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reeds
This section is going to provide some resources for caring for your reeds! This is probably one of the most important things you can do to build good playing habits. Commercial reeds, which are reeds you buy from the store (think Vandoren, D'Addario, etc) aren't always the same. There are things you can do to your reeds to help improve them - see below for resources!
What reed is right for me?
Let's start first with choosing a reed. Everyone has their preferences - I personally play on a Size 3.5 Vandoren V21. When I was in school, I tried several different reeds and brands, and even since I've graduated I've done the same (and somehow continued to come back to the V21!).
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Here are a couple articles from Vandoren Artist Jenny Macaly about reeds, and choosing the right reed for you:
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The Complete Guide to Clarinet Reeds
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To paraphrase Jenny, finding the right reed is a lot like finding the right pair of jeans. You'll need to try several brands, different cuts and sizes to see what fits right for you, and the same is true for reeds. Most mouthpiece manufacturers also have guides on their website, such as this one from Vandoren. This is a great starting point for those looking to shake up their equipment.
Reed storage and rotation
Another way to get the most out of your reeds is proper storage and rotation. Rotating your reeds allows each reed to recover after use, and lessens the typical wear and tear on each reed, extending their life. With proper rotation, reeds should last between 2-4 weeks.
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Along with rotating, your needs should be stored somewhere where they can evenly dry out, so you'll typically look for some type of reed case that has grooves in it. The band programs I teach in typically recommend this one, but I'd also recommend throwing that in a sandwich baggie or better yet an airtight tupperware container with a 49% Boveda Pack. Using a reed case also promotes better rotation as well, since they're numbered and all together it's easy to just go to the next one.
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Now - there are two steps up from this. You can either use the other D'Addario Reed Case, which holds 8 reeds and has a slot for the Size 8 Boveda Pack I linked earlier, or, you can use my preferred one, which is Brad Behn's Pocket 6 Reed Case. The Pocket 6 is easy for travel & concert storage (I toss mine in my suit jacket pocket before going on stage). I also have the Premium 20, which works well for me but might be a bit much for students in band. However, the Clarinet Lite (holds 10) may be a great in-between.
Breaking in your reeds
Breaking in your reeds is another way to extend the life of your reeds. There are several ways to do this, but this is the way that I do it:
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Day 1: Write that day's date on the stock of the reed.
Day 1-7: Soak reed in a cup of water for 5 seconds
Day 8: Soak reed in water for 5 seconds, play reed for 30 seconds
Day 9: Soak reed in water for 5 seconds, play for 1 minute
Day 10: Soak reed in water for 5 seconds, play for 3 minutes
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After this, these reeds join my rotation. I'll play them for about 45 minutes at a time, then switch to the next one. Now, just because this method works for me, doesn't mean it'll work for you. Do what works best! Below are some videos of other people's systems.
Reed Work
Even after you find the right reeds, break them in and start to rotate them, you'll notice that not all reeds within any given pack are necessarily the same. You'll find some that run harder, and some that run softer. For those that run harder, don't just throw them away, there is some work you can do on these reeds to make the most out of each pack.
Many of my students have seen me use my ReedGeek. This handy tool is great for quick adjustments on the vamp & for flattening the back of the reed. Using my ReedGeek is a regular habit of mine, especially when the weather is all over the place and my reeds warp like crazy. Click the ReedGeek Logo to see videos about how to actually use the ReedGeek to see if this is for you!
I saw this video recently and just knew I needed to share it with you all. As my students know, I work on reeds frequently, typically with my ReedGeek, but this is another way to work on reeds and gives plenty of in depth information as to where on the reed you should work.
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To get the tools used in this video, you can either purchase them from the Earspasm website, you go to your local hardware store and purchase both 600 grit wet and dry sandpaper, and 800+ grit wet and dry sandpaper. I bought 1000 grit from Harbor Freight, since that's what they had available and spent about $15.00 on the two, but I reckon it'll last me a year or so.
Equipment
Let's bust one myth now; there is no such thing as a magic piece of equipment, whether it be a mouthpiece, ligature, etc. that will make any player better on their instrument. However - equipment can (and does) enhance certain characteristics of one's playing.
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Choosing equipment is a personal choice - as you search to upgrade your equipment you are investing in your playing. You want to make sure that first and foremost that whatever piece of equipment you're trying feels comfortable to you. If it feels comfortable, then you can start evaluating other criteria (which I'll detail below as we talk about each piece of equipment). That being said; you will need to try any piece of equipment you can prior to buying to help ensure that this piece of equipment will work for you.
Starter clarinets
mr. Camilo's setup
As a beginner, you won't have the skills to go around and try clarinets and know exactly what you're looking for. Below are models that I would recommend for beginners. These two models will get a student through their time in band, though higher achievers may want to, and those wanting to pursue music as a career will need to, upgrade at some point.
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The two clarinets I am going to list are both intermediate clarinets. While there are "student model" clarinets, they often have really clunky key work, issues with tuning (which makes it hard to sound good while playing with other people), both of which result in stunting of a student's growth past the first few months.
Buffet E12F / Buffet E11
The Buffet E11 / E12-F (essentially the same clarinet) is Buffet Crampon's primary intermediate model clarinet. This clarinet, made of Grenadilla wood, is a durable clarinet that creates a nice, balanced sound. These instruments, in my experience, tend to blow pretty easy and play relatively in tune (this can vary by instrument to instrument, though if it is a big deal most rental places will swap). ​
Yamaha ycl-450
The Yamaha YCL-450 is another popular intermediate model clarinet. Again, like the E11/E12-F, this clarinet is made of Grenadilla wood. The keywork on the YCL-450 is quite comfortable, I find their ergonomic shape does promote good hand position, particularly in the left hand of the instrument. These instruments are quite consistent, and very comfortable to play from an air perspective as well.
