Hey yall, student here, I can’t tell if I’ve lost motivation, I’m just lazy or tired to practice, probably all the 3. I want to practice and get better at playing the clarinet because I love playing and I also have peers to compete with but at the end of the day, I don’t practice. Yes, there are some days I have time like weekends but that portion of where I practice of the day wouldn’t get me to where my goals are. Let me run you through my schedule, I return from home, tired from school. I usually have work I want to do but I can’t stop myself from napping. We then have marching practice afterwards that ends towards the end of the day. I stay past midnight doing assignments. I sleep. I wake up, go to school l, rinse and repeat. Does anyone have ideas how to fix this?

I am currently going to a D2 school and I will be playing in the pep band the pep band directer never said weather I should use a plastic clarinet or not I was wondering what everyone thought or what you have all done?

I have to learn a really difficult piece within the span of less than 3 months and my parents won’t let me get a tutor and it’s making me hate my clarinet. I have cried so much over this stupid piece of music. I’ve only been playing for a year and I never got to actually learn the basics of the clarinet with any teacher because I was mostly self taught before I was pushed into jazz band last year and I did pretty well, but,I’m still quite a ways behind my peers who have been playing for atleast 2 years longer than I have. It’s making me hate playing and hate band all together. It’s a really fast piece and I can’t keep up. I’m really good at doing long pieces but his piece doesnt even have a single rest and it’s all it eighteenth notes and I want to cry. my stupid band director acts like all the freshmen need to be incredibly good and can’t mess up at all and if we do we’re terrible. I can’t practice this piece every day because I already am trapped with playing my flute for marching band and we have practice so often and other days I don’t get home until late because of my bus is really later and I need to do my homework and I need it to sound perfect and I don’t know what to do. I love this instrument so much but I don’t know if I can keep up. Do I need to beg to get a tutor? Is there anything else I can do? any advice would be incredibly appreciated. Please be nice.

(For context, I am a senior in high school, have been playing clarinet for 8 years, take lessons, and am in the highest band my school has)

My friend’s younger sibling just got their clarinet in band and my friend really wants me to give them lessons. I’m very excited since I’ve wanted to give lessons for a while, does anyone have advice on how I can be a good teacher or anything their teacher did that helped them? Also, should I ask to be paid? Thank you.

Hey! So I need Jazz and/ modern clarinet pieces. I want to start on new repertoire after my competition. I already am thinking of continuing Prokofiev flute sonata. It is quite difficult so I want another piece. Not too challenging but fun though. Any suggestions?

I have a very weird reed, it makes me leak air and feels resistant in some registers and soft on others, I've worked it out and works better on the high register, so I'm getting somewhere, it's also leaking less. But it is still awkward below middle staff B, its also kinda squeaky. I use sand paper btw

What makes a reed ok in the high register but awkward on low notes? Where should I sand it down?

I'm not getting reeds until next month, I think (i ship them from Colombia because I live in Venezuela and they are expensive AF in here) so please help me survive with the couple reeds I have left

I am sophomore in high school and I have been playing for just about 5 years. But I find that I am at a loss for what to work and how to work on it. I know I have a lot to learn but I just don’t know what I don’t know

I've gotten a second hand clarinet, what do you think? The case says John Packer. It's an E flat clarinet.

I’ve had my YCL-650 for about a year now and really love it. However I tend to play really sharp (I was the same on my old clarinet), so I could do with looking for a longer barrel.

Does anyone have recommendations for a compatible one? I’ve already tried a backun moba but I wasn’t a fan.

I don’t really want to spend a fortune, but I’d be interested to hear of any adjustable ones that aren’t super expensive (like the Behn!). I’m in the UK so supplier recs are also welcome!

Hey ! I juggle between handpan and clarinet and looped them together. very raw edit, but feedbacks are welcome !

You can find the song here on soundcloud. https://on.soundcloud.com/TR18iI2pLq8hEK5V6H

I have this old clarinet (stagg 77-cs bb boehm) and the gap appears when I assemble it. It has been like this for years but I can't remember if there was part/cork in between two parts. Is this something fixable or missing a part?

So I’ve been playing the clarinet for 8 years now and I’ve always just been using the same second hand clarinet from 6th grade. In high school our band teacher had mouthpieces and ligatures she would lend out to us to use every year to try out and now that I’m out of high school and in a uni wind orchestra I want to upgrade and get a mouthpiece for myself. I’ve talked to my parents about this before a couple years back but since it’s so expensive and I’m not a going to be a music major, they never thought it was a good idea. But now I feel like since I’m playing at a higher level I should put in the effort because I really hate the way I sound right now and I feel like I could do better especially considering I’ve always been a strong player. Now that I’m with music majors and other higher level people, I feel like I’m falling short on my tone and ability to play at that higher level. I’m not sure where to start, I’ve been searching things up and going down Reddit threads but I guess I just don’t know what would be good for me. I want to find something that’s affordable because I’m not in a position where I can spend 100 on a mouthpiece, any help would really be appreciated, thanks!

