I've had my clarinet for two and a half months now and I'm still not sure about drying it out and cleaning the mouthpiece.

I've got a sort of cotton/woolly mop thing and a pull-through cotton cloth but I've ordered a silk pull-through as I've had a couple of near misses with the cotton one getting stuck.

When I finish playing, I take off the reed, squeeze out the wetness with my fingers and store it in its little plastic sleeve. I dry the mouthpiece with the mop and the rest with the pull-through and leave it on its stand because it seems it will finish drying out better there (and I'm not very good at disassembling and reassembling it yet).

Should I be putting my clarinet back in its case every time? How do I know when to use cork grease? And should I use something else to dry out the mouthpiece?

Sorry for all these questions but I'm an absolute beginner. Thank you to anyone who can help.

Well done on taking up such a good instrument!

I think you'll find that you will play your clarinet a lot more if you don't put it away every time. It doesn't need to always go back in it's case, especially as you have a stand to keep it safe. Just make sure that it doesn't get too dusty or gets trodden on!

The best way to clean out a clarinet, in my opinion, is to take off the mouthpiece and then use a silk pull through and drop the weighted end in to the bottom of the clarinet as there is less moisture in the bell. Have a little look inside and if it doesn't look dry enough, have another go. Make sure you ensure there are no knots in the pull through as they can get stuck in the instrument (although it's not that common). Once you are happy that the main body is dry, it can be a good idea to check the joints are dry and take away any excess water that may be resting there.

The pull through can be used to dry out the mouthpiece but if possible try not to pull the whole of the cloth through as mouthpieces need to be treated quite carefully...

As for cork grease, this meant to help ease the joints of the clarinet together when you put it together. If it's a new instrument, it's probably a good idea to put a little on the tenon corks every time you assemble it. Although try not to put too much on at each application otherwise everything can get a bit sticky. It is also a good idea to wipe off the old grease once you've finished playing too.

Hope this helps...

Laura

Thanks, Laura, that helps a lot.

I already totally love my clarinet, even though it's a cheapie student one. I'm just learning my first clarion notes and I have to say the result is ... interesting! I hope that eventually it will be musical.

I'm glad I don't need to put it away every time I use it. My teacher assembles his easily while he's talking to me but I have to focus and fiddle with it at the moment.

I'm going to feel bad, but there are aspects of caring for your clarinet where I'm going to disagree with Laura here...

When you've finished playing for any length of time, I'd put your clari back in its case, that way it won't get bashed, and you won't run the risk of the clarinet becoming stuck together.

I would also get your woolly thing, and chuck it away. Woolly things leave fibres inside your clari, and redistribute the moisture inside your clari rather than getting rid of it. Laura's on the money recommending a pull-through to clean out your clari.

I would grease the joints at least before each playing.

Check for gunk inside the holes of your clarinet periodically, and clean out as and when it needs it.

Also, check if any of your screws are coming out from time to time. If they are, gently screw them back in, ensuring you're not jamming any of the mechanism up as you do it (finger tight will be plenty), and if any screws keep working loose, dab a small bit of clear nail varnish on the screw head.

Have fun clarinetting!

Hello,
I agree with Laura that you are far more likely to play it if it's left out and that will allow air to circulate around it properly but I am going to suggest that you get into the habit of putting it away overnight. This will let you get used to handling it and assembling it in no time and will also give you a chance to inspect the joints for moisture. The moisture is likely to gather in the joints and you need to make sure that the corks are kept dry to prevent damage to them. The moisture will become less of a problem as you become more proficient as a player but it does depend on how long you have been playing for and the conditions you are playing in (don't forget that most of the moisture will be condensation, so there will be more of it when the instrument is cold, for example). Also, as far as cork grease goes, I use the lipstick style, which is very easy to use. My advice would be to use it sparingly and add more if you need to, rather than using lots all at once. If the joints are very stiff, you can apply a thin layer to the uncorked parts too (ie the bell and barrel). The more you practise putting your instrument together, the more comfortable you will be - I can carry on a conversation (often holding the reed in my mouth at the same time!) and assemble or dry my clarinet without even thinking about it! It will just become second nature after a while and you will know exactly when to use your cork grease!

Erm, having just read Barry-Clari's post, I agree with him too - is he ever wrong?!! Probably not a good idea to leave the instrument damp for any significant length of time, though I would say it's fine to grab a drink, take a quick break etc. and leave the instrument on its stand for 10 mins or so. If you are just starting out, you will probably find that you get a give away 'gurgle' from your throat notes, when it's time to dry it off anyway!

I agree with Barry - whilst my poor plastic clari stayed together and on a stand between lessons it's joints did get a bit stiff and it did tumble over (all by itself....the wind must have caught it......no Mum I wasn't near it) a few times.

Seriously once you get used to it assembling becomes 2nd nature.

If you are worried that it is still damp in the case just leave the case open for a bit. Clarinets on stands do have a tendancy to get knocked over!

The main thing with cork grease is to only use a little at a time and if the joint seems stiff when you start to put it together grease it. New cork needs greasing most times you assemble the instrument, older cork only needs occaisional greasing.

I have to agree about putting the clarinet away every time. You don't know what might happen to it if it's left out, even if it is on a stand. And I also agree about using the cork grease sparingly. I've had more than one pupil whose bottom half of the clarinet has fallen off in lessons due to being very eager to grease their clarinet joints!

Thanks for all the help, everyone!

I'll start putting it away in its case at bedtime, whether or not I do during the day. I worry that I'm putting it in its case wrongly - I'll ask my teacher to check that on Wednesday.

I'll bin the mop! Or at least, not use it on my clarinet. And I'll grease the joints when I put it together - but not too much!

I hope my silk pull through comes soon. I'm not sure how to use it to dry the mouthpiece - do I just poke it in? Do I need to dry the reed on anything?

Thank for being so patient with a newbie.

Be careful you don't scrape the tip of the mouthpiece if you use the large pull through to clean out your mouthpiece. You can get smaller mouthpiece swabs. If you're careful though, the large pull-through will be fine. Periodically, give your mouthpiece a clean out with tepid water. Not hot water, unless you like funny coloured mouthpieces...

Hello again!

To answer your reed question - yes, definitely wipe the reed dry! Basically, don't leave anything damp in a closed case - that includes accessories and reeds as well as the instrument. I wipe my reed dry and store the one which has been used most recently actually with the mouthpiece - I don't tighten the ligature but just replace it loosely and replