B-flat clarinet notes from the University of Iowa's freely usable instrument recordings. The commas that a real clarinet produces with lips and fingers, the virtual clarinet plays automatically according to the comma values of the makam you choose.