The clarinet is made up of five connecting parts, the mouthpiece, barrel, upper joint, lower joint, and bell.
Barrel – The barrel connects the mouthpiece and the upper joint together and shapes and directs the air through the instrument. The barrel’s taper, weight, and material all contribute to the effect it has on a clarinet’s sound and response. There are dozens plus choices of barrels.. many made by the clarinet makers and many by makers that only make barrels…
Many barrel designs have metal rings on the ends of the barrel so that the pressure of the tenon corks do not split the end and heop prevent the barrel from cracking. Many today barrels do not have rings at the bottom or top of the barrels.
Materials like Delrin are very strong and do not need the rings…. also, many makers believe the rings inhibit the vibration of the barrels.
