Hi. I play on a plastic student clarinet and I was wondering, is there anything i can do to my clarinet to help improve my sound (because i cannot afford to get a new one). How can i get a better sound?

theres not a whole lot you can do. Given your setup i would try to use reeds that are a little easier to play on, but generally plastic horns dont have much love for good sounds

i had a plastic clarinet..i just couldn't make it sound good....
go to a music store and try some that you could save for....you will here a differenece(sp) i cxan't believe we let young folk use cheepo stuff..there is no way you gona get a good sound...honestly music stores are so help ful...go have a try..and see what you can do...
you don't have to buy but you know what you are aiming for..i just changed mouth piece for a better sound and now i am looking in to reads..
if yo get a good sound from a clarinet , you are always gonna want to play...hope this helps

Well, depending on how long you have been playing there are a few options. Do you take private lssons at all? Most local music stores off them very inexpensively. They can help you achieve a better tone through embochure, finger placement over the tone holes, and holding the clarinet. All of those factors go into what sound comes out of it. To tell the truth there is a difference between a plastic clarinet and a wooden clarinet, and the different brands, but I made 2nd chair All-State on a plastic Bundy clarinet. It was the hooptie-est clarinet ever, but obviously they couldn't tell a difference that I didn't have a wooden clarinet. Change your mouthpiece and reeds first. Try a Vandoren B45 or 5RV mouthpiece. Also use a slightly softer strength reed if your sound is too fuzzy. That would probably have a lot to do with your embochure, but it wouldn't hurt by switching to a slightly softer reed.

-Dennis

well, i'm assuming that you are using a vandoren reed? well, you should buy a vandoren or selmer mouthpeice, and a strong ligature, anndddd, if you do get used to it, go to the the grand concert select reeds, well, my tutor got it for me, idk where you can buy them but im sure youll sound better

actually, i just bought a new mouthpiece (Vandoren B45) and am now using a Rovner ligature. Now, I'm sqeaking more than ever--even than when I first began on the clarinet.

Did you change your reed size? Those items are more professional in nature. You must have a good embouchure to produce the great sound they have to offer. The more professional you get in your accessories, the less amount of room there is for error in your technical abilities. Tighten up the embouchure. Keep the chin flat, and keep your head up. Don't play the clarinet like you are eating it. If you look from the side view of a great player, the clarinet looks like it should be jammed up into the roof of their mouth right behind their teeth, not like they are going to eat it. Also make sure that the ligature is right where the little lines are on the mouthpiece and make sure the screw is on the "back" of the mouthpiece, not under your chin.

i play on one too, the best thing you can do is change reeds or ligaments or mouthpiece, if you cant change instruments...

this may sound like a stupid question, but does it really matter whether a clarinet is listed as an intermediate or professional clarinet. or is there just a clarinet you can buy that you can keep and play no matter what level you're on?

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and can anyone tell me anything about yamaha clarinets (wooden)?

I play a plastic Vito, and my sound is absolutely wonderful.