i really need some advice on how to get my sound back, i havent played since i graduated high school last term... not joining some kind of band my first term in college was a really big mistake on my part, but i have only played with group bands and didn`t have any audition pieces, plus there are music majors at my college and i knew i wouldn`t make anything. i played for 9 years before i stopped. this term, i luckily was informed of a band more for people who played in high school and just enjoy playing. i actually used to be pretty good, i played 1st clarinet next to someone who is currently a music major, and we played some very nice pieces in my high school band...

the only problem is that now all i have is a box of size 4 reeds which I have been trying to practice on and regain my sound. I just picked up my clarinet(a buffet B-12, which i really was pushing for a better one before i stopped playing...) for the first time last wednesday, and i sounded awful. fingerings and everything came back to me instantly like riding a bike, but i know that i need to rebuild my embouchure, but can i do this with size 4 reeds? i have been trying to play them, and even after this short time, i sound a little better, though nowhere near where i used to be. someone told me to concentrate on lower notes first to rebuild "from the bottom up." this person is a music major, but does not play the clarinet so i was wondering if this is true or not. Am I okay with trying to rebuild on size 4`s or should i buy some lower ones?(i already ordered some more vandorin select size 4s since i was running low, and i figured id need them eventually anyway) im also experiencing rather odd things with either myself, reeds, or clarinet. it seemed last week when i first started playing again, i could hit all of the notes just fine, upper, lower, etc., it just sounded bad, and hurt my mouth just a little. now, just today i am trying to play and having difficulty playing very low notes, up to at least the A or even B and B flat. I have to struggle with it because it is trying to come out high. when i change reeds, i am experiencing the same phenomenon but to slightly different degrees, and also, it seems to be harder to play to get any sound out at all. is this because my embouchure is starting to come back so now the full brunt of attempting 4`s is hitting me? or maybe there is something wrong with my instrument? is my mouth just sore from essentially "exercising" these muscles in my jaw? this wasn`t happening when i first picked the thing up last week. so if anyone knows why this is happening, or any good exercises or scale sets i could do to build my embouchure back up, i would really appreciate it. thanks

ok, i think i bent the keys or something on my instrument notes above F(with the register key) aren`t really coming out... help

get it checked, thatd all you can really do. maybe high notes will come as you retrain your muscles. while you are at the shop, get a few 3/3.5`s. they will help you "regain" your embouchure and everything. good luck with college, im sure with practice your mad skills will return and you will be able to play in a band.

it turned out i had a leak in the upper part of the instrument my sound is definately improving already, but i still don`t sound good and im still playing my size 4 reeds haha, is this harmful to the redevelopment of those muscles on the sides of my mouth? and also, i have been to lazy to go down to the music practice room in the basement of my dorm so i have been practicing quietly in my dorm room. is my embouchure still going to come back and stuff even if im playing very softly so that barely any sound comes out?

Shan is right.. start with a 3 or a 3 1/2 and slowely regain your lip muscles then use your 4 reeds and you should be fine