I really like the Hurlstone pieces and the Finzi Bagatelles. It goes without saying the mozart is lovely! I'm really glad to be learning clarinet. There is some lovely music out there.

I know this subject ended a while ago but I HAVE to recommend to you that you consider this wonderful new *invention* (well, development really), "Superpads" - created by Eddie Ashton at his repair workshop "Woodwind & Co" in Cadishead, Manchester. They are fantastic and I got my Bb completely re-padded by him (and serviced at the same time - he discovered a big crack on the top joint when he took the key-work off and repaired it for no extra cost!)

This website :http://musicalchairs.info/superpads.htm tells you all about them and has conatct info. I got my Bb done for £195 and they last *forever* because they're synthetic (well, he says forever..I think he said the first ones he did were on a bassoon about 25 years ago and he's had no complaints from the ower yet)

Hope this is useful to anyone considering re-padding pad-related problems.. lol. I know it's in Manchester and not everyone would be able to get there but it's a great investment and I 'spose you could post you clari there (if you can bear to be parted from it! )


Caroline x

Hmm.... The B keys for right site huh... Well, you could try and check ur instrument is the key functioning well or u will have to press harder to work the sound out... hah... same as my clarinet!! LOLZ

Yes please, that would be great. I'm planning on just doing the middle joint first as that one's wobbly (materials arrived today, yay!) but if it works I might do the other joints as well soon.

Oops, I'd forgotten Scaramouche asked me for this as well a few days ago. Thanks for reminding me!



Edit: I've now sent it over to both of you, hope you find it helpful.

Those are beautiful pieces, some of them I know and some of them I will find! I really worry, though, that I won't ever be able to play to that standard Hearing what I play now and listening to other people play it just feels really impossible. At least I don't squeak as often now

Let's keep this thread alive. Hehe.

I am quite like Johann Stamitz's clarinet concerto. His son Carl is more famous but I think the father is better. Bernhard Crussel is very good too. But of course I'm only talking about listening to others playing these pieces. There is no way I can play even a bar. I just did my Grade 5 last week and am bracing myself for an outright failure!

The flute has a much wider repertoire because it's older. But personally, I like the rich tone of the clarinet. It's not so airy and sounds fuller. But I know this is a matter of choice of course. My Mum doesn't like the sound of the clarinet but then she plays a weird-looking instrument called the pipa which has been played, and I'm not joking here, since the time of Christ! Parts of it are made from the horn of an ox and you wear fake fingernails made of tortoise shell to play it! I know all this is personal preference but to me, there is nothing sweeter than the sound of the clarinet.

Hey, Does anyone have any tips on playing softly on the clarinet, I find it sounds really loud especially on the high notes.

Don't over-relax your breathing technique (watch the diaphragm in particular). Don't over-relax the embouchure either, your tone'll go otherwise. Pick a note like a clarion C, play it fairly loudly, then (keeping the diaphragm set just as if you were playing loudly), gently slow down the airflow that goes through your clarinet. If you do this correctly, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Dunno if it is just me being really odd...but I love alternative fingerings. I like all the trill keys down the side and I always vary which way I play a note if I can... is that just me?

Laura-music, I think you are pretty unusual. Alternative keys confuse me. For me, there is a standard key and it's only when it's difficult that I use the alternative keys. B after the throat A to me must always be played with the left finger. C that follows must be played with the right finger. I've tried alternating the fingerings just for fun and I get myself into quite a knot.

It's a good thing, if at all possible, to be ambidextrous little finger wise when playing the clarinet. Do try to be comfortable with both fingerings for clarion B/C/C#, for example.

I've been practising this since I first posted and although it's getting fractionally easier, I'm not sure I'm doing it right. I'm keeping my little finger straight which means it's at an angle and pointing under the C key. If I try and bend it instead, it feels really awkward and my other fingers come off the 2nd and 3rd keys. But I'm not sure if this is a bad habit I've got into. Does anyone else keep their little finger straight?

I don't see how you can bend it without other fingers coming off holes.

So you keep yours straight? My teacher bends it, but I wasn't sure if keeping it straight was equally acceptable, or whether it would hold me back at higher speeds cos it's almost tucked under the C key....

Out of interest skylark, whereabouts is your right thumb positioned? This may well have a bearing on the positioning of your right hand in general.

It's under the thumbrest - but now you mention it, I'm wondering if it might be better if the thumbrest was re-positioned slightly higher up. But it's difficult to tell, and once you've done, it's too late if it's still not right....


Edit: I've just realised you probably meant was it positioned at the joint or at the fingertip end - Duh!!! It's positioned round about the base of the nail.

My thumbrest is waaaaaaaaaay too low - makes playing the instrument terribly uncomfortable

You could invest in an adjustable one, then where it was placed when you attached it wouldn't need to be so worrisome.

I've never given thumbrests any thought before... I didn't know you could get adjustable ones I'll have to investigate....

Good advice from 2007's most useful poster. Do check all aspects of your right thumb position, your hand should be in a comfortable position when you play, and a good thumb position is highly desirable in order to achieve a comfortable position.

