Bb clarinet

G5

Impedance

Fingering a key depressed a key not depressed a hole covered a hole uncovered a part of the mechanism that is not normally touched Details in fingering legend. Acoustic schematic a closed tone hole an open tone hole Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance Non-specialist introduction to clarinet acoustics Notes are the written pitch. Frequencies are the sounding frequency, for Bb clarinet. Unless otherwise stated, the impedance spectrum is for a Bb clarinet.

Note how similar this spectrum is to that for C4. (Of course, the clarinet overblows a 12th.) The only substantial difference is the reduction in the first peak. The purpose of the speaker key is just that: to destroy the fundamental resonance so that the instrument will not 'drop down' to the lower register. See register hole for details.

Although notes in the low range of the clarinet show weak second, fourth and sometimes other even harmonics, this is not true once the harmonics fall near or above the cut-off frequency. The sound spectrum below is a good counter-example to the naïve generalisation that clarinet spectra have weak even harmonics.

For a general discussion of the clarino register, see the description on B4.

Sound

Sound spectrum of a Bb clarinet played using fingering for G5.
For more explanation, see Introduction to clarinet acoustics

Sound Clip

You can hear G5 played.