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Interesting. You don't need to move your lower lip very much since only a small amount covers your bottom teeth. Doing that should cause your jaw to stick out. If it does, try doing it without the clarinet first. Once you can keep your chin pointed while barely covering the top of your front bottom teeth with you lower lip, then trying with the clarinet without playing. Once you can do that, then try doing it while playing something very simple so you can focus on your embouchure.

That's great! It should still work well, even if you're a blow in whistler. Let us know how it's going!

You're welcome!

If I had to guess, I'd say that your chin probably moves when you articulate. It's a really common thing among clarinetists because it's hard to train your body to keep your embouchure still (without too much jaw pressure), your tongue in that high "whistle trick" position, and only move the tip of your tongue when you articulate. A little bit of practice might be helpful: ruclips.net/video/Ct1audCpE7w/видео.html

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your feedback! ❤

That's true! I'm not sure why it's become the norm to call the soprano clarinet B-flat when there are others in the clarinet family also pitched in that key.

It sounds like you're asking about the embouchure. This video might be helpful: ruclips.net/video/E8WL4Z4a0yU/видео.html

You might find this video helpful: ruclips.net/video/E8WL4Z4a0yU/видео.html&pp=gAQBiAQB

There's no reason for anyone to panic about their clarinet cracking. Sometime you can do everything right and still get a crack. However, it is something to take seriously, especially if you live in a dry climate. A little prevention goes a long way. As Backun artists, most of the information we share in this video is directly from them, but it never hurts to consult directly with the manufacturer or a trusted teacher/technician.

I would, especially if it's brand new. It'll help prevent the wood from taking on too much moisture, which can happen with new instruments. You should be able to find sweet almond oil at grocery or health food stores. If not, you can find it at an online retailer like Amazon. Just make sure it's 100% sweet almond oil.

Do you know the brand or model of ligature and mouthpiece?

Hey, sorry I took so long to respond. I honestly did not know what type of mouthpiece or how to find out. However, I recently just brought my clarinet to a local woodwind store, and he fixed it by adding oil to the knobs. It seems Bonade didn't do this in the factory.

Yes. Definitely take it to a repair shop. You don't want to risk any damage.

That can be really frustrating, but hang in there! Have you tried the whistle trick? That's helpful for a lot of my students. ruclips.net/video/3dJb_EOH9QE/видео.html

@@ClarinetHQHello, I have the same problem too but I can’t whistle, are they any other ways to fix it?

Btw it appears mostly when I’m doing fast high notes tonguing, I used enough air support

That's a good question! If you make an embouchure, move your tongue into that position, and blow gentle air, you should be able to hear the pitch in your air. It'll be like a very subtle whistle. Try moving your tongue around as you do it, and you can clearly hear the effect your tongue has on air speed.

Good question! Chalumeau (pronounced shall-you-mow) is the lowest register of the clarinet and goes from low E to throat B-flat. You might have guessed from the name that it's French.

@@ClarinetHQ Thanks! That makes total sense now. For some reason I just didn't recognize it but it was probably my hearing.

That's great! It's a hard thing to get right away, but it's a great feeling when you finally get it, right?

Thank you! Anything silk with a weight at the end of the string and specifically made for clarinet. There are a number of good ones out there, but this is one: www.amazon.com/Hodge-Silk-Clarinet-Swab-Black/dp/B0002F4Y8W There are some good microfiber swabs out there as well, but you need to be careful. Microfiber swabs can be thicker, which makes it easier to get caught on the register tube. ProTec, Vandoren, and BG all make microfiber swabs. They are really great at absorbing moisture, probably better than silk. If you get one, just be extra certain that it's for B-flat/A clarinet and be extra careful when swabbing.

That's true. Although, there's a lot of great (and very difficult) solo and chamber music for bass clarinet (some great orchestra parts, too). Bass clarinet doesn't get a lot of love in band music though. 😢

First of all, congratulations on making region band as a freshman! You have a really great perspective. I hope other people read this. In the end, playing both probably makes you a better overall clarinetist.

Thank you!

Going from bari to soprano is tough! The soprano mouthpiece feels so tiny in comparison.

Glad it was helpful and hope your performance went well!

My opinion bass clarinet is harder Advantages of it is the closed holes and can be sat on the floor disadvantages Slightly different fingerings for low F and E and High C and B, Very Wide, Bigger Mouthpiece, harder to put high notes out but still easy, and ginormous

I usually recommend that beginning or intermediate players get a mouthpiece with a medium facing. That includes the Vandoren 5RV Lyre, the Vocalise G (G2 if you live in Europe), and the D'Addario X5. If you can, it's great to try a few to see what works best. We have a video on trying out new equipment that might be helpful: ruclips.net/video/RRduX8ocaHo/видео.html Let us know if you have any other questions!

Thank you! We had just moved and hadn't unpacked yet. That was the best we could do 😂

Thanks for sharing your experience! Some people are definitely drawn to the lower woodwind and others find that the higher woodwinds naturally fit them better. The tenor and bass embouchures are certainly similar, so your preference for bass clarinet makes sense.

Good for you for paying attention to intonation! Very frequently the culprit is your tongue position when you're consistently playing flat. Have you watched our Whistle Trick video? You may want to check out some of the videos on our High Note Hacks playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLFQufybMvJhSkn6Nucim5rhGBrEznoHkb Many of the videos focus on tongue position and embouchure, which both play a big role in intonation.

I'm glad it was helpful!

Thanks for the kind words! I've had similar experiences with Yamahas, especially at the beginning and intermediate levels. That's a great idea for a video (or maybe a series of videos)! Reeds are always a pain. Everyone seems to have a slightly different approach, but there are a lot of commonalities. Thank you for the suggestion.

Congratulations on the new instrument! I'm a big fan of the Alpha. Generally speaking, the really cheap clarinets are cheap for a reason. If you're able to afford a better quality synthetic clarinet like that Alpha, it's usually worth it. (Like you found out.)

@@ClarinetHQ Thanks!

If you're wondering where we buy our instruments, I definitely recommend a local shop so you have the opportunity to try out instruments. If you're asking what brand we play, Meredith plays on Backun Model F and Mike on Backun MoBa, which both fall under the professional clarinet category. Let us know if you have any other questions!

Thanks for the question! Meredith plays on Backun Model F and Mike on Backun MoBa, which both fall under the professional clarinet category.

@@ClarinetHQ Thanks madam

That's a good question. You're talking about doing this without the clarinet, right? If you just get a louder whistle instead of that high pitched wooosh sound, make sure that you're doing it with a clarinet embouchure (no cheek puffing, etc.). The tongue position and embouchure are equally important. You might also try doing it as just one big puff of air (2-3 seconds). When you add the clarinet, you'll be able to sustain that air speed longer since the smaller opening of the mouthpiece limits the air the can get through.

That makes perfect sense! Like you said, that's a great audible cue for anyone working on articulation. Because your tongue position is so crucial to good tone and voicing, moving anything more than the very tip of your tongue will have an impact on your sound.

@@ClarinetHQ thanks for the confirmation! I can't wait to make my students try your ideas. I will give them links to your videos, but I'll make the translation in French for them first.

That's great to hear. Thank you! We've thought about getting our videos translated. Maybe this will be the push we need.

@@ClarinetHQ that would be awesome ! The topics you cover can totally help young clarinetists. With time I learnt English, partly with videos like yours, but it would be helpful to community to make accessible to non English speaking people. If you need a French proofreader, I'd be delighted to help you with this, and I'm sure if you ask your community, you'll be surprised of all the foreigners you will find, maybe some interested in lending you a hand. It will not be easy but it will certainly be beneficial !