Clarinet

Congratulations on selecting the Clarinet!

Below are some drop down boxes with information to get you started as well as some great links to clarinet players who represent great sound and technique.

Daily Required Supplies

At least four good, working reeds at all times
A four reed Reedguard (store the four working reeds in the Reedguard)
Chamois, cotton, or silk swab
Cork grease

Assembling the Mouthpiece and Reed for Success

Before you can learn to form the clarinet embouchure, you must learn and practice placing the reed onto the mouthpiece correctly.

Place the thinner part of the reed in your mouth for about a minute (maybe more if it is a brand new reed).
Loosen the screws of the ligature a little.
Take the mouthpiece in one hand, and place the ligature on it so the screws are on the right side of the mouthpiece. Hold both mouthpiece and ligature in one hand, with the ligature over the smaller part (top) of the mouthpiece.
With the other hand, take the reed out of your mouth, holding it by the thicker part (bottom) of the reed. Notice that one side of the reed is totally flat, and one is not. The mouthpiece also has one flat side (with a blowhole) and one curved side.
Place the flat side of the reed, bottom or thicker side first, against the flat side of the mouthpiece, over the blowhole. Gently slide the reed down, in between the loosened ligature and the flat side of the mouthpiece, until the tip of the reed is even with the tip of the reed. Do not touch the tip of the reed - just slide it down carefully, touching only the thicker parts of the reed.
Once the tip of the reed and the tip of the mouthpiece are aligned, gently slide the ligature down over the reed to the thicker (not shaved) part of the reed. If the ligature is too tight to go that low over the reed, loosen the screws. The ligature must rest on the thicker part of the reed, never the shaved part.
When the ligature is positioned over the thick part of the reed, hold the reed in place while tightening the screws. Make sure the tip stays aligned with the tip of the mouthpiece. Tighten the ligature screws snugly enough to hold the reed in place so that it cannot wiggle if someone tries to move it. But don't overtighten.
When the ligature snugly holds the reed correctly in place (a teacher should check it the first few times), you are ready to learn to form the embouchure.

Clarinet Embouchure Instructions and Pictures

These two links are for use by Hilltop Middle School students and teachers only. Those from other schools who wish to use them should purchase the Embouchure Project from Teachers Pay Teachers.

Forming the Embouchure

Position your lips into an "eu" shape.
Hold the mouthpiece (with the reed on it) sideways up to a light. Note where the reed meets the mouthpiece. That is how far you should take the mouthpiece into your mouth. Position the mouthpiece on the lower lip.
Bring your top teeth down to the top of the mouthpiece.
Bring the corners of your mouth in, and seal your lips around the mouthpiece. Hold the mouthpiece firmly with your mouth, and do not allow it to wiggle from side to side.
Push mouthpiece up to create firm pressure against top teeth.
Take a deep breath, position your mouth and mouthpiece into correct embouchure position, and blow fast air.

Producing Correct Pitch on the Mouthpiece

You should be able to produce a high concert C on mouthpiece and reed only. Use a tuner or piano to check your embouchure pitch. If you can produce the concert C, your embouchure is correct.

If you are not getting the correct pitch, check the following:

Use faster, stronger air.
Make sure top teeth touch top of mouthpiece.
Make sure mouthpiece is sealed firmly around mouthpiece. Mouthpiece should not be able to wiggle side to side in mouth.
Ligature needs to hold reed firmly onto the mouthpiece. If the reed is moveable under the ligature, you must reposition the ligature and reed correctly, making sure the screws are snug enough to hold the reed in place.
Ligature screws must be snug enough (and in the correct position) to hold reed in place.
Ligature must not cover any part of the shaved portion of the reed. If it does, loosen the screws, move the ligature down, and tighten to keep reed in place.
Reeds should be good quality and in good condition, and at least #2 ½ to #3 strength. By second half of first year, students should be playing on #3 reeds. Depending on mouthpiece/reed combination, harder reeds might be used as students progress.
Reeds that are too soft and/or poor quality may produce sounds that are flat (or under pitch).
Ligature screws should be snug enough to hold the reed in place without the reed wiggling, but not so tight that the screws or ligature are in danger of breaking.

Tuning Instructions for the Clarinet

Clarinet tuning notes are open G (adjust barrel); 3rd space C (adjust bell).

The goal is to get the tuner to stay in the middle. Play tuning note towards tuner. If the needle stays towards the right, your note is sharp, or too high. Lengthen the clarinet by pulling out the barrel or bell. If it stays towards the left, your note is flat, or too low. Shorten the clarinet if possible by pushing in.

For open G, adjust the barrel, then for 3rd space C, adjust the bell first, then the middle joint of the body of the instrument. See how long you can play a note in tune and steady.

Play "freeze the needle" - hold the note steady and in tune.

In a nutshell...

The longer the pipe, the lower the pitch. If your pitch is sharp (high), you need to make it flatter (lower).

The shorter the pipe, the higher the pitch. If your pitch is flat (low), you need to make it sharper (higher).

Keep in mind that even though you will first use these notes to tune, other notes on your instrument may not be in tune. It is the nature of instruments. The longer you play your instrument, and the better, more characteristic tone you can produce, the easier you will be able to play all notes in tune on your instrument.

You will also improve intonation as you get more advanced. Intonation means to adjust pitch on particular notes while playing (without pushing in or pulling out).

To improve intonation, you may loosen or tighten the embouchure or use alternate fingerings in particular circumstances. Adjustments for intonation help improve the pitch of different notes in action. You use your ear and make adjustments while playing.