The clarinet is a very diverse instrument, ranging from symphonies to jazz groups, military bands to pop accompaniment. It purrs in the lower register, and can shriek on the top end. The modern clarinet is made of blackwood, ebonite or plastic, with a system of 17 keys and six rings, based on the Boehm system. Mouthpieces are mostly made of rubber or plastic although crystal is the material of choice for many professional musicians despite the cost and fragility.
Reeds are available in a variety of strengths to accommodate different skill levels and preferences.
Goodman once remarked that in his neighborhood, if it hadn't been for the clarinet, he might just as easily have become a gangster. The clarinet represents the cat in Peter and the Wolf, and the Cuckoo in Carnival of the Animals. One of the most recognizable clarinet passages is the jazz-influenced glissando at the beginning of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.