Clarinet Buying Guide

The clarinet family includes the contra-alto and bass models, but we will focus on the instrument most often thought of when the word clarinet is used: the Bb clarinet. This is the most popular form, used for music from Mozart to marching tunes and especially prominent in jazz, swing, and Dixieland. Useful in ensemble and solo playing, the clarinet can also be a good crossover instrument, allowing players to easily pick up the saxophone or flute at a later time.

Generally the ideal clarinet tone is one that is rich, dark, and focused with lots of fundamental and a pleasant mix of overtones (both lower and higher). The presence, or absence, of overtones is where personal taste comes into account, but a clarinet should always produce a smooth and centered fundamental tone. The clarinets offered by Musician's Friend will deliver fantastic fundamental tone, and we'll help you understand the instrument features that will let you achieve ultimate tone and playability.

Parts of the clarinet
The clarinet is composed of five separate parts that are assembled to make up the instrument: the mouthpiece A, the barrel B, the upper joint C, the lower joint D, and the bell E, in that order. Clarinets are usually divided into three different categories: student clarinets, intermediate-level clarinets, and professional clarinets.

Body materials
Clarinets are chiefly composed of two substances: plastic and wood.

The type of plastic used in clarinets is specifically engineered for that use. Its benefit is that it has all the forgiving ruggedness typical of plastic while possessing certain musical qualities that allow it to sound like a clarinet. The majority of clarinets constructed from plastic are student, entry-level instruments.

The material traditionally used for clarinet composition is grenadilla wood. Grenadilla clarinets are preferred by advanced students and professionals for the unmistakable sound and resonance only a wood clarinet produces. The wood clarinet's drawback is that it needs proper care to live a long life; care that most students are not disciplined enough to provide. Air moisture is critical to maintaining the health of a grenadilla clarinet, extreme fluctuations in moisture can cause cracks in the body, ruining the instrument. Consistent air moisture is ideal but nearly impossible. Thankfully, there are methods of caring for wood clarinets that guarantee a long life (see below).

There is a subcategory of wood clarinets known as Green Line clarinets. Green Line instruments, manufactured by Buffet Crampon, are composed of 95% grenadilla wood fiber mixed together with 5% carbon fiber and epoxy resin. They go through the same manufacturing process as 100% grenadilla instruments. Their advantage is that they can withstand temperature and humidity changes, require less maintenance, and don't crack.

Keys and plating
The key work on a clarinet will be plated with either nickel or silver (on rare occasions gold). Nickel plate is durable; does not tarnish as easily as silver; and has a shiny, attractive luster. Silver plate is very attractive with a warm, brilliant appearance; has a nice feel to the touch; but tarnishes easily compared to nickel plate. With care silver-plated keys can remain free of tarnish and retain their beauty throughout the instrument's life.

Bore styles
Clarinets come in several different styles and sizes of bores (the inside of the clarinet). In general, smaller bore clarinets are easier for students to play in tune, and it is easier for them to cover the finger holes. Larger bore clarinets are more flexible in pitch and are most often used by jazz players who need to bend notes and produce a big sound that projects adequately in a band setting.

Breaking in a wood clarinet
A new clarinet, or one that has been stored unused for some time, needs to be acclimated to avoid cracking. There are two general rules of thumb to follow in taking care of your grenadilla clarinet.

Rule #1: Do not keep your wood instrument anywhere you would not keep a baby. You would not leave a baby out in the cold or in your car on a hot day, so don't do either with your wood clarinet.

Rule #2: When not playing, always store your instrument in its case.

Also, grenadilla clarinets have to be broken-in before you can play them for extended periods. During the first week, play your clarinet no longer than 15 minutes per day, and swab the bore carefully afterwards to remove moisture. The second week, extend playing time to 30 minutes and follow up with swabbing the bore. The third week extend playing time to 45 minutes and swab the bore. During the fourth week you can push your playing time up to one hour and remove moisture from the bore afterwards by swabbing. After this regimen, if you have followed it closely, your clarinet should be broken-in. If you live in a dry climate, your clarinet will require more care since moisture is pulled from the wood quickly, causing problems. In this case, using a humidifier will help prevent the wood from drying too rapidly and cracking.

