The E-flat clarinet is a member of the clarinet family. It is usually classed as a soprano clarinet, although some authors describe it as a "sopranino," "petite," or "piccolo" clarinet. Smaller in size and higher in pitch than the more common B clarinet, it is a transposing instrument in E, sounding a minor third higher than written. In Italian it sometimes referred to as a quartino and is generally listed in B-based scores (including many European band scores) as quartino in Fa.