Why are clarinets pitched to Bb?

This goes back to the consorts of recorders, which were pitched a fifth apart. Since each one had a range of maybe 2 to 2 1/2 octaves, that overlap gave the family of 4 good blend and decent range over the consort. (Similar reason that the string family has four member that overlap - at least that was a concept originally.) For centuries, there was no universal standard pitch, and anything hand made (like a recorder that you could basically whittle) was made to match the local church bells or organ. More importantly, the ear of the majority was comfortable with a certain timbre (sound quality - not too muffled, not to shreiky) and therefore a certain length or dimension. As folks traveled more, various compromises (crooks in brass, barrels or corps de rechange in woodwinds) were a coping mechanism, so you could play along with *the locals*. When the construction of various instruments, especially band and winds for military and ceremonial bands, became more standardized in the Machine Age, scientific measurement standards became more universal. The meter, the kilogram etc etc. However, giving up the beloved musical timbre you were accustomed to, meant that the concert pitch used for optimum STRING playing - vacillating in the neighborhood of 440 - would require wind players (who were accustomed to mentally transposing or re-fingering as they moved thru the consort - soprano alto tenor bass recorder, all a FIFTH apart) would have to come up with a system that fit. Nobody knows exactly how, who, when - but MY guess is that the horn being in F contributed to this as well (and the addition ot piston and rotary VALES to brass in a whole nuther thing. Why does the Vienna Phil have trumpets with ROTARY valves? Hmm?) So - a parallel universe of winds, now more domesticated in skill and mellower tone, and fully chromatic, could now be allowed *indoors* to play with strings, as long as they could solve the comparability issues. Recorders in C/F/C/F had morphed into saxes of Bb/Eb/Bb/Eb. (SATB). Inventors went nuts - and built extended sizes of EVERYTHING. The Db piccolo was invented to get us out of keys that fit the reeds and brass - made made finger-twisting passages for the flutes and piccolo built in C (I can vouch that it is much easier to play the Stars and Stripes picc solo on a Db - which puts it in the key of G - that on a C picc, and play in in Ab - not that the key is harder, but the key of G is REALLY comfy for all those trills, when playing a Db picc. Same deal when I played in a circus band - and that literature was from the Sousa age, too.)

So that is the long story, more or less. If you are not a musician, then I am sorry if some of this got confusing. SHORT ANSWER?? Have you ever heard a clarinet C? It will make you bleed from your ears. Of course, a soprano Eb - even shorter and higher - will make you head explode like a bad sci fi movie. Most players wear hearing protection - which I also do when I have a long loud piccolo gig - like the circus band.

BTW - if you ever at a circus, and you hear the Stars and Stripes Forever - look for the nearest clown BEHIND you. They will be evacuating the tent - because the SSF means the tent is on fire, or large animals have escaped. Otherwise, you will NEVER hear it at a circus.

Cool story about the circus! So, did you travel with the circus for the whole season? That must have been quite an experience.