Q. Where did the clarinet come from?
View Comments
A. Johann Christoph Denner gets the credit for inventing the clarinet. He lived in Nuremberg during the early 18th century. Denner adapted an instrument called a chalumeau. The single-most important innovation in creating the clarinet was making the "speaker key," the key operated by the left thumb. The clarinet is a woodwind and uses a single reed. Over the years, the clarinet has been made in a wider range of sizes than any other instrument. The most common version is pitced in B-flat. Mozart was the first composer to use the instrument in a symphony.