A brief history of the Clarinet   Compared to many other instruments, the clarinet is a relatively recent invention. The clarinet was invented around the 1700s and while it is technically a spiritual successor to a much older instrument, the chalumeau, one main innovation in the instrument's design marks the clarinet as a completely separate instrument entirely. While the chalumeau was very similar in many respects to the clarinet, (at least, as the clarinet was originally designed) the chalumeau was virtually unplayable for most serious music. The instrument's main issue was that it had a small range (the total notes that could be played). Because of certain differences between the design of a chalumeau and most other woodwind instruments, it was very difficult to design a chalumeau that could easily play large ranges of notes. This all changed because of one woodwind instrument maker.     Johann Christoph Denner (regarded as the clarinet's inventor) revolutionized the design of the chalumeau with the addition of two extra holes bore into the instrument. while this may sound like a small fix, this difference allowed the clarinet to play with an enormous range (the greatest of any instrument at that time). Further developments in the design of the clarinet allowed it to become a popular instrument across all genres of music.