The clarinet is a single-reed woodwind instrument with a cylindrical bore. It is one of the most versatile instruments in the orchestra, used in classical, jazz, folk, and band music. The Bb clarinet is the most common type.

What are the Chalumeau and Clarion registers?

The Chalumeau register is the clarinet's lowest register (roughly D2–C#4), producing a warm, dark, woody tone. The Clarion register is the upper register (D4 and above), which is brighter and more singing. Between them lies the 'break', a technical challenge all clarinet players must learn to cross smoothly.

What is the range of the clarinet?

The standard Bb clarinet ranges from D2 (written E3) up to around C7 for advanced players. This virtual clarinet covers D2 through F#5, encompassing the full Chalumeau register and most of the Clarion register where the most expressive playing happens.

How do I play the virtual clarinet?

Click or tap any note button to play it. On desktop, use the keyboard shortcuts shown on each button. Naturals run A S D F G H (E3–C4), then J K L ; ' (D4–A4), then Z X C V B N M (B4–A5). Sharps and flats use Q W E R (F#3–C#4), then T Y U I O P ` 1 (Eb4–Ab5).

Does the virtual clarinet work on mobile?

Yes. The virtual clarinet is fully touch-responsive and works on Android and iOS. Tap any note button to hear the sound instantly.

How is the clarinet different from the flute?

The clarinet uses a single reed and has a cylindrical bore, while the flute is reedless with a side-blown embouchure. The cylindrical bore gives the clarinet its unique acoustic property: it overblows at the 12th (an octave and a fifth) rather than the octave like most woodwinds, creating its distinctive two-register sound with a characteristic gap called the break.

Play Clarinet Online

Play a full-range virtual clarinet in your browser — real clarinet samples, both Chalumeau and Clarion registers, reverb, and a built-in screen recorder. Works on desktop and mobile with no installation needed.

Reverb

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Screen Recording

Record your performance and download it as a WebM video.

Ready to record screen.

✅ How to Use the Virtual Clarinet

Click or tap any note button to play it. On desktop, use the keyboard shortcut shown on each button.
Notes are split into two sections: Chalumeau (low, warm, dark green) and Clarion (high, bright, blue). This mirrors the real instrument's two main registers.
Toggle Reverb On for a concert-hall feel — useful when exploring the rich Chalumeau register.
Use the Screen Recorder: press Start, select the screen to capture, play your melody, press Stop, then Download.

How It Works

This virtual clarinet is powered by real clarinet recordings loaded via the Web Audio API. Eleven samples are spread across the full range from D2 to F#5, covering both the Chalumeau and Clarion registers. Notes between recorded pitches are pitch-shifted using the browser's native playback rate control — the same technique used in professional software samplers. A synthetic reverb convolution adds room ambience when enabled. If samples cannot be loaded, a synthesis fallback using a square-wave oscillator (which naturally produces the odd harmonics characteristic of a cylindrical-bore instrument) is used instead.

🟢 Chalumeau Register

D2–C#4. The clarinet's lowest and most distinctive register. Warm, woody, dark, and rich. Named after the chalumeau — the predecessor instrument to the modern clarinet. This is the register most people associate with the "clarinet sound" in classical music and klezmer.

🔵 Clarion Register

D4–F#5+. Brighter, more penetrating, and more expressive. The register used for solos and melodic lines in orchestral and band music. Crossing from Chalumeau to Clarion (through "the break" around C#4–D4) is one of the first major technical challenges for clarinet students.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a clarinet?

The clarinet is a single-reed woodwind instrument with a cylindrical bore. It is one of the most versatile instruments in both classical and popular music, used in orchestras, jazz bands, klezmer ensembles, and military bands worldwide. The Bb clarinet is the most widely played type.

What is the clarinet's "break"?

The "break" is the transition point between the Chalumeau and Clarion registers, around C#4–D4. Because the clarinet overblows at the 12th (not the octave like most woodwinds), crossing this register boundary requires a significant change in fingering. Mastering the break smoothly is a milestone for every clarinet student.

Why does the clarinet sound so different from a flute?

The clarinet's cylindrical bore and single reed create a sound dominated by odd harmonics, giving it that characteristic hollow warmth in the low register and a singing brightness in the upper register. A flute's open, reedless tone produces a more even mix of harmonics, making it sound airier and lighter.

Can I use a keyboard to play?

Yes. The layout follows a piano-style mapping: naturals run along the home row (A S D F G H J K L ; ') then continue Z X C V B N M, and sharps/flats sit on the row above (Q W E R T Y U I O P ` 1). This way the low-to-high pitch direction feels natural left-to-right.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes — the note grid is fully touch-responsive and scales to all screen sizes. Tap any note button to hear the sound. Works on both portrait and landscape orientation on Android and iOS.

Is this sample-based or synthesized?

Sample-based — real clarinet recordings are loaded and pitch-shifted for each note. If samples cannot be loaded (e.g. no internet), the tool falls back to a square-wave synthesis engine that approximates the clarinet's odd-harmonic character.

Clarinet — Note Reference

Note	MIDI	Register	Type	Key
E3	52	Chalumeau	Natural	A
F3	53	Chalumeau	Natural	S
F#3	54	Chalumeau	Sharp	Q
G3	55	Chalumeau	Natural	D
Ab3	56	Chalumeau	Flat	W
A3	57	Chalumeau	Natural	F
A#3 (Bb)	58	Chalumeau	Sharp	E
B3	59	Chalumeau	Natural	G
C4	60	Chalumeau	Natural	H
C#4	61	Chalumeau	Sharp	R
D4	62	Clarion	Natural	J
Eb4	63	Clarion	Flat	T
E4	64	Clarion	Natural	K
F4	65	Clarion	Natural	L
F#4	66	Clarion	Sharp	Y
G4	67	Clarion	Natural	;
Ab4	68	Clarion	Flat	U
A4	69	Clarion	Natural	'
A#4 (Bb)	70	Clarion	Sharp	I
B4	71	Clarion	Natural	Z
C5	72	Clarion	Natural	X
C#5	73	Clarion	Sharp	O
D5	74	Clarion	Natural	C
Eb5	75	Clarion	Flat	P
E5	76	Clarion	Natural	V
F5	77	Clarion	Natural	B
F#5	78	Clarion	Sharp	`
G5	79	Clarion	Natural	N
Ab5	80	Clarion	Flat	1
A5	81	Clarion	Natural	M

References & Notes

Instrument: Bb clarinet (concert pitch transposition applied)
Sample coverage: D2–F#5 (11 samples, one per 3–4 semitones)
Velocity layer used: v2 (medium) — best balance of size and realism
Samples normalized to −20 dBFS, silence trimmed, exported at 128 kbps MP3
Pitch-shifting applied via Web Audio API playback rate for inter-sample notes
Synthesis fallback: square-wave oscillator (odd harmonics match cylindrical bore acoustics)
Register boundary: Chalumeau (D2–C#4), Clarion (D4–F#5+)

This is a simulation tool for learning and entertainment.