The clarinet was invented by some bloke named Denner around 1700. Back then it wasn't much more than a tube with a few holes in it and a reed at one end, which reminded early students of the instrument which end they were supposed to be blowing into.

Then in 1840, Klose invented the modern clarinet and all its associated buttons and levers. As a result, it's an absolute b*****d of an instrument to learn to play, because some notes have two or three or four different ways of being played, and when you're afflicted with gross unco-ordination, things can get a bit tricky.

Unless you're one of those smart-ass little child prodigies, you'll be like me - struggling through very poor renditions of Do Re Mi for the first three and a half years of your clarinet tutelage (although I've only been learning for one year, but I can't see myself progressing in the near future).

The clarinet is also pretty impressive because you can play lots of notes. Or at least, you can if you know what you're doing. Which clearly I don't. I'm not really very well qualified to be writing this entry at all. Sorry.