There are many different types of clarinets on the market today. The weight can vary slightly depending on what type you have.
On average the clarinet weighs 2 to 5 pounds. The weight can depend on the type, brand, and materials used to make it.
Depending on if you have a Bb clarinet, the bass clarinet, the A clarinet, the Eb clarinet, the contrabass clarinet, the contra-alto clarinet, or the alto clarinet, the weights may vary.
Also, take into consideration the weight if you have wood or plastic resin, this could also play as a factor.
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How Much Does a Bass Clarinet Weigh?
When compared to the Bb clarinet, the bass clarinets are considerably larger. The bass clarinet is more than a 3ft taller. The keys are almost more than 20 inches or 1.7 feet in length.
The bell of the bass clarinet is bent up and more in a forward position such as a saxophone, and the barrel is an s-bent metal piece.
With the weight being anywhere from 30 to 50 pounds (13.6kg – 22.6 kg) this instrument is way too heavy to play while holding in your hands.
You will have to use the thorn, this is a pointy or rubber ball used for stability while playing, or you can choose to use a special carrying construction that goes around your shoulders and chest to support the instrument during play.
In 1800 the first Bass Clarinets were developed. As what they call a wind instrument, a clarinet that size needed the perfect key system to perform, or you could bend what they call the corpus many times, this would help the tone holes to move closer to one another so you could cover all the holes with your fingers.
How Much Does a Clarinet Case Weigh?
Just as there are many different types of clarinets, there are many different clarinet cases to choose from. If you are a beginner, more than likely you are going to be purchasing a plastic instrument.
These can weigh anywhere from 7-20 pounds. You will be able to hold your clarinet along with your basic accessories. Make sure you have a shoulder strap because without one you will find yourself becoming worn out from carrying it.
This will use a small plastic case that weighs next to nothing and is easy to carry around. You can put this in a backpack or a good-sized purse.
For the performers who have invested in quality instruments, you will have more pieces of the clarinet that you will have to break down and lug around. You will find yourself with a case that looks somewhat like a briefcase.
Some bags and cases have extra layers of padded protection for your instrument, most cases come with a strap when bought new.
In addition there are backpack-cases out on the market today, such as the Bam cases on amazon. Those who own them can only say good things about the performance of the case.
However, you will pay a hefty price but it is worth the investment to protect an expensive clarinet. These cases usually last 10 years longer than less expensive clarinet cases.
More used by university students, as they are easy to carry all your accessories along with your instrument and can easily be carried around campus.
How Big Is a Clarinet
When someone talks about the size of the clarinet, more then likely they are referring to the B flat clarinet. The B flat is around 24 inches (2ft) long and has three octaves.
You could be referring to the soprano clarinets, they can reach lengths up to 37 inches.
When talking about the largest and longest clarinet you are going to meet the Octocontrabass clarinet, or also known as the octo-contrabass or subcontrabass clarinet.
In addition to the length and size, it is also the lowest playing member of the clarinet family, pitched just one octave below the contrabass clarinet, also three octaves lower than the standard Bb soprano clarinet.
All in all the size of a clarinet depends on what type you have.