November 16th is Clarinet Day, a holiday that pays homage to an instrument invented during the 18th century. Clarinets are woodwind instruments with a single-reed mouthpiece and feature a cylindrical tube with a flared end, played by pressing keys that stop holes while the instrument is being played.

This instrument is normally associated with classical music, but it has been increasingly used in rock and pop songs. It’s no wonder a whole holiday was created to celebrate it. This day can be observed by anyone who plays and/or loves the sound of this instrument.

The History of Clarinet Day

The clarinet has ties to the hornpipes in Ancient Egypt and Greece, as well as the Middle East. The modern version of this instrument descended from an instrument called the chalumeau, which resembled a recorder but had a single-reed mouthpiece.

During the 18th century, the chalumeau was modified, and one of its keys was turned into a register key. Some people attribute this change to German instrument maker Johann Christoph Denner, but some historians feel that his son, Jacob Denner, was actually the inventor of the clarinet.

Unfortunately, we simply don’t know when Clarinet Day was first observed. We do know that this holiday has been around for a few years now, but we’re unsure of its origins. We’re also unsure of exactly who invented this holiday. That too seems to have been lost to the history books.

Let’s Enjoy Some Fun Clarinet Facts

We have to admit that we don’t have a lot of experience with the clarinet. Sure, we’ve heard about it, but we never played one ourselves. Even so, we do like to do research, so we decided to find out everything we could about this instrument. Now we’re going to share this treasure trove of information with anyone and everyone who wants to learn about the clarinet.

• The clarinet only had two keys until a third one was added sometime between 1730 and 1740.
• There are a number of different clarinets in the clarinet family of instruments.
• The most famous clarinetist in the world has to be Benny Goodman.

Observing Clarinet Day

Obviously, people who play the clarinet professionally will want to enjoy this holiday, but it’s also a day that can be celebrated by just about anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’ve played the instrument in band camp or don’t have a musical bone in your body.

All that matters is that people give the clarinet a little bit of respect and perhaps listen to some tunes that feature the clarinet. We also encourage everyone to let us know what they like about the clarinet using the hashtag #ClarinetDay on social media.