Clarinet

The clarinet holds an important place in today's symphony orchestra and belongs to the woodwind family. It is also common in jazz bands. In Greece, and in many Balkan countries, it is one of the basic instruments of traditional music.

It has a long, tube-like shape, with six main holes on the front and one at the back, so it looks a little like a flute and similar wind instruments. It also has a series of metal keys that open and close further holes. The sound comes from a single reed that vibrates against the mouthpiece at the top of the instrument, held in place by a metal clamp (the ligature).

The clarinet comes apart into five pieces and is stored in a case. From top to bottom they are the mouthpiece, the barrel, the upper joint, the lower joint and the bell. It is made of wood, mainly African blackwood or Honduran rosewood. The reed ("kalami" in musicians' slang) is made of cane, cut to the right thickness.