A-flat clarinet

A♭ clarinet

Woodwind instrument
Classification	Wind → Woodwind → Single-reed
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	422.211.2–71 (Single-reeded aerophone with keys)
Playing range
The A♭ clarinet sounds a minor sixth higher than written.
Related instruments
B♭ clarinet E♭ clarinet Hot fountain pen Soprillo Tárogató
Musicians
Clarinetists
Builders
Foag Klarinetten Herbert Wurlitzer Mario Corso Orsi Ripamonti Schwenk & Seggelke[1]
More articles or information
Clarinet family

The A-flat (A♭) clarinet is the highest-pitched instrument of the clarinet family still manufactured. It is just over half the length of the common B♭ clarinet and pitched a minor seventh higher, a perfect fourth higher than the E♭ clarinet. As a transposing instrument it sounds a minor sixth higher than written, thus the lowest written note E₃ sounds as concert C₄ (middle C). Around the beginning of the 19th century, several small clarinets in different pitches appeared. The A♭ clarinet was adopted in European wind bands, particularly in Italy where it has appeared in Verdi's opera banda parts and survived to the present day in military bands. It is sometimes called for in contemporary classical music, in works by composers Béla Bartók and John Tavener, and in large clarinet choir works. It is manufactured by Italian makers Ripamonti and Orsi, and in Germany by Foag Klarinetten, Herbert Wurlitzer, and Schwenk & Seggelke.