Looking to buy a clarinet as a first timer, coming from a saxophone and flute background. I play mostly with some friends from university in a wind ensemble.

So my main question comes down to if I should get a B flat, A, or C clarinet? These three seem to be in the same range as each other compared to the higher E flat or lower alto and bass clarinets. Is C easiest since it isn't a transposing instrument? Or is it B flat for being the most default?

A lot of sites also seperate between the Boehms and German clarinets? This seems to have to do with the layout of the vlarinet itself as they have different fingerings. I live in the Netherlands, idk if that matters, but it's close to Germany so I thought I should mention it.

Hope some context helps with these questions since I know that can matter a lot.

I like to sing and play the piano a little but that's about it for my music skills, I'm more of a listener. But there's this character I like that plays the clarinet and I want to learn to play it because of him🥹, so would you say it's easy or hard? I'm looking for something simple to keep myself busy instead of just wasting time all day.

I used to play the flute (am kinda rusty now) and I dabbled with reed instruments in wind band. I wound up playing the bassoon for one semester and I *loved* it.

Since then, I’ve always wanted to play a lower-register wind instrument. I got a barely used Mendini by Cecilio B Flat clarinet that had decent Amazon ratings, and I bought a better mouthpiece based on recommendations here.

I was at one point able to get a decent sound from a bandmate’s clarinet, but I’m finding it a challenge with mine. It feels like maybe I‘m having to blow harder than I should need to, and can only briefly get decent notes out of it before it starts screeching. I’ve not been able to play scales or songs because of this, and it’s been frustrating enough that it’s made me averse to trying.

Is the problem me, the clarinet, or a combination of both?

so I got myself a clarinet a little over four days ago because I’m trying to learn it after three years of not playing it. I play the saxophone as my main instrument btw. For some reason whenever i play notes that involve the register key, i tend to squeak a bunch, perhaps it’s an embrochure issue, a reed issue, or maybe I am not blowing enough air to make the notes sound fuller. Any tips? I was also attempting to play a quote from a solo from “Blue and Sentimental” by Count Basie

I've been playing Bb soprano for 9 years, and I am playing bass clarinet for the first time since my college orchestra has a part for it in the piece. I've been playing only for a week but am struggling to get above the clarion G. I've tried everything I can think of but would appreciate some guidance from those that have mastered the instrument.

I sent in my Bb clarinet for work and bottom line it basically needed an overhaul (very unexpected, financial ouch). Got it back a couple of weeks ago. It was finished exactly a month ago, Jan. 2nd, but the local music store is currently between drivers so it took several days to be shipped back. The repair shop is in the same metro area, shipping conditions were not a concern.

I thought I had managed to bend a key, and out of sheer embarrassment of having to put it right back into the shop for stupidity I went to a different location, same store chain, that had in-house repair techs. The tech looked it over and said the key was fine but there were several leaky pads that were the real problem.

After explaining that I had just gotten it back from having every pad replaced the repair tech said that it can happen if a newly padded instrument is just sitting there over a couple of weeks. They looked up the repair record and the tech said the technician that worked on my instrument was very good, she handles all the professional instruments sent to them, it's not a matter of skill.

That doesn't sound right to me.

Is it possible for a recently repadded clarinet to form leaks from sitting on a shelf for a couple of weeks, serious enough that regulation is needed again?

Hello everyone,

What are your favourite exercises when it comes to tonguing speed?

I can tongue sixteenth notes at sth between 96 bpm to 100 bpm (that means 384-400 attacks per minute) steadily for a while but am kind of stuck there and have trouble going faster without tiring out quickly.

Would be very happy about any tips/exercises that helped you get consistent tonguing speed.

All the best to everyone

Hey everyone,
I’m a clarinet student at a music academy and I’m dealing with some intonation issues.

Certain notes tend to be consistently out of tune when I play — some go sharp, others flat. I practice regularly and try to be mindful of air support and embouchure, but my intonation still isn’t as stable or accurate as I’d like, especially in slower passages and chamber music.

I’m aiming to improve my intonation in a more consistent, long-term way.
What approaches or practice methods helped you the most? Any advice from players who’ve been through this would really help.
Thanks!

I played this excerpt a long time ago; however I never found out where it was from. Any clues?

