Embouchure:
1. The clarinetist begins by forming an embouchure, which involves positioning the lower lip against the bottom of the reed and the upper teeth on top of the mouthpiece.
Reed Vibration:
2. When the clarinetist blows air into the mouthpiece, the air stream strikes the thin, flexible reed. This causes the reed to vibrate rapidly against the mouthpiece's facing (the flat surface where the reed rests).
Resonance:
3. The vibrations of the reed create sound waves that travel into the clarinet's cylindrical bore. The bore of the clarinet acts as a resonator, amplifying and shaping the sound waves.
Open and Closed Tones:
4. By opening and closing the tone holes (covered by the player's fingers) along the clarinet's length, the clarinetist controls the pitch and timbre of the sound. When a tone hole is opened, it creates an additional opening for the sound waves to escape, altering the length of the vibrating air column and thus changing the pitch.
Overblowing:
5. The clarinet can produce different registers of notes by overblowing, which means increasing the air pressure and velocity. Overblowing causes the reed to vibrate in different modes, producing higher-pitched notes.
Key Mechanism:
6. The clarinet has a key mechanism that consists of levers, rods, and springs that connect the keys to the tone holes. When a key is pressed, it opens or closes the corresponding tone hole, facilitating rapid and accurate changes in pitch.
Sound Quality:
7. The unique sound quality of the clarinet is influenced by several factors, including the bore shape (cylindrical or conical), material (wood or synthetic), reed type (strength and material), and the clarinetist's embouchure and playing style.
In summary, the clarinet's sound production involves the vibration of a single reed against the mouthpiece, which creates sound waves that resonate and are shaped within the clarinet's bore. The pitch and timbre of the sound are controlled by the player's fingers through the opening and closing of tone holes.