AMMAN — The clarinet is a widely used instrument in a wide range of musical styles and genres across the world. Its wonderful sound has inspired the creative imagination of performers in various cultures worldwide since around the turn of the 18th century.
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The clarinet is a Western woodwind instrument that acquired its current shape around 1700, made by Johann Christoph Denner, a German woodwind instrument maker.
Mohannad Hamadneh, a graphic designer and a self-taught clarinet player, first learned to play the oud in 2010; he later became acquainted with the clarinet.
“The melodies played on clarinet were unfamiliar to me when I first heard them in a Turkish series,” he said.
Through research, he learned more about the clarinet, which is popular in Europe, but less so in Jordan and other Arab countries. He also learned that the Turks are the most interested in making and playing the instrument.
“Clarinet is a single-reed woodwind instrument with a distinguished solo repertoire that is played in orchestras,” Hamadneh said.
When he took up playing it, “the clarinet was not available in Jordan, so I traveled to Turkey to purchase one,” he said.
Capable of significant performance, the clarinet’s tone is unique in eastern music, and this motivated Hamadneh to master the instrument that, he said, conveys emotions, perhaps “sadness more than happiness.”
Oriental music makes use of instruments like oud and qanun; the clarinet was rarely used in the region, said Hamadneh, who describes the instrument as “close to the saxophone,” but with a soulful sound that “attracted me to it.”
Hamadneh participated in many festivals, including Jerash and Shabeeb festivals, with several Arab artists.
He feels that the clarinet has a strong presence and great influence in music and “is preferred by the majority of people, depending on the song.”
Not common in Jordan, where there are few clarinet players, learning to play it was not easy, said Hamadneh, adding that clarinetists use social media to share their music and expose people to the instrument.
Hamadneh, like many other artists, stressed that the music industry in Jordan needs support. Jordan has quite a few well-known artists who were invited to perform in Lebanon and Egypt.
His advice: “Anyone with the dream of learning music and playing musical instruments must persevere, practice, and exert efforts to reach success.”
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