Between the two instruments, I feel both would be a great fit for a student if they have a choice. I would encourage students to talk with their band director about their preferences prior to making a choice.
Mouthpieces
After you get your rental instrument, the next step is a mouthpiece! Now - all clarinets do come with a mouthpiece...However, the ones that boast the same brand as the instrument (called stock mouthpieces) are more...placeholders in the case.
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Now, many of you may be wondering why is a mouthpiece important? Why shouldn't I use the one in the case?
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This is an incredible question. My answer has two parts:
1. They aren't nearly as well built as your instrument.
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2. Your mouthpiece, aside from the instrument itself, is the single most important piece of equipment to your sound.
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This is a great, short, article regarding mouthpieces: https://betterclarinets.com/your-mouthpiece-and-you-an-overview/
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In my opinion, the mouthpiece is the most personal choice we get as clarinetists, and thankfully there are plenty of choices out there. My recommendation for those looking to buy a new mouthpiece is to try as many as you can before you buy. Some music stores, such as TB Winds, will let you try mouthpieces in store, while others will let you try via mail order trial. (However - do your research before because some music stores will not let you try before you buy!!)
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I currently play on a Vandoren M15 P88 Mouthpiece. However, just because I play on it and like it, doesn't mean you will! Since the mouthpiece list is the longest I'm going to have, I've incuded a Google Docs link. Click here to view the list.
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​If Mouthpieces are the cake, I'd say ligatures are like the icing on the cake. They don't make a huge difference in terms of your sound, but they do make a meaningful one. Ligatures can impact the general color of your sound, and in my experience the most meaningful impact is actually with articulation.
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In general, you're probably looking for a quality metal ligature. No, not that $3.00 one that comes with your clarinet's stock mouthpiece. Like the mouthpiece, that ligature will make your life harder.
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A lot of band students default to the Rovner Dark Ligature. This ligature is durable and inexpensive, but in my eyes, that's about it. I find fabric ligatures to choke the sound, as the fabric seems to dampen the reed's vibrations. It'll definitely do the job; but I find that quality metal ligatures do the job better. Rovner does also make some higher quality ligatures though, such as the Rovner Versa or the Rovner Platinum. The Versa has a metal plate that comes with it which allows for the reed to vibrate more, and the platinum is straight up a metal ligature. I played the Versa in high school and enjoyed it; I have not personally tried the platinum.
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Now, in terms of ligatures that I'd recommend... There's three that I've played on a very much enjoyed through my career. First, the cheapest one, would be a Silver Bonade Inverted Ligature. At the time I'm writing this, it runs for about $35. It's simple, has minimal contact with the reed, and sounds great. The second, which is a step up with very similar idea, is the Silver Vandoren M|O. This is the ligature I currently play on. Like the Bonade, it has minimal contact and silver plating, but what I like about this the most is the single screw mechanism. It does wonders for even tightening on the reed, and is more stable on the mouthpiece. At the time I'm writing this it runs for about $72. It also comes in other materials, but my personal favorite is the Silver. Many people also enjoy the Gold or Rose Gold, both fine options as well. The last one that I've played on is the Silver Vandoren Optimum. Running at $106 at the time of this article, this ligature presents the most versatility of the three. Again, has a single screw mechanism, silver plating and minimal contact with the reed. However; it comes with multiple removable plates, so you're actually able to change where the ligature makes contact with the reed.
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There are some other ligatures out there that many professionals enjoy, though they come with a much higher price tag. The ones I hear the most about are Silverstein, Ishimori and Bay ligatures. If you have the opportunity to try these, do it! Though, I would classify these three as a "nice to have" rather than a "need". I personally haven't sat down to try these, but as I explore my next round of a equipment, these'll be on my list to try.
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ligatures
Step Up clarinets
Okay - I know these are a little out of order. In terms of instrument upgrades, this is the last thing I would personally do, so it's the last thing I'm listing. It is by far the most expensive, however, it will have the most impact on your sound.
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These instruments are typically branded as "Professional Clarinets". Technically, this isn't wrong. Many professionals do play on this level of craftsmanship. However, I'm being intentional in my verbiage of step up clarinets. These clarinets have several tiers within them, but all of which feature a significantly higher level of craftsmanship built to elevate one's musicmaking experience. They feature better tone, intonation, keywork, and resonance in comparison to the two "Starter Clarinets" I named earlier.
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There are several brands of clarinets that are all quality. Buffet Crampon, Yamaha, Henri Selmer Paris, Backun, etc. Of these, Buffet Crampon is widely considered the gold standard of the industry. However - just because it's the gold standard of the industry, doesn't mean you'll sound the best on them.
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There are so many fantastic clarinetists in the world, and even among them you don't see them all playing the same brand. You've got Anthony McGill, the Principal Clarinet of the NY Philharmonic playing Backun, Carey Bell, Principal of the San Francisco Symphony playing Yamaha, Stephen Williamson, Principal of the Chicago Symphony playing Selmer, and Mark Nuccio of the Houston Symphony playing Buffet. I mention all of these wonderful musicians really just to emphasize my earlier point that there is no such thing as a "one size fits all" piece of equipment.
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Below, I'm only going to list the most basic of each brand's "Professional Model" clarinet. This is the only category where I won't go into much detail about each specific instrument; this is a choice I'd like to be as unbiased on as possible for my students. I will however, link to Michael Lowenstern's (aka Earspasm) website, as he has brutally honest reviews that I don't feel much bias coming from, just pure honesty. My students can ask me for my honest take after they've tried different clarinets and developed their own opinions, because at the end of the day the only three questions are I care about are "How do you sound?" "Does it play in tune?" and "How do you like this instrument?".
Click on each instrument to learn more.
