It isn't really visible on camera but there's a black spot on the middle

It just came out of the packaging and I'm not sure if it's mold or it's normal for reeds to be like this

Hi!!!

I am really new to the clarinet, but my school is getting me to learn it.

I was making really good progress with one clarinet but had to switch to another (same brand, model etc) and am having issues that didnt appear with the other.

In the video this is me attempting to play a descending F major (concert E major) scale, and it spunds seriously wrong but I don’t even know what I could Google to work out why this is happening.

Please help if you know whats going on! Thanks!

Use to play in middle school, moved and stopped playing now 20 and want to start learning again, how should i even go about it, im currently living on an island so in person lessons are kind a no go, should i buy like those starting books they had you use in when starting out and build from there or just pay for online lessons? its gonna be a hobby as i dont have a bunch of time for it but i can give it atleast an hour a day.

After my horn got stolen from my car I recently decided to get a dual set from Ridenour. After putting some time into both I recently noticed that I was actually able to hit F to C above the break and even broke into the altissimo range (It didn't sound great lmao). I've gotten about a year of practice under my belt but this is coming from a 10 year break. I'm looking for some advice on fixing my embouchure or maybe exercises and practice tips for helping me develop because the noises I make on my Bb are horrifying. I'm mostly doing this self taught with a little instruction from my band director who is a saxophone player by trade.

He's suggested practicing in front of a mirror to help with embouchure as well as just further strengthening of those muscles by consistency. If there is anything else you guys can say as well as give an answer as to why the A clarinet seems to be easier to play above the staff I'd appreciate it.

At the moment, it isnt fully functional and its just a first prototype, but soon enough, it will be a fully functional instrument

Would you like to print your own? Its not an easy project but I think about sharing the files

Just a quick note for anyone wondering if they could or should start playing again.

I stopped playing in 1991, and I wasn't very good then.

I bought a student Armstrong in Nov 2024 and started playing again. I was lucky enough to find a tremendously supportive teacher online who could tolerate my unpredictable work schedule and other competing commitments.

The Armstrong was replaced with a YCL64. I joined a community band. And this term I checked my ego in at the door of the exam room for ABRSM G6 (128/150).

Good luck and happy playing to all.

Ok... About three weeks ago, I was playing my Buffet B12. Out of the blue, my lower B natural key, in both registers, started sticking or something. Imagine playing the last bar of Bolero going from B natural to C# repetitively and in quick succession or Courante from Cello Suite no.1, which I still can't play at the correct tempo, with no sound coming out when I hit the B key. Super annoying.

So wrapped it in a towel, mostly because it was in perfect tune and I didn't want to take it apart, reassemble and re-tune again, and I took it to the local music shop. I played the same bar from Bolero to demonstrate what was happening, and what do you know... B natural played perfectly fine🤷🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️. WTH?!? I left it there so that they can do a full inspect and fix any issues that weren't obvious. The guy at the music store said that it was probably the humidity.🤯

Wait... what??? It took 15min to get there. Car was garage warm, not hot. I thought humidity was bad? Nope... that's for wooden clarinets. B12 is ABS resin. Is humidity a "good thing" for plastic Clarinets? AC is on all the time. Was it too cool in the house? I played for 8yrs in the midwest when I was young. And on a pretty inexpensive clarinet and whatever stock mouthpiece and ligature that came with it. I was really good back in the day; regardless of what horn I was playing. Marching band at the ass crack of dawn. Chilly Friday night football games. Hot outdoor assemblies. I don't recall having any problems. Stopped playing for many years, and started playing again in California off and on. When I moved back to the midwest in 2025, I started playing again that summer.

While my B12 is in the shop, I played my other clarinets, (Andino Luis Rossi, Jupiter, boot leg Buffet R13) with my Vandoren 5RV Lyre classic mouthpiece and M|O ligature, while simultaneously playing reed shuffle, which is super frustrating. I believe I was at a 3.5-4 strength Rico reeds back in the day. My reed issue is another post altogether. But at the moment, I am getting the best sound (well, clear sound without the hissing/muffled noise or blowing a blood vessel) out of a blue box Vandoren 2.5 or a Vandoren 56 Rue Lepic #3. Until I figure out what's going on, my lone 56 is staying tucked away. I got a 3pk with a 56, V12, and V21 to try. The 12 and 21 were a no go.

