E-Flat Clarinet

The E-flat clarinet is a member of the clarinet family, smaller than the more common B♭ clarinet and pitched a perfect fourth higher. It is typically considered the sopranino or piccolo member of the clarinet family and is a transposing instrument in E♭ with a sounding pitch a minor third higher than written.

The E♭ clarinet is used in orchestras, concert bands, and marching bands, and plays a central role in clarinet choirs, carrying melodies that would be uncomfortably high for the B♭ clarinet. Solo repertoire is limited, but composers from Berlioz to Mahler have used it extensively as a solo instrument in orchestral contexts.

It is important that the E-Flat clarinetist play in tune, otherwise they canmake an otherwise beautiful sounding band sound bad.

Guy 1: Jesus, this band sounds terrible.
Guy 2: Well, it has an E-Flat Clarinet player.
Guy 1: Well, that explains it.