The Clarinet: A Brief History

Chalumeau first appears.

Nov 26, 1686

The chalumeau is the clarinet's predecessor. It had a range of one and a half octaves.

The Clarinet: A Brief History

Period: Nov 26, 1686 to Jun 4, 1843

Register key created and basic structure of clarinet defined.

Apr 17, 1701

Johann Christopher Denner and his son Jacob made some major adjustments to the chalumeau, including the addition of the register key; this allowed for a wider and higher range.

Clarinet introduced in Paris.

Jul 4, 1749

Clarinet introduced in London.

Sep 19, 1751

Thirteen-key model clarinet by Iwan Muller.

Oct 22, 1792

More improvements were made, including more keys, a different cut, and different tone holes. The 13-hole model was popular until the late 1800's.

Boehm fingering system introduced.

Dec 18, 1832

This system is currently the most well-known and widely used system. It is used on the oboe and saxophone, as well.

Boehm clarinet first manufactured.

Jun 4, 1843

The Boehm clarinet includes 17 keys, moveable rings, needle springs, and a wooden body, hence why it is called a "woodwind" instrument.