The clarinet is a beautiful and versatile instrument. With its smooth and mellow tones, clarinet can be used in orchestra, concert band, jazz or solo pieces. Learning to play the clarinet is an enjoyable challenge made easy enough with basic tips on clarinet assembly and simple sounds.
Clarinet for Beginners
Before learning to play, begin with clarinet basics. A clarinet is in five pieces – from the bottom up: the bell, a longer middle section, a shorter middle section, the barrel, and the mouthpiece. The ligature is a device with one or two screws that fits over the mouthpiece and holds the reed. A reed is essential for creating clarinet sound. Reeds are easily found in music stores.
A clarinet reed is flat piece of wood, commonly made of bamboo, in which one end thins out to a flat tip. Air blowing past a wet reed and through the clarinet causes the reed to vibrate and creates the clarinet sound. Clarinet reeds come in varying thicknesses. As a general rule, the stronger the player, the thicker the reed would be. For beginners, suggested reed thickness is 2 or 2 ½. Be careful when it comes to handling reeds, as the thin end can chip easily. Chip-free reeds create better sound.
Assembling a Clarinet
When assembling the clarinet, fit the smaller cork of the shorter middle piece into the non-corked end of the longer middle piece. Take note of the four keys in a row along one side of the shorter middle piece, and the metal attachment beneath them. This metal attachment should fit over a metal attachment on the longer middle piece.
Fit the bell over the corked end of the longer middle piece. Fit the barrel over the free end of the shorter middle piece. Fit the cork of the mouthpiece into the barrel. Be sure to line up the keys on the front. Line up the hole of the mouthpiece with a long key at the back of the upper middle piece.
Hold the clarinet with its back towards you. Slide the ligature over the mouthpiece with the screws facing right. With a metal ligature, the screws should be on the back of the clarinet, facing right.
Before attaching the reed, it must be wet, as a wet reed creates better sound. Place the reed in your mouth and thoroughly dampen it. One side of a reed is perfectly flat, while the other bumps up in the middle and thins out toward one end. Slide the reed between the hole of the mouthpiece and the ligature, with the flat side flush against the mouthpiece. Check that the reed is centred and that the tip is level with the tip of the mouthpiece. Then tighten the screws to hold the reed in place.
Playing the Clarinet
Once the clarinet is assembled, notice the thumb hook on the back of the lower middle piece. Place your right thumb under it – this thumb will bear most of the instrument’s weight. Place your right index, middle and ring fingers over the three holes on the front of the lower middle piece. Place your left hand on the top middle piece, matching your index, middle and ring fingers with the three holes on the front, and your thumb with the hole on the back. Each pinky finger should rest above the four keys nearest them.
Begin with every hole uncovered. Curl your bottom lip over your teeth, settle the mouthpiece in your mouth, and blow. Some beginners find it hard to produce good clarinet sound. In which case, try repositioning your mouth slightly lower or higher on the mouthpiece. Blow and be sure not to puff your cheeks.
This opened-holed note is a middle G. A clarinet fingering chart is a valuable and useful tool in learning to form proper notes. Fingering charts can be found in music stores. Learning to play the clarinet well is a process that takes time and practise. Be sure to practise frequently, beginning with the basics and this simple open-holed note.
Michelle Wright - Michelle is an avid reader and writer, with a focus on book, film and music reviews, gluten free recipes, and fiction writing "how-tos."
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