Alto clarinet in Eb

From Music-Web Encyclopedia

The alto clarinet is pitched in Eb and sounds one octave lower than the baby Eb clarinet. It is mostly used to replace or complement the 3rd part of a quartet. It's beautiful sound is perfect in small ensembles (clarinet choires), especially together with the Bass clarinet. The Alto is not easy to play, and it takes a few hours to adapt to the larger size. It will also take a while to learn how to intonate and play in tune. You need to have a strap around your neck to carry the instrument while playing or some variants has a floor peg like the bass clarinet.