The decision to throw away a reed can be a difficult one. Generally, a reed is considered to be ‘worn out’ when it stops performing well. If you are a beginner, however, it may be unclear whether a sudden decrease in performance is due to the reed. So, my goal for this article is to…
I think every saxophonist and clarinetist at some point has grappled with the question of whether they should be using harder or softer reeds. So, is it just better to use harder reeds? Harder reeds are not better than softer reeds. It is worth using a harder reed if you wish to be louder, or…
It can be a bit of a bizarre experience the first time that one of your reeds (or several) begins to turn black. So, what’s going on? Reeds turn black due to mold. Reeds tend to grow moldy when they are not allowed to dry out properly. This can be prevented by allowing reeds to…
If you’re a reed musician, you’ve probably heard of plastic reeds and considered them as a possible alternative to cane reeds. I’ve certainly dealt with my own fair share of frustration with cane reeds, and that led me to try a wide variety of plastic reeds hoping to get greater consistency than I did with…
Clarinets come in various shapes and sizes, and the term “clarinet” encompasses instruments which play in the soprano register to those that play in the bass register. If you’re here to figure out how many types of clarinet exist and what those types are, then you’re in the right place. The types of clarinets that…
It isn’t immediately obvious what materials the clarinet is made out of. The black color of the instrument is darker than most woods, and not typical of plastics. Nonetheless, wood and plastic are the most common materials for clarinets to be made of. In short: Typically, high-quality clarinets are made out of wood, while lower-quality…
You may have heard that most clarinets that you see are “Bb clarinets.” If you don’t have much of a background in wind instruments, this can be confusing at first. What does it mean for clarinets to be in the key of Bb, and why are they created this way? The Bb clarinet is a…
Squeaks are, without a doubt, one of the most frustrating and confusing issues that can occur in woodwind instruments. Not only are they loud, but they can occur spontaneously and may be particularly difficult to diagnose. As squeaks can be particularly common on the clarinet, my goal is to help clarinetists overcome this particular difficulty….
To the person who isn’t experienced with woodwind instruments, the clarinet and the saxophone can seem like they might as well be the same instrument. My goal is to clarify the differences between them, discuss the unique difficulties of both of the instruments, and help the potential beginner gain a better idea of which one…
If you’re thinking about picking up a woodwind instrument, you are probably wondering which one will be the easiest for you to learn. Or, perhaps you just want to see if you have the right to brag to your Rival Section about the fact that your instrument is more challenging. As someone who is both…