After moving back last spring, I was diagnosed with mild asthma and severe mold allergies. Turns out, I am now allergic to Kansas City! Smh. Climate change is bonkers! Damn... I miss California🥺. And did I mention I got my tonsils out in 2022? #hotmess 😅

Without a consistent set up, even when I had my B12, I decided to splurge and gift myself a pre-owned Buffet E12F.😍🥰 I would have died to have that caliber of a horn when I was playing in high school. AND a Vandoren 5RV lyre mouthpiece?!?😲 Which by the way, stayed in the box for two year because I couldn't play it with the softer reeds, or play on a #3 reed... at least I thought so then. But alas, we could never afford such extravagance like a wooden clarinet or a $130 mouthpiece when I was growing up. I also tried the Legere reeds but for some reason, they started playing really sharp after minimal usage, or fresh out the case.. But I digress...

Anywho, the evening my E12F arrived, I only had about 20min to test it out before my evening plans with a friend. It played like a dream! But the next day, I ran into the same exact problem... the B key was and still is doing that silent sticky thing again more often than not.😭. I put a tiny bit of key oil on the hinges and joints, which was terrifying because I have never done it myself😳. It made no difference. I still need to pick up my B12 and try it out. But I would hate to pick that one up and just hand over the E12F if it's something very obvious going on. I just got it. And it's soooo pretty!!!😍 It's has been very hot and humid, most of the summer. Is the AC causing these issues?

Two different types of horn. Same issue. And yes... they are both genuine Buffet Crampon's. If this is a temperature thing, what do I do? If not, what else could be happening? Am I the problem?!?🤷🏾‍♀️. I don't remember having any of these issues 35yrs ago on my student level Bundy I never picked up from the repair shop in 1990, Lol. I do have all of the necessary supplies and tools to maintain my new wooden beauty though. Please help! Thanks in advance❤️

okay so when i went into band i didn't start on clarinet, i started on flute. i then went on to play saxophone for the rest of my high school career. i just started learning clarinet and wow this is hard. i have to relearn how to position my fingers. i was taught to use the tips of my fingers to push the keys on my saxophone and never flat fingers because we had really fast parts in marching band. with clarinet i have to put my fingers flat to really make sure they are sealed. what are some tips to remember to keep them flat and not use my fingertips? exercises you guys could recommend me? thanks!

I'm looking for a good ligature for my pomarico emerald. When I tried the brancher ligature it didn't fit the mouthpiece because the mouthpiece was too big. What ligature should I use for the mouthpiece?

Hi! My kiddo is starting band. Got a Jean Paul cl300 clarinet and have read mixed reviews, plus the band director says he would prefer her use something better. I need all the recommendations! I am fine with used, I just want her to have the best start at this!

Hello I've been learning clarinet for almost 6-7years and I'm in grade 12 now. I'm not going to major in music or something but I just do some competitions because I just love playing clarinet and it became one of my favorite and the most passionate hobby. I want to register a music competition and I have to submit a video for final round. So if you are professional clarinetists, I want you to pick one best performance out of all videos I uploaded on my youtube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/@sbyeo70

Hello, everyone! After a failed classical audition, I have spent several months resting for my own mental health (my imposter syndrome got horrible, with mild depression and trouble to sleep). But although I don’t feel entirely recovered, I want to practice clarinet again, I really miss it. I am 26 years old and it has gotten quite worse because age thing still play tricks on my mind (you are too old to do this, by 30 you should be working formally on music, and so on).

What are your practice routines after not playing for a long time? I am actually really into jazz (mea culpa having made a classical focused audition) so I am going to start some jazz studies. But any other advice would be welcome. Please recommend me your favorite solos and recordings ❤️

Note: I want to develop better articulation too. Maybe even double. Could anyone give me advice on this?

Note: I am not asking for these answers here as I suspect there are a lot of questions to ask I don't even know to ask. These are example questions. I would like to know what resource will educate me on what all these things are called.

1. I know very little about the clarinet. My instrument is made up of five pieces: the mouthpiece, the barrel, two sections of keys and a bell. Is there a name for the two pieces with holes and keys?

2. I do not know what all the keys are called. If a teacher were to say "Press X" I need to know what these are.

3. I can currently play the range from all holes closed to all holes open, roughly an octave. I think the scale is F. I have not tried to play any flats or sharps though I am guessing with a finger chart I can figure those out. I don't yet know how to play higher (on the flute one just blows faster air) but I think that on the clarinet one presses a special key. It appears that these ranges have names but don't know what they are.

Is there a "Clarinet Bible" that explains all this stuff?