Purchasing your clarinet from our affiliate (Musician's Friend) means you can try it out at home, giving you a chance to discover if it's the instrument for you. Musician's Friend knows that an instrument is an investment, and our 45-Day Lowest Price and Complete Satisfaction Guarantees will give you confidence in your purchase.

Most beginner-level instruments come packaged with a basic, mass-produced plastic mouthpiece. By replacing it with a professional unit, the life of the instrument can be extended dramatically, delivering both performance and financial benefits. There are a few things to keep in mind. Don't buy a mouthpiece just because someone famous, or even someone you admire, plays one. Everyone's mouth, lungs, and abilities are different so the same mouthpiece won't necessarily work for everyone. A good mouthpiece will be easy to blow, will play in tune, and will be very stable, consistently producing clean tones without difficulty. Its tones will be clear, resonant, and focused with good projection and a strong fundamental.

Parts of the mouthpiece
Knowing the various mouthpiece components by their function and common names will empower you to make an educated decision about which mouthpiece you need to achieve the sound, feel, and level of precision you want.

A. The Window is the opening between the tip rail, side rails, and end of the mouthpiece.

The Table is the flat area below the window that the reed is clamped to.

B. The Side Rails of the mouthpiece are the two narrow surfaces between the window edge and the point where the mouthpiece sides begin.

C. The Tip Rail is the narrow surface between the tip and the window.

The Facing (sometimes face or lay) is the surface that meets the reed. This term refers collectively to the table, side rails, and tip rail. The facing is only one among several elements that make up a good mouthpiece, but it is an important one. There are three general types of facings: short, medium, and long. A long facing produces outstanding low notes, but higher notes are hard to play clearly with sustain. The player must have very good control and a muscular mouth. The tip of the reed vibrates more, giving a reedier, or even mushy, sound.

A short facing, as you might guess, swings things the other way. High notes are very easy to reach. Exacting breath control is a must. Only a very short section of the reed vibrates for a precise sound.

A medium facing is a best-of-both-worlds situation that works for the vast majority of players. It is compatible with a wide variety of reeds. It is also comfortable, suitable for nearly all types of playing, and brings both high notes and low notes within reach.

D. The Tip Opening is the distance between the flat surface of the tip rail and the stationary reed.

E. The Baffle is the surface opposite the window. Its depth impacts reed movement.

The Chamber (or windway) is the area where air enters the mouthpiece.

Mouthpiece materials
The most common materials used for clarinet mouthpieces are plastic and hard rubber, with the occasional sighting of an exotic crystal unit, which is not used by many students. Saxophone mouthpieces are typically made of plastic, hard rubber, or metal-usually various alloys of aluminum, brass, and stainless steel.

A plastic (acrylic) mouthpiece usually is a mass-produced unit such as the one that came with your woodwind. They have limited durability and may warp over time.

Over the years hard rod rubber has proven itself to be the material of choice for millions of players, and there are several reasons why. Hard rubber is many times more stable than plastic, delivering clear tone again and again over a longer life span than its plastic counterpart. The well-focused tone of hard rubber mouthpieces is also generally accepted as more desirable than plastic's, with a very strong fundamental and plentiful overtones with more presence.

A metal saxophone mouthpiece produces a tone that is an acquired taste and these mouthpieces are usually used by soloists. They have much more projection than is needed for the typical ensemble player.

To help you find the right mouthpiece, you can try it out with your horn for a full 45 days before deciding to keep it. When you find the mouthpiece that you know will work for you, our affiliate Musician's Friend's 45-Day Lowest Price and Complete Satisfaction Guarantees will give you confidence in your purchase.