How to make your first sound on clarinet
A clarinet makes sound when your air makes the reed vibrate against the mouthpiece. Most first-day trouble comes from the setup, not from you: a crooked reed, too much mouthpiece, or a bite. This guide goes one step at a time, from putting the clarinet together to your first three notes. The notes are named just as they appear in your clarinet music.
Step 1: Put the clarinet together
A clarinet comes apart into five pieces: mouthpiece, barrel, upper joint, lower joint, and bell. Put them together from the bottom up, with a gentle twist. Never push straight in or bend the pieces.
- Bell onto the lower joint. Hold the lower joint by the wood, without squeezing the long pinky keys near the bottom.
- Upper joint onto the lower joint. Press down the rings on the upper joint as you twist. That lifts the bridge key, the little metal link between the two joints, so it doesn't bend. Line up the two halves of the bridge when you're done.
- Barrel, then mouthpiece. Turn the mouthpiece so its flat side lines up with the back of the clarinet, where your thumb goes.
- Tight corks? Rub on a little cork grease. Forcing a joint is how keys get bent.
Step 2: Get your reed ready
Beginners usually start on a strength 2 reed, but your teacher might also start you on a 1½ or 2½. The number is printed on the box. Softer reeds are easier to start on; harder ones need more air.
- Wet it first. Hold the thin end in your mouth for about a minute, or soak it in a small cup of water. A dry reed squeaks and won't vibrate well.
- Check the tip. Hold it up to the light. If the thin tip is chipped, cracked, or wavy, use a different reed.
- Handle it by the thick end. The tip is about as thin as paper and chips easily.
Step 3: Put the reed on the mouthpiece
The flat side of the reed goes against the flat side of the mouthpiece. Slide the ligature over the mouthpiece first, then slip the reed underneath it.
- Line up the tips. The tip of the reed sits just under the tip of the mouthpiece, so only a hair of black shows.
- Center it. The same amount of mouthpiece should show on both sides.
- Snug, not tight. Tighten the ligature screws until the reed can't slide. Cranking them down chokes the sound.
Step 4: Set your embouchure
Your embouchure (say "AHM-bah-shur") is the way you shape your mouth around the mouthpiece. Take the mouthpiece and barrel off the clarinet and practice on just those two pieces.
- Bottom lip over your bottom teeth. Just a little: about the red part of your lip. The reed rests on it.
- Top teeth on top of the mouthpiece, about half an inch from the tip. See the diagram below to find your spot.
- Close your lips around it, like a drawstring bag. The corners push in toward the mouthpiece.
- Flat, pointed chin. Point your chin down. It shouldn't bunch up under your lip.
- No puffy cheeks, and no biting. The bottom lip is a cushion, not a clamp.
Step 5: Play the mouthpiece and barrel
Take a big, deep breath without lifting your shoulders. Set your embouchure and blow fast, steady air, as if you're saying "hee." The clarinet needs faster, more focused air than you'd think.
You should get a high, steady note. It sounds loud and a little shrill. That's normal for the mouthpiece and barrel on their own.
- Only air? Take a little more mouthpiece, firm the corners, and blow faster.
- A wild squawk? Take a little less mouthpiece.
- Sound cuts out when you blow harder? You're biting. Drop your jaw slightly and let the lip cushion the reed.
- Hold the note for 4 slow counts, rest, and try again. Lots of short tries work better than one long one.
Step 6: Play your first notes
Put the mouthpiece and barrel back on the clarinet. Rest the clarinet on your right thumb, under the thumb rest on the back. That thumb holds up the clarinet so your fingers can move freely. Your left hand goes on top, right hand on the bottom. Sit tall. The bell points down toward your knees, and the clarinet comes up to your mouth, not the other way around.
To start a note, touch the tip of your tongue to the tip of the reed. Blow, then let go of the reed as if you're saying "tee." The tongue only touches the reed for a moment, like a light tap.
Start with open G, played with no fingers down. Then add your left thumb on the thumb hole for F, and your left first finger for E:
Common first-day problems
| Problem | Usual cause | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| Only air, no note | Too little mouthpiece, or slow air | Take a bit more mouthpiece and blow faster: "hee." |
| A squeak on every note | Too much mouthpiece, or a crooked or chipped reed | Check the reed, then take a little less mouthpiece. |
| Squeaks on F and E but not G | A finger not fully covering its hole | Use the flat pad of your finger and press gently. |
| Sound stops when you blow harder | Biting | Relax your jaw. The bottom lip cushions the reed. |
| Fuzzy, airy sound | Loose corners, or a reed that's too hard | Firm the corners. Ask about a softer reed. |
| Air leaking out the sides | Lips not sealed around the mouthpiece | Bring the corners in, like a drawstring. |
| Chin bunched up | Pushing up with the chin | Point your chin down. Check in a mirror. |
Still squeaking? That's the most common clarinet problem there is. See why your clarinet squeaks and how to fix it.
Your first week
Keep it short. About 10 to 15 minutes a day is plenty at first.
| Days | What to practice |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Put it together, set the reed, and play long notes on the mouthpiece and barrel. |
| 3–4 | Open G, F, and E on the whole clarinet. Hold each one for 4 counts. |
| 5–7 | Add D and C from the clarinet fingering chart, and play each one as a long, steady note. |
After each session, swab the clarinet, take the reed off, and store it flat in a reed guard so it doesn't warp.
Once you know a few notes, try Play the Note in Woodwind Trainer. You see a note, play it on your clarinet, and the microphone checks whether you got it. You can also hold a long note against the tuner and try to keep the needle still.