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Alto clarinet
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=== Differences in nomenclature === In contrast with more recent families of instruments such as for example the [[saxophone]], the terms used for the different sized clarinets draw more on tradition and regionalism, and are not without discrepancies. The familiar B{{Music|b}} and A clarinets, while technically soprano instruments, are not commonly referred to as such outside of academic circles. There is no "tenor" clarinet as such, and while the term "bass clarinet" seems clear enough, its relation to the alto clarinet really places it in the position of the tenor instrument of the clarinet family. Some writers have considered that the ''alto'' clarinet might be better referred to as a "tenor".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Scholes|first1=Percy A.|title=The Oxford Companion to Music|publisher=Oxford|pages=192}}</ref> Add to this the fact that the contrabass clarinet in Eb, though pitched below the bass clarinet, is sometimes referred to as a "contralto clarinet", there is ample ground for confusion in clarinet nomenclature. Considering the wide range of the clarinet (more than three octaves) and focussing on the first two octaves, this would compare better with the classifications given, for example, to the [[saxophone]] family. The "soprano" clarinets in B{{Music|b}} and A share their lowest octaves with the [[alto saxophone]] (minus a semitone in the case of the B{{Music|b}} clarinet). In the case of the E{{Music|b}} alto, the range usually extends to a tone below that of the [[tenor saxophone]]. It is clear that the "soprano" clarinets in B{{Music|b}}, A, and C are perfectly capable of taking on the higher lines in a score, but they achieve this by playing largely in their "clarion" and "altissimo" registers. The lower instruments are, for obvious reasons, exploited much more in their "chalumeau" registers and this, by comparison, is quite low. Also, since the time of [[Mozart]] and the clarinettist [[Anton Stadler]], composers began to favour the rich sonorities of the lower [[tessitura]] of the clarinet and this may partly have contributed to the clarinet family being pitched further down against its counterparts in the wind section of the orchestra where it will often take on the lower parts.
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