Thanks both of you



I've had a look on Myatt's web site and they vary in price considerably:

• BUFFET B12, adjustable, £13.00

• TON KOOIMAN ETUDE, designed for students and children, adapts to the anatomy of hand and thumb, opens the hand more, relaxes hand and lessens strain, £18.49

• MYATT, fully adjustable clarinet thumbrest, adjusts vertically and horizontally, £19.51

• SELMER adjustable, £48.00

• TON KOOIMAN MAESTRO, a universal adjustable thumbrest which is movable in all directions to achieve maximum comfort and relaxation (fitting extra), £150.00

There's no pictures of any of them - are some better than others??? And is it an impossible question to ask if they would fit into the existing holes on my clarinet if I was to take off the existing thumbrest myself? (Sorry about all the questions )

Skyers, reminds me tomorrow to look in the "clarinet is easy" (yeah right it is) book, which is where I first read about adjustable thumbrests and thought "ooh how interesting!"

Oh that would be great if you would

I've just found this one on the Just Flutes web site but I've no idea how it's fitted

Or this one from Woodwind and Brass, which looks more like a thumbscrew than a thumbrest





you and me both, kid

I've been trying the RH B key with my thumb above the thumbrest just to see what it might be like and I think it will definitely be better. So it's just a matter of which one is best to get and whether I can fit it myself

Look forward to seeing what the article has to say as well Sarah

That's good to hear. I'm not sure you'll need the £150 thumbrest, all the others on your list are definite possibilities. If you're worried about fitting the thumbrest yourself, you could get someone else (clarinet teacher, repairer etc.) to do it for you.

I'm veering towards the Kooiman Etude. It looks as if it should be universal without any drilling as there appears to be a bit of "play" in the size of the holes, so I think I'll give it a go. I'll give Dawkes a ring and see what they say and I'll let you know how I get on! Thanks for the advice

Look forward to hearing how you get on skylark.

I'd have trouble with my sling if I used one of those.

Ok a few answers from my experience after having new adjustable thumbrests added to both my Bb and A a few . B12 - actually that's almost the 1 I went for - be cautious I've heard a rumour that some of the screws holding the adjustable part are plastic not metal and not as strong as you might desire.

The Etude didn't suit my hand I have a callous on my thumb that the rest pressed onto, plus at the time I had a tumour under the base of my thumb that limited the movement such that I couldn't comfortably hold the instrument.

I have no info on the Myatt one.

The Selmer if it is the one I think it is requires a screwdriver to change the height once it has been fitted. It also requires a 3rd hole to mount it as it has a little post that goes into the body of the instrument.

The Maestro is a major investment that to be honest I didn't consider as I didn't have the cash for 1 let alone 2.

All of them required new holes to be drilled as they were either wider apart or needed a different height to my existing rests.

The one that was described as looking like a thumbscrew if it is the one I think it is has a really small plate for the rest so the weight would be pressing onto a little part of your thumb (think of the damage stillettos do to a wood floor).

Hope this is of some help

Can I ask if the tumour was related to too much clarinet playing? I have a swollen thumb too.

I asked the consultant who operated on it that question. He claimed it was 'just one of those things'. It was a completely benign growth in the vein that was a relatively simple operation to remove. Other than a scar now and some limited mobility really not a problem

Thanks for all the suggestions everybody and for letting me know your experiences CJB. The best option seemed to be the Etude, so I've now ordered it and there's a chance it might arrive tomorrow. I'll try fitting it myself first, but if it needs any drilling, I'll take it in to one of our local music shops. I'm not sure how I'll get on with it, I expect it will take a bit of getting used to but it's got to be worth a try if it makes it less awkward to get the RH B. I'll let you know how I get on.

Barry, sbhoa, I'll be meeting up with you at either MH or WG and you can have a go with it if you like. Are you going Sarah?

Sarah, you know the book you mentioned? Is it a tutor book or a book about the clarinet or what - I don't think I've come across it but I like the sound of it if it's called "clarinet is easy"



BeamishBoy, this thread was all about swollen thumbs

It's sort of a tutor book, but is basically "how to play the clarinet" rather than "here are some tunes and some fingerings". I can't actually find the blessed thing now... Look here! I found it useful, as did the friend I loaned it to. BUT... I haven't really stuck with it and don't practise enough to say "yes, it's really good, it taught me to be good", cos I'm not. The page about it should help - think it's come up in conversation on the boards a couple of times too.

I like the sound of what he's said about the Etude - I'm sure it's going to be good for me.

The other books in the series look good as well, and he lists my local music shop as being a stockist so I'll have a look at them next time I go in, thanks

Look forward to hearing how you get on skylark (and, perhaps, seeing you use your new thumbrest in September )



Aaah, it's one of the little Dr. Downing books. The first aid series I think are excellent, and I agree with a lot of the info in the two clarinet technique doctors. I've not read 'Playing the Clarinet is Easy'. I do agree that there isn't a perfect tutor book on the market, but I'm not sure I totally agree with his comment 'All tutor books suffer from the same faults', I think the things that could be improved vary from book to book.

The way to teach the clarinet from the beginning : think that's a whole new topic in itself....

