A Clarinet
Quick Facts
- Instrument Key
- A
- Transposition Interval
- Minor 3rd down
- Written C sounds as
- A3
- Instrument Family
- woodwind
- Instrument Page
- A Clarinet on Tunable
Written vs. Sounding Pitch — Frequency Table
Each row shows a written pitch (as it appears in the score) and the concert-pitch note that sounds when played. Frequencies are equal temperament at A4=440Hz.
Key Signature Conversion Table
When the conductor names a concert key, this table shows what key signature the A Clarinet player reads. The player reads the written key; the audience hears the sounding key.
Practical Scenarios
Switching from Bb to A Clarinet for Flat Keys
An orchestral work is in Ab major (four flats). On Bb clarinet, the player reads Bb major (two flats) — manageable. On A clarinet, the player reads C major (zero flats). Composers often score for A clarinet specifically to give the player a comfortable key signature.
Mozart Clarinet Concerto K. 622
The concerto is in A major (concert pitch). On Bb clarinet, the player reads B major (five sharps). On A clarinet, the player reads C major (no accidentals). Mozart composed this for A clarinet specifically for the clean key signature and the instrument's characteristic dark tone.
Tuning to Concert A4 (440 Hz)
The oboe plays concert A4 (440 Hz) for tuning. The A clarinet player tunes their written C5 (523.25 Hz written, sounds A4 = 440 Hz concert). The written note for tuning to concert A is always C on any A clarinet.
Why Does the A Clarinet Transpose?
The A clarinet is pitched a minor third below the Bb clarinet. Orchestral clarinetists routinely carry both instruments and switch between them depending on the key signature of the piece. The A clarinet is preferred for flat-key orchestral works: Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler frequently wrote for A clarinet in pieces that would otherwise require the Bb clarinet player to read five or six flats. The A clarinet produces a slightly darker, warmer tone color than the Bb. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, K. 622, is specifically written for the A clarinet.
Tune Your A Clarinet with Precision — Get Tunable.
Tunable's chromatic tuner shows exact Hz values in real time. Tune to equal temperament A4=440Hz or explore all 16 temperament systems.
Related Instruments
How to Transpose for A Instruments
All Transposing Instruments · Circle of Fifths · Keys Reference · Temperament Systems