The clarinet is part of the woodwind family of instruments and has a large range of notes covering both low and high parts in the band. The sound is produced by blowing against a reed (a small piece of cane) which is attached to the mouthpiece.

The vibrations of the reed produce the sound and most students are able to get an initial sound out of their instrument fairly quickly. The clarinet is held vertically and students need to be able to reach and cover the tone holes with their fingers but unless particularly small, most students can manage this.