Whenever I play my clarinet i get a weird raspy, dragging noise along with the note. How can I get the clean and clear notes that pros do?

Reeds too hard? Leak in embochure? When did it start, are you a beginner, what do you use hardware wise?

Started january of last year (Playing) noise has always been that way. Use a 2ish reed and flimsy metal ligature.

erm... by any chance do you mean a hissing... like a hissing at the back of each note... (you also get that noise when u blow into your clarinet but don`t make noise) b/c i`ve always had that, and i`ve always thought it was normal... if you REALLY mean a raspy noise... then iunno.. haha...

Yeah...that`st a better way to put it...hissing

Yeah...that`st a better way to put it...hissing

Not sure exactly how to advise you correcting it, but I`ve never noticed that noise when getting a good sound out. It shouldcome out pretty crisp and clear. Of course, this all depends on teh volume of the note, your skill level, and where the note falls on teh instrument`s range. I remember having that back in my early days, so if you`re a beginner- don`t worry, it goes away with practice and time.

The hissing could be caused by any of a hundred different things. If your instrument has a leak in it somewhere, that`s one possible cause. It might be worth having your clarinet checked out by a good repairman. If the reed is too hard, you`ll get that fuzzy sound. If the reed is too soft, you might get it too. If your mouthpiece is too closed, you`ll get that. What reed/mouthpiece/ligature are you using (brand, strength, model)?

Finally, the harder one to fix: support. This will be a constant battle with clarinet for as long as you play it. If you`re not pushing enough air through the horn, or if you`re breathing in the wrong way, the sound will be weak and fuzzy. Here`s a couple things I like to have people do to start them breathing right.

1. Breathe in normally, breathe out normally. Then, without breathing in, start playing. Keep playing for as long as you possibly can. Push. Push more. You`ll start to feel your diaphragm (right below the stomach) really pushing on your lungs. That muscle there is what you should use for all breathing.

2. Now that you know where the muscle is, give it a little excercise. Breathe out for 4 seconds, breathe in for 4 seconds, and play for 12 seconds. Make sure you`re completely out of breath after 12 seconds. You might have to push pretty hard to do that. Then, try it again, but play only for 8 seconds. You`ll have to push harder to be completely out of air by 8 seconds. Then, do it in just 4 seconds.

3. Also, they`re boring, but playing long tones will help give you more air control. Hope this helps. Good luck.