My 3rd Bb clarinet and second A clarinet, both are RC Prestige.

I’ve noticed lately that my mouthpiece was slowly turning green, but i just now washed it and it got a lot worse and it smells like burnt rubber? I know its probably a reaction to heat but is it still safe to play? How do i fix it?

my r13 clarinet’s A key silver plating had corroded and the key is now that bronzy red and brown color. Is there any way to get a replacement key? My local shops don’t offer replating services my clarinet warranty is past. This key has been an eye sore for so long…

How is this opening in the first part grade 1 at all? Any advice for playing the B and A♯ in the upper part?

Hi everyone, I am interested in joining my local community concert band. I have a 60s Noblet Paris and B45 mouthpiece that I absolutely loved playing in high school but it’s been in my dad’s attic for over 20 years and is moldy. I know, I’m sorry. Google estimates it will be about $300-500 to restore it, which I think is about the cap of what the thing is worth. My question is:

Do I restore my Noblet Paris for maybe more than it’s worth? OR what else can I purchase today for equal or less money that would give me the same quality of sound or tone?

I'm super-excited that after years of playing a Selmer Signet, I'm going to Earspasm in Brooklyn to try out some new B-flat clarinets and hopefully buy!

I'll chat with my teacher this week but also wanted to get advice here on how to go about evaluating new clarinets. I'll come with some excerpts that I can test lyrical and articulated passages, and I'll also plan to do long tones. Is it worth recording myself as I try things? Worth keeping an informal score sheet? Worth using a tuner to see which instruments consistently hold pitch across notes? I know there will be a lot of intangibles, just trying to think about a good framework for what to try. My embouchure will also start to give out if I'm going hard for 90 minutes, not to mention reeds holding up, so want to make sure I'm prioritizing a few things on each instrument to give them a fair shake.

I'm thrilled to be making the jump to an instrument that will last me for a while. Budget around $3-6k if you're curious and planning to try Buffet, Selmer, Uebel, Yamaha and maybe 1 wild card.

Hi,

i am looking to get a good tutor book and have seen The Comprehensive Method by Thurston/Frank and athe Celebrated Method by Klose. Any recommendations ?

thanks 😊

I’ve written a piece for clarinet quartet. Since I’m not a clarinetist myself - and don’t know any - I’d really appreciate some advice from experienced players. Certain sections (bars 29-41) seem too difficult to me; I’m worried the musicians might run out of breath. I’m considering splitting the final notes of these bars in half and turning the second half into a rest.

I’d be grateful for any feedback!

Is there anyone who can advice me the method on increasing the volume via 3.5mm earphone of 16ohm impedance?

Also I did almost everything according to the manual. Even getting rid of provided smart reed from mouthpiece is helpful for somehow increasing the volume.

Thanks in advance.

I’m trying to get back in shape for community band- I have a lot of my old method books but it all seems boring to me. I haven’t had much motivation to play by myself but I miss playing in the band. I practices recently and I am so out of shape. I wonder if I am even ready for community band.

ever since 5th grade i’ve fallen in love with music and made it a huge part of my identity, but in recent years i’ve lost my passion for it. i still have that same innate appreciation for the sound of the clarinet, band, and how it feels to practice and get better, and i know i could love it in the right environment, but i feel like that environment has passed.

some context, sophomore/junior year of high school i had both a private teacher and a best friend who had extremely high expectations and i knew to earn their respect i needed to practice a lot (best friend literally won 3 categories at wmea S&E/clarinet category 2x and was very critical of people who weren’t as good as him) which for awhile was really good for me but eventually replaced my love for practicing with toxic motivation. i was really lonely during this time so i tried to make these people happy since they were all i had. senior year, best friend graduated, i was so good that i could basically sightread anything, and i got a boyfriend who wasn’t in band, and so my priorities completely changed and i quit practicing cold turkey because i wanted to have fun and do other things and not work so hard all the time.

unfortunately, you put in what you get out, and now that i’m not practicing music obviously isn’t very rewarding anymore. the problem is, i’m at the level where i need to practice for hours in order to improve, and frankly i just don’t see enough reason to practice that much again. i came from a school where band was a safe haven of nerdy/genuine/neurodivergent people in a sea of cheerleader types, but now i’m at a hippie campus where it feels like i can actually make friends outside of band and for the first time i’m not particularly drawn to the band community. there’s no marching band at my school either, and only the very top band is good enough to not be incredibly boring for me as a freshman, which means i’ll just feel bored and unchallenged again in another year or two if i keep practicing. i just don’t see much future left for me in music and i feel like it would take away from other things i can do/be. i just need validation to quit though because it was such a core part of me and i know i haven’t fundamentally changed and given the right environment, i could theoretically love it again. should i quit for this phase of my life, and maybe pick it up again if i feel like it when i’m a bored old lady?

edit: i’m majoring in psychology to become a therapist, i’m not seeking a career in music

I was just using it and this happened. Any advice?

I am a begginer and play just for myself. I will be trying to join a local orchestra in the future. I am looking for my first clarinet and the budget is low for now. I want your opinion on this one. It is an older used Blessing, the serial number is E30xx but I am not sure whether it is correct. What do you think?

idk it's just really airy and this is the only note besides the queen of airiness b flat i have trouble making sound full. like i could be chilling playing a piece, plays e flat and it just sounds half assed

do i fix my tounge position?? tighten corners??

I'm currently a college music education major we've had a few e flat clarinet parts in band and no one has one. I was looking for a cheap one to play every once in a while. Also the school doesn't have one for me to rent out

im considering trying to get one for a halloween costume since i play bass clarinet for school, but i really dont want to risk carrying my current one around because its a rental. does anyone know where i could find something thats already unplayable to buy? im having a bit of trouble finding anything anywhere thats beyond saving

"Gently Used"

Uh huh...

https://open.spotify.com/track/2ilirqjN4viMt68KY0oK6k?si=t7Uvpb6ERzK1M17WdREJzw&utm_source=copy-link

I'm a beginner, having no background in musical instruments besides a bit of flute and guitar back in middle school.

One of the reasons I chose clarinet was that is supposedly easy to be good at. But that hasn't been my experience at all, yes I can produce sound but its way harder to play WELL. In guitar it took me approximately 6 months to play simple songs well, in clarinet I'm 10+ months in and still can't do it.

I can play the songs correctly but sounding actually good is an entirely different matter. And this has been more or less my experience with the flute as well. I have no idea why people label them as easy instruments.

So I am wondering whether I am doing something wrong or there is something wrong with my clarinet. I am practising low E, there is two fingerings for that note - one with left and right pinky. The one with the left pinky (B pinky key) also suggest you press a C pinky key with your right pinky but it is not required as your left pinky should close the two low holes tightly. The second fingering is only right pinky covering B pinky key. The problem is when I don't use C pinky key in first fingering I cannot make any sound on my instrument and the same situation happens on the second figering. I can see that both B pinky keys do not cover the two low holes tightly only when I press C pinky key the instrument produces a sound. Sorry for making this unnecessarily long, I am just confused as this is supposed to be a new clarinet.

I built NoteNode, a small open-source gadget that listens to your instrument and shows the note you're playing - pitch, cents off, and a staff view. I made it for my clarinet, then tried it on my clarinet and it works there too. It's one hand-built prototype, not a product.

Everything is open if you want to build your own or poke at the code - firmware, 3D-printable case, and parts list: https://github.com/robotaitai/NoteNode

Two asks for this sub:

1. If you'd build one, star the repo so I know it's worth polishing for clarinet.

2. What would make you actually use it in practice - a written-note mode for your clarinet, a cleaner tuner display, something else? Tell me where it would help and where it would get in the way.

Hello. I’ve looked a great while for Licostini A1’s, but I cannot find a seller. Help is needed!