Oboe vs clarinet: how to tell them apart

The oboe and the clarinet look alike from a distance. Both are black tubes with silver keys, held straight down in front of the player. The fast way to tell them apart is to look at the top. A clarinet has a mouthpiece. An oboe has a thin reed that sticks out like a drinking straw.

The differences at a glance

	Oboe	Clarinet
Reed	Two blades of cane tied together	One flat reed clamped to a mouthpiece
Top end	A thin reed, and no mouthpiece	A mouthpiece shaped like a beak
Shape of the tube inside	A cone that widens toward the bottom	The same width for most of its length
Bell at the bottom	Small, with a slight flare	Wide and flared
Sound	Bright, thin, and singing, with an edge	Smooth and round, dark down low and bright up high
Range	About two and a half octaves	More than three octaves
In an orchestra	Two or three	Two or three
In a school band	One or two	A whole section
Gives the tuning note	Yes	No

How to tell by looking

1. Look at the top. A straw-like reed means oboe. A mouthpiece means clarinet.
2. Look at the bottom. A wide, flared bell means clarinet.
3. Look at the width. The oboe is narrower, most of all near the top.
4. Count them. In a band, a long row of the same black instrument is a row of clarinets.

How to tell by listening

The oboe has a sound with a point on it. It is a little nasal, and it carries through the whole orchestra. Composers give it sad, singing tunes.

The clarinet is smoother. It can play softer than most other wind instruments, and it can slide and swoop. Its low notes are dark and woody, and its high notes are bright.

The clearest test is Peter and the Wolf, where the two play side by side.

Character	Instrument	What you hear
The duck	Oboe	A slow, waddling, nasal tune
The cat	Clarinet	Low, soft, creeping notes

Read Peter and the Wolf: the instruments and the characters they play.

Why they sound different

The reed. An oboe’s two reeds buzz against each other. A clarinet’s one reed beats against the mouthpiece.

The tube. The oboe is a cone inside. The clarinet is a straight tube. That one difference changes the whole sound, and it is why a clarinet can play much lower than an oboe of about the same length.

Where they sit

In an orchestra, the woodwinds sit in two rows in the middle, facing the conductor.

• Front row: flutes on the left, and oboes on the right
• Back row: clarinets behind the flutes, and bassoons behind the oboes

Before the concert, the oboe plays the note A, and the orchestra tunes to it. Read the orchestra seating chart.

Which is easier to start?

The clarinet is the more common first choice.

• Clarinet. A first sound comes soon. Reeds are sold ready to play. It is one of the usual first choices in school band.
• Oboe. The double reed takes control and patience, and the first sounds can be rough. Many players start on another instrument and move to the oboe at about ten to twelve.

Few children choose the oboe, so bands and orchestras are glad to have one. A child who loves the sound of the oboe has a good reason to choose it.

Read how to choose a band instrument and flute vs clarinet.

Their relatives

Family	Higher	Lower
Oboe		English horn
Clarinet	Small E-flat clarinet	Bass clarinet

The saxophone uses one reed on a mouthpiece, as a clarinet does. Many clarinet players learn it too.

Pieces to hear

The swan tune from Swan Lake, by Tchaikovsky. An oboe plays a long, sad tune over a harp. See the Swan Lake listening guide.

“Gabriel’s Oboe,” by Ennio Morricone. A slow film tune for oboe and orchestra.

The opening of Rhapsody in Blue, by Gershwin. A clarinet trills, and then slides up more than two octaves. See the Rhapsody in Blue guide.

Clarinet Concerto, slow movement, by Mozart. A slow, calm tune that shows the clarinet’s smooth sound.

Things to do together

Duck or cat? Play the duck’s tune and the cat’s tune from Peter and the Wolf. Ask which is the oboe.

Top and bottom. Find a photo of each. Point to the reed, the mouthpiece, and the bell.

Straw reed. Flatten the end of a paper straw, and cut the corners off to make a point. Blow hard through the flat end. It buzzes like a double reed.

Spot them on stage. Watch a video of an orchestra. Find the two rows of woodwinds, and name each group.

Tuning note. Watch the start of a concert video. Listen for the oboe’s A.

Print and play

Tick the oboe and the clarinet on the instrument families listening chart. Read the oboe for kids, the clarinet for kids, and woodwind instruments for kids.