CLARINET The forerunner of the clarinet is the "chalumeau", a small, usually keyless cylindrical pipe introduced into Europe from Persia-Greece in the Middle Ages. The modern clarinet is made of wood or ebonite, of cylindrical bore, with a bell-shaped opening at one end and a plastic ebonite mouthpiece at the other. The single cane reed is bound to the open side of the mouthpiece by means of a metal ligature with thumbscrews. The clarinets are made in a variety of keys, like Bb, A and Eb. The most common is the clarinet in Bb. The tone quality of the clarinet is widely varied. Its lowest notes are dark and 'reedy', while its middle notes are soft and empty, and its upper notes are rich and expressive.	Mouthpiece Barrel Key Body Bell