I just wonder if his approach is so good then why aren't most teachers using it?

*feels a very long post coming on...*

It may well be that some aspects of what the author of this book says will work for some players. Indeed, some aspects will be very effective for some clarinettists. I can't believe you can use everything that's in that book for every clarinet player though. We are all different, and learn in different ways. When I look at a pupil, I am always, always thinking 'what will work best for them?', and then I plan/teach accordingly, and that'll usually mean I'll use a selection of books/ideas/methods, which'll vary from one person to another.

The content of tutor books is something I feel very strongly about, and I have said before that I don't think any book is perfect (though there's some good books out there, and I do like some sections of the Dr. Downing books, particularly the First Aid Doctors).

Something I'd love to do (long term project though), is devise and write my own tutor book...

Calling mwl1.... Calling mwl1.... Come in mwl1 !!!


I wondered what reeds you were getting for your new clarinet?

So did I

I take it you haven't got a teacher yet to recommend what to get?

If not, most people start with 1.5. I use Rico Royal but other people prefer Vandoren. Vandoren are generally reckoned to be better quality than Rico but I find them quite difficult to use. A Vandoren 1.5 will be slightly harder than Rico Royal 1.5.

All reeds are slightly different - in a pack of 10, they will all perform slightly differently. You need to break them in when you get them - soak them for 30 secs in tepid water and don't play them for very long at any one time. Build them up from about 10 minutes at first. And rotate them so that you always have a broken-in one ready if one becomes unusable.

(Hope this advice is OK, hopefully someone more experienced will correct it if it's not)




PS. You probably already know to take the clarinet apart and wipe it through after every time you use it, and always remove the reed and wipe it as well. I once played with somebody who had *never* removed the reed and it was welded to the mouthpiece. It turns my stomach every time I think about it!

Goodness, is that possible! He would've had to change his reed some time.

Sometimes I play in the morning and leave everything on. I play a little in the afternoon and later. When I try to dismantle (is that the right word?) the clarinet, it's pretty difficult. It's a bit tight around the barrel. Nowadays i dismantle the clarinet if I'm not going to use it for a few hours at a stretch.

I really must get my clarinet playing back up! Really need to work on the upper register including the lower altissimo register...it's just painful on the ears. Do the high notes such as F + just need a first embouchure?

I have seem that too - someone I played in a band with only played his sax about once a week but never ever ever cleaned it. After being in the band about 8 months he broke his reed and when he took off his ligature the reed was firmly stuck to the mouthpiece and he had to prise it off!!!!!! The result was a mouldy looking mouthpiece and a greeny coloured reed!

How can people do that? The thought of something like that being in your mouth...

Well I got the Etude but it turned out not to be suitable for me unfortunately. The thumb "hook" which is supposed to sit on your thumb and distribute the weight of the clarinet was quite high up, so my thumb which is quite small was nowhere near touching it, and even if it had been lower down, I think it would have been much too big for my thumb and would have allowed my thumb to slip around. Although the mount is adjustable on the casing, the thumb hook itself isn't adjustable, so not suitable in the end unfortunately and the shop is taking it back.

So I rang a local clarinet shop about positioning the existing thumbrest higher up, and they can do that quite easily by drilling another couple of holes, but they have to fill in the existing holes. So no going back once it's done To try and test whether lifting the thumbrest will solve the problem, as an interim measure I've taken the existing thumbrest off and put it back upside down - but that's *too* high then, so I've padded it with some blutack, finished it off with some cork, and I think that's given me about the right height. I'm going to see if I can get used to it now, and whether I can reach the alternative B key any easier. I think it will work... it probably feels only as awkward now as the RH F#/C# key felt when I first started using that, and I don't find that too bad now so hopefully the alternative B key will be the same after a while....

Look - my influence, encouraging people to play the clarinet is still there even when I'm not regularly posting!!!!



Good advice there skylark. Though I prefer Vandorens!




Thanks for keeping all of us updated skylark. Hopefully you'll find a permanent solution very soon - all the best in finding one.

Wonder where I got it from....

Just wondering if there a particular piece of music that for whatever reason you just never seem to be able to play or play badly?

For me, it's Lutoslawski's Dance Preludes. I just can't get the rhythm and I end up all over the place

What is everybody elses idea of playing ######?

Is it the third one that bothers you most (all the acciaccaturas and suchlike?). That's a piece where slow practising will, I think, help you a lot.

Do persevere with them, they're fun to play when you've got the technicalities sorted out.

OK, this is to revive the Clarinet thread. The oboe thread has gone on to the 30th page!

I did my Grade 5 clarinet exam late last month. The results should be out soon. If I pass, I'm thinking of switching to Trinity Guildhall because otherwise I'll have to take the theory exam if I'm going on with the ABRSM system. I hate to do a written paper. Here in the Far East, we have exams and tests in school all the time. The thought of taking another sit-down paper is a bit too much for me.

There's a lot of talk among my friends that it's easier to pass the Trinity Guildhall exam than the ABRSM one. Any truth in that?

No, no, no, no, no, no and no. Did I mention no?