Just what the title says. I wanted to "overhaul" my clarinet as it had not been serviced at all in my youth and i figured learning to do it myself was smarter than taking it to the shop, as then I'd have the skills to repair it again if needs be. However, when i bought a repair kit it came with new screws and rods so in a moment of naivety, I tossed my old screws and rods during the repair figuring the new ones would work. I now have found that Yamaha requires OEM parts and now am down...however many screws I need. I'm not sure. I know about the 14 hinge rods or whatever they're called, i just need to know how many other screws there are. I've seen 9 and 13 so far. I have no idea and I am just so desperate to have my clarinet working back. I'd also rather just do this repair myself and save the embarrassment and extra cost of having to explain this to a repair shop (I also figure theyd just have to order the set anyway, having a few screws lying around seems reasonable but i didn't think theyd have a whole clarinet's worth of scres...)

Only the pivot screws and hinge rods and such, I don't need the thumbrest screws.

I did tell one shop I needed all the screws for a clarinet and they said they'd need me to bring the instrument in to use the serial number to order the right parts. But if all that needs to be done is have parts ordered I'd rather just order them to me and fix my instrument than have to wait extra AND pay more just for someone else to, ykwim ?

Anyway. TL;DR if anyone could just give me a headcount of how many screwheads are on their yamaha YCL-200ADII I'd appreciate it, I can just subtract 14 lol

So I recently picked up a Alto Saxophone (rental) after a 20 year break - I could make a sound/had memory when it comes to embouchure, but I had to return it as it had a leak.

I can’t afford a new Sax and don’t want another rental.

I’m considering trying Clarinet instead as it’s also less loud/annoying to others and seems like it might be easier maintenance wise.

Is embouchure on Clarinet much harder? Or should I find it easier coming from a Sax?

And also is maintenance easier with a Clarinet as opposed to Alto Sax?

I started playing around maybe 2 months ago with no experience and I unfortunately do not have a tutor around me until school starts so i’ve just been teaching myself as I go. I currently use a Rico 2.5 reed but I also own a 3 vandoren traditional and find that on the rico higher notes (I can play up to a C6 on a good day) sound really bright and almost like a kazoo. Additionally sometimes there’s minor squeaks in the under tone.

However if I play on the vandoren the higher notes are so comfortable and sound much better. But if i’m playing lower notes then they sound airy

I appreciate it’s most likely because the Vandoren is a higher thickness but in that case how do i make my higher notes sound better on the 2.5 ?

edit: it’s also probably worth mentioning that not all of my seals close properly as it is a second hand clarinet that has not been serviced for a while!

Hello! I have a Conservatorium audition in a month and I wanted to know what other people did in preparation a month before their auditions just to feel less alone lol. I keep getting really anxious when I’m practicing because it feels like life or death

I usually play with backing tracks but this time I'm doing a solo. Wish me luck!!!!!! Thank you to all the amazing clarinets out here!

I'm a bit nervous. Does anyone have tips, about nerves and endurance?

If it helps to be more specific, I have a Buffet R13 that needs pad replacements.

Hey everyone,

One of the most frustrating aspects of playing the clarinet is opening a fresh box of reeds, finding a couple that feel decent on day one, and watching them turn soft, unresponsive, or warped by day three.

The issue is rarely just "a bad batch." In most cases, it comes down to how the natural organic fiber (Arundo donax) reacts to the sudden physical shock of moisture, saliva enzymes, and intense acoustic vibration.

When a dry, stationary piece of cane is suddenly subjected to full practice sessions, the unconditioned fibers undergo micro-tears. The elasticity collapses, and the reed gets permanently "waterlogged" or deadened.

The Logic of Progressive Fiber Conditioning

To build long-term structural resilience and consistent tone quality, the cane needs progressive stress cycles rather than immediate heavy playing. 

Over the years working with students and analyzing reed response—building upon core concepts shared by Spanish clarinetist Juan Pardo—I’ve developed a structured 8-day timer protocol based on controlled play-testing: 

* Days 1–2: 3 minutes of regular playing (avoid extreme altissimo passages or aggressive staccato). Gently wipe off excess moisture and let it dry flat.
* Days 3–4: 5 minutes of regular playing. Gently wipe off excess moisture and let it dry flat.
* Days 5–6: 7 minutes of regular playing. Gently wipe off excess moisture and let it dry flat.
* Days 7–8: 10 minutes of regular playing. Gently wipe off excess moisture and let it dry flat.

By capping the playing time strictly with a timer during the first eight days, you allow the cane fibers to seal and adapt to moisture cycles without over-stretching the vascular tubes.

Tracking Progress

The key to making this work is discipline—stopping right at the 3 or 5-minute mark even when the reed feels great. 

I put together a simple 3-page PDF guide explaining the physical mechanics behind this process, along with a printable 8-day music stand tracking sheet to keep on your practice desk. 

If you want to try the protocol, I’ve left the link to download the PDF and tracking sheet directly in my profile.

Curious to hear what break-in routines or humidity setups you all use to keep your boxes consistent. Let me know in the comments!