Barrel
The short, bulging joint of the clarinet and basset horn that connects the mouthpiece to the rest of the instrument.
What it means
The barrel is the short, slightly bulging connecting piece at the top end of the clarinet and basset horn, into which the mouthpiece with its reed is inserted. From there the air column continues into the upper joint and the rest of the instrument's body.
Its characteristic shape, which gives it its name, serves not only a stable connection but also influences the instrument's tone color and response through its internal bore.
Musical use
As a purely mechanical part, the barrel has no independent musical function, but it matters practically for the tone quality and intonation of clarinet and basset horn, since it links the sound source, the reed on the mouthpiece, with the instrument's vibrating air column.
It should be distinguished from the mouthpiece itself, which carries the reed and generates the tone, and from the crook of double-reed instruments such as the oboe or bassoon, which fulfills a comparable connecting function with a different construction.
Performance practice
When assembling a clarinet, make sure the mouthpiece and barrel fit together snugly and without air leaks, since even small leaks at this joint can noticeably affect response and tone.