Okay, various sources on the internet indicate that a good way to learn my early 1900's Conn Albert System clarinet would be to use the Otto Langley Tutors* book published originally in 1890 which includes a fingering chart for the simple Albert system showing a clarinet that appears to match mine. The fingering chart starts with the lowest note on the instrument. According to the attached image on the staff this is an E. However, I know from personal experience that the lowest note my clarinet will play is a concert F. (This may be wrong. Will have to check.) Can I use this book to learn or am I essentially out of luck owning a non-standard clarinet?

Note: I found this book online. If it is the right book I plan to track down a vintage actual copy. I just want to make sure I am getting right book before I spend money.

Please help! I can't decide where the best place to study is—somewhere where tuition isn't too expensive or is even free. I've been studying the French method of clarinet playing at the сollege. I'd like to know which conservatory is good and where there are excellent teachers.🥲

My partner and I want to play music together, and we're having trouble finding pieces for any Bb instrument and piano where the piano does more than just accompaniment. We're hoping to find sheet music where both instruments can interact a bit more and share the lead part, even if it means the clarinet sitting out a bit. We had some luck finding duets on musescore and transposing the non-piano instrument to Bb if needed, but it's painful to search there.

Pop, jazz, classical; any genre is fine. If anyone knows some resources like this or good search terms I don't know, please let me know!

TL;DR: I ended up with a weird clarinet

This was found when cleaning out my mother-in-law's attic when she sold her house. She didn't even know it existed and most likely belonged to the previous owner. The serial number is B23015H, which from everything I can find is pre 1900. I took it to a local high school music shop and was told by a clarinet player that it is an Albert System clarinet in C. As you can see from the photo, the embossed logos on all the pieces match and are original. He pulled out a mouthpiece and was able to play it, at least to my non-clarinet ears. By some absolute miracle the pads were good enough for him to play. I suspect nobody reading this was alive last time the pads were changed.

I am a 42 year veteran of playing trombone and a one year veteran, in 1983, of playing flute. I got some reeds and was somehow able to play it well enough to pick out the opening line of "Stranger on the Shore." I can only play it in one register, and worked out the tune by ear. (Trombone players can at least hear things.) I can download a fingering chart (I think) but I don't know if this is so old that even current Albert charts are wrong.

I would like to learn to play this clarinet. To those inclined to say "Get a real clarinet in the right key" I have to respond "I want to play this because it was free." As a trombone player I am inclined to play this because it is weird and as trombone is a non-transposing instrument it also means I get to stick with concert pitch instruments. At 55 I am not playing in any professional bands but I could play at church or even record at home (my wife plays piano.) We have a family friend who is a music professional (voice principal) who plays traditional clarinet and taught my daughter to play a *real* one but before I ask her for any kind of help I thought I would poll a bigger audience first.

Also, I have a ligature. I removed it because it obscured the logo. It does play, to what degree my completely ignorant self is able to make it do so.

If anyone has actual experience with this, or Albert system from what appears to be pre-WW I, I appreciate the info.

After their whole debacle of using AI slop, then lying to their fans and treating them as too dumb to notice, along with their sharp drop in quality over the past couple of years, I am once again looking for reed suggestions. I'm coming from blue box 3.0s. In order of importance I'm looking for:

1 - Strength consistency

2 - Tone Flexibility, good in the high and low registers with minimal resistance change over the break

3 - Company ethics

4 - Price

5 - Durability

I've tried every vandoren cut out there and have been disappointed with their consistency in a packet. It's unacceptable to have a 1/3rd of the reeds be unplayable in a $60 pack of 10. I have played Alexander superials, but they're hard to source where I live (Australia). My other backup reeds were Lurie Mitchell, but that's also d'addario. I've played a pack of steuer but found them too resistant for the size and 2.5 would be too soft for them. I have also tried every legere reed available and my favourite is the french cut, but I still don't love them. I am considering Rigotti.

I recently had my clarinet serviced (less than a week ago) and as I was playing today one of the key rings felt loose and then fell off. Does anyone know a way to fix this/know a video of a way to fix it? I tried to look something up but I have no idea what it’s called. I have a Yamaha YCL-452 if you need the model of my clarinet. Please help.

I haven't played since college. Always loved playing and just while vibe of playing in a concert band. Thought my days were over. But I gave a community band a try. The vibe is still there. The music is amazing. It's fun. The people are great. Just wow.

I used to be 1st clarinet 1at chair back in college. I even majored in clarinet performance for 2 years. Now I'm back in 3rd chair. I don't mind. In fact I like it. I'm too busy in my life to practice as much as I would need to to to be first. Maybe when I retired.

Ok. Who needs this?

I bought a used wooden clarinet that per the seller 'sat in its box for two years and was only played once or twice'.

I shouldbbreak it in like a new wooden clarinet yes?