i borrowed a clarinet from a friend..... but i`m having a tough time playing.. even my other friends who never tried a clarinet before could produce a solid sound after a few tries, but i already tried for 3 days... different ways, and following some instructions on the internet, but i still don`t get how to play it... pls help, thanks =)

ok, umm.. two things you could check are your reed ad your embouchure. it could even be a mixture of both.

Reed: make sure it`s right on the mouthpiece, with the curved side sticking out a tiny bit... like 0.5mm... then make sure your ligature has the screws to the right of the reed, and place it far enough down the reed that it passes the shaved half. then tighten the screws...

Embouchure: make sure the reed is facing down, parallel to the thumb keys. also, your lips shouldn`t be that far into the mouthpiece.. if they`re too far, it`ll just squeek.. a simple way to see how far you should be into the mouthpiece is to blow, then keep moving closer tot he edge of the mouthpiece until you get a good sound. make sure your lips are tightened a bit around the mouthpiece.

thanks... one more question, though... i`m a trumpet player.. and after playing the clarinet i can`t properly blow my trumpet... is my trumpet embouchure affected by the clarinet or is it just my imagination?

What number reeds are you using? If harder than 1.5 you could be struggling needlessly.

Liz

lol... oh boy... hmm... yes, i`ve heard that if you`ve started on a certain instrument, starting others will ruin your embouchure forever... with clarinet and trumept, i don`t think it`s that harsh... if you want to continue both, you will need to get used to using two completely different embouchures... maybe playing both in one day would help? i don`t know.. i`m starting the bassoon and i`m afraid it might ruin my clarinet embouchure... of course i`ve heard of people that play one instrument in marching band and another in concert and they can switch back and forth easily, and we`re talking completely different instruments.

It won`t ruin your embouchure. You move your mouth into all sorts of different positions all the time- it is called TALKING.
It`s probably normal to have a bit of difficulty switching between instruments at first because you`re using your muscles in a different way, and until you get used to it they`ll get fatigued pretty easily.
Just keep trying- lots of air. I tried for days to get a sound out of my clarinet when I first started playing.

thanks, all of you for sharing your knowledge.. i`m using a vandoren #2 ... i`m from malaysia so i can`t obtain reeds that easily because there aren`t many music shops that sell them... and i have to travel rather far to get them.. but if it`s necessary to change to a 1.5 then i`ll find time to get one....

Thanks =)
-K.Y.Chiew

you should
and be VERY CAREFUL to protect your reeds, you should invest in a plastic reed case it is worth it your reeds will last for at least a month or two!

As a student of the clariet, u must realize you are not going to get a "good sound" for a long time. most sound you make should be squeeking at the beginning!!!

is that what you mean when u say you are having difficulty or are you having trouble getting sounds out.

also vandoren does not make 1.5 strength reeds-so dont try to find them- u will have to go for rico reeds for that.

But i think u will be able to make do with 2`s if u have a reasonable embechure and now how to work with your reeds.

My tips, dont put your teeth on the reed,, curl your lip up over your bottom row of teeth. I know it will hurt for a while, but his is the only correct way to play.

As a trumpet player you should be fie as far as air support is concerned. remember to breathe without moving your shoulders upwards-this takes practice, try to breathe this way even when you are not playing an instrument.

Keep your spine aligned properly, this opens up your airway very well!

Sit with both of your feet flat on the ground, in front of you, creating a 90 degree angle with your upper legs and lower.

When u put your reed on, make sure you have put it in your mouth for at least a minute this means soak it with your saliva (both ends too-and yes i know it may seem gross at first); then put the reed on before the ligature! align the reed so that it covers all of the opening on the facing of the mouthpiece, and the tip of the read ( the curved end) should not be sticking out past the end of the mouthpiece at all but there also should not be any opening of the facing of the mouthpiece showing. This mean saligned perfectly or as best as possible. This will allow you to play on your two reeds better.

I have many more tips but no time to type, so ill get back to you later. Make sure you wet your reeds! (with your saliva!)

o and always take the read off the mouthpiece before puttin ghte clarinet away-if u dont the reeeds wil l warp (meaning the compress and in a way-wrinkle-much as wet paper dried in the sun will do.
if u have any questions ever, email me
my email address is: slimshadyscott@wi.rr.com

I will always be glad to assist.

Have a good day.

Hey somepeople arn`t very good at clarinet maybe you should try another instrument i played the clarinet for three years or get some private lessons maybe
bye
Kayla

private lessons are probably out of the question for him. he just needs to be persistant and optimistic.