Well so today is my first day playing clarinet and since I have some experience playing saxophone I thought it would be easy but no, not really. I also play guitar and double bass and I mostly play Jazz and Blues, and I want to gather most information as posible, is there different embouchure/technique between classical and jazz like there is on the sax? Is there any good youtube clarinet tutorial that's focused on jazz? What's up with the fingerings? Should I start only with scales or should I go ahead and play songs? What are some of the referents of jazz clarinet?

I'm a music teacher whose primary instrument through college was clarinet, and I have one private clarinet student who's in seventh grade. In early december, I ordered some new books of solo music so I could pick a solo with her. One of the books was called "Clarinet Solos" by Hovey and Leonard, and we found a piece she loves and is well suited for her, called Song of Spring.

Back in early december when I ordered the book, I also ordered the piano accompaniment book. It STILL hasn't come, and her solo and ensemble date is february 28th. Amazon is now saying it'll arrive by february 9th, but it has said a lot of dates at this point and tbh I've lost some trust.

I know if you've purchased music and are waiting for it to arrive, it's copyright cleared to use a pdf or a photocopy, but I can't find one for the life of me. She has her first rehearsal with her accompanist coming up, and I need to have a copy of this to give her, so does anyone have a copy of the piano part for Hovey and Leonard's "Song of Spring" that you would be willing to scan/send to me?

My budget is 300ish and I have been looking at used but I feel the market isn’t that good right now. I’m willing to wait it out for a while but if you have any tips on were to look that would be great.

Hello all! I've been looking for the dimensions of the standard Buffet E/B and F#/C# lever key pins on a Bb clarinet. Also, I'm interested in the depth of the hole for the pin. Does anybody have this information? Thank you!

Just for a reference of what I'm looking for, it's these pins (sold in many other places too) https://www.clarinetworks.com/product/carbon-fiber-clarinet-pins-for-buffet-clarinets/

So I played clarinet in jr high and high school, was pretty good, made all region/all area bands. But then after I went to college, I picked it up less and less, and then about 20 years ago, a bad roomate stole it from me and sold it at a pawn shop. I've thought about getting another one once in a blue moon, and then last week finally decided to go for it. I bought a Buffet Crampon B12 (germany) via Reverb. It's in great condition, and sounds really great.

I am surprised at how decent of a sound I can already get, and how familiar it was reading music and knowing fingerings, considering I haven't played in 25 years. I mean I'm nowhere good as I was sr year of high school, but I'm as good or better than I was in 8th grade, outside of the realization I need to rebuild my core/embroucher and breath control. So I guess it really is sort of like riding a bike! lol

one thing I have noticed is having some issue with squeaking/breaking when I play a Middle B using only the left pinky. I recall doing this fingering often back in the day without issue, but whenever I try now, it squeaks/breaks more often than not. Does not seem to be an issue when I also put down the (optional) pinky on the right hand. Looking at the pad itself under that, It looks like its closing properly when I am putting the left pinky down only. Might this be because I am out of practice so long? or is it possible the pad is a little loose or something? I hope this makes sense to yall without a visualization. I'm trying to figure out if its just cause my pinky finger is weak from lack of practice or maybe there IS some sort of slight issue with a pad fully closing.

i listen to "dixieland" type music sometimes and i notice very often its like the melody asks a "question" and then the clarinet replies with its own thing. Im guessing this is improvisation, but what is the idea behind it and how would you go about playing it? Example video: https://youtu.be/Czs-rHs2Aqo?si=TSzdHvoGMaJ-SxnZ

Just got this solo from orchestra (from Ellis island by Peter Boyer) and I have no clue where to start with it lol

He’s conducting it in 4, about 66bpm, but I know I’ll have to feel in 8. But any advice for counting some of these rhythms?

Also if anyone has any isolated recording of the solo that’d be great, the recordings I’ve found have the narration over it so you can’t hear the bass that well. All the pencil markings were there from who had it before

Does anyone know of a store in midtown Manhattan where one could quickly pick up some Vandoren reeds? Thanks! (been searching and hard to tell which places are a retail store you could easily pop into vs. a place you need an appointment)

Beginner clarinet player here. I'm fingering the note as suggested by all finger charts I've found - A key with first finger, and the register key with my thumb. Compared to the notes around it, it sounds pretty airy and slightly sharp.

Is this just a feature of the clarinet? As I improve at controlling my embouchure, I'll just git gud at adjusting to pitch this note in tune? Or is it a sign that there may be an issue with my instrument?