this is gonna sound stupid but, how do i oil my clarinet? Ive got a Buffet E-11. ive got the bore oil, im not sure if i drip some on the instrument or i put it on a swab or cloth or what. please help me.

If you want to put boro oil in you clarinet what i recommend you do is to buy a swab that has a metal handle and just put some of the oil of the swab and just run it as if you were cleaning your clarinet. Don`t do it to often unless you are getting water in the clarient holes if you are you need to do it more frequently. Do it about every 2 weeks or so. You can also put some of the bore oil in the screws of the clarinet it works very good.

If you want to put bore oil in you clarinet what i recommend you do is to buy a swab that has a metal handle and just put some of the oil of the swab and just run it as if you were cleaning your clarinet. Don`t do it to often unless you are getting water in the clariett holes if you are you need to do it more frequently. Do it about every 2 weeks or so. You can also put some of the bore oil in the screws of the clarinet it works very good.

What ClarinetPro said is some what right but there are many precations you need to take. Also, I would doubt you need to oil your clarinet every 2 weeks. Go to this website, it is very helpful http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/HandyHints/oilingbore.htm

the website referred by Melissa gives a very good description of oiling a clarinet. However, when oiling the bore, you should also put a absorbent sheet or other material under all key pads to prevent the oil from touching and damaging the pad.

I guess this sounds kind of stupid but english isn`t my native language: Excactly which part of the instrument is the "bore"?

Bore is the hollow part of the wooden (grenadilla) body of the clarinet from the barrel to the bell.

The bore is "the internal cylindrical cavity" of the instrument. So in other words, it`s the inside of the clarinet.

You do not need to bore oil a new clarinet. The wood has alot of the natural hydration..so you don`t need to. As for older clarinets, once a year..preferably winter. Otherwise, if you continue to play, the water from your playing actually keeps the wood fairly hydrated. My clarinet teacher, who plays for the Symphony says that he keeps his spit rags in the case. However, did you know that bore oil can actually change the tone of your instrument? If you put too much, the water amount you put into it, (the wood you`ve worked to personalize) will change. It can be harmful. Bore oil is a vastly opinional subject among lots of professional clarinetist...i say do it in strict moderation, or the clarinet`s personality can be changed.

I`m not a very experienced clarinetist and have never really gotten any instructions on how to keep my clarinet "fit". Right now I`m playing a Noblet clarinet I bought second hand that hadn`t been used for quite a while. I`ve been thinking about buying a new clarinet because this one`s actually not very good. Is it possible that I can improve it by oiling it? My guess is it hasn`t been oiled for many years... I`ve never done it anyway.

Have you tried looking to see if the clarinet needs oiling? I oiled a noblet at the store I work in, and it didn`t really improve the clarinet`s sound, but it did make the wood humid. What I mean by change the sound, is only when you over oil the instrument, it changes YOUR sound in the clarinet. it`s weird, but it does. Noblet clarinets I have never liked. They are crap in my opinion. The Normandys are the same. They aren`t real great clarinets...to me they are only Basic Professionals. Try oiling the clarinet.(Inside only) or call your nearest Music and Arts Center and they could give you great info...that is if you live in the states. (www.MusicArts.com)

by the way how many years have you played clarinet? how old is the clarinet

I`ve played for 6 years but I was only eleven when I started out and since my folks don`t know anything about music It`s not until now I`ve started to think about how to take care of my clarinet. I guess I`ve had it for about two years now and when I bought it I was told it was almost ten years old so I guess it`s somewhere around 10-12 years by now.

The reason I`m not satisfied with it is because it`s hard to play. Especially in the high register, the low register is actually really good. Also the sound is not very good in the higher register, it`s a "hard" sound, it`s not round but more sharp.

Btw how do I know if I need to oil it? And no I don`t live in the US, I live in Sweden.

The most common way to tell if you need to oil it is if it looks "dusty" when you look on the inside.

Actually, you know when to bore oil your clarinet when it gets dry and not smooth. Kind of granular. Sometimes it gets brown. My clarinet is thirty years old. I bore oil it once or twice a year. Check around the tenons of the instrument and sample to see if the bore oil soaks fast. If it does, then obviously, it needs SOME oil. Don`t oil the outside of the instrument unless IT IS NECESSARY.. make sure the pads are covered. did you know that some clarinetists dont` use it at all?
Noblets are somewhat resistant. What kind of head gear do you use (mouthpiece, reed, ligature.) that has alot to do with it. What is the model?