The clarinet is an instrument that has evolved through the ages. From the Middle Ages to the present, the clarinet, a reeded instrument, has acquired and lost many different elements through out the course of time. Instruments that were played with a mouthpiece that had a simple reed were already known in ancient times. The Egyptian memet from the 3rd century BC is an example of an early clarinet. It was played as a double instrument which means it had two cylindrical pipes that were made of reeds and tied together. The memet had finger holes and two mouthpieces. This instrument was later adopted by the Greeks and Romans. Clarinets with one, two, and even three reeds were used in many cultures and some are still being played today (e.g. the Russian, brelka).
             In medieval Europe, a single-reed instrument that had its origin in the Orient and had eight finger holes was common. This was called the chalumeau which means "reed". From the Renaissance onward, they were made in various tunings, from treble to bass in keeping with the custom of time.
             Johann Denner was an instrument maker from Nuremberg, is generally credited with the invention of the clarinet, which evolved from the chalumeau toward the end of the 17th century. It is not clear as to what innovations Denner made the clarinet. What is generally accepted is that Denner was the first to equip the chalumeau with two keys.
             Johann's son, Jakob followed in his footsteps and began producing clarinets with two keys and a wider bore. The chalumeau's cylindrical bell was replaced by one that flares, and the clarinet tubing was given its characteristic barrel shaped bulge below the mouthpiece. It is interesting to note that on all baroque woodwind instruments, the position of the hands had not yet been determined, so clarinets were make so that either hand could be in the lower position. Holes for the little finger were drilled on both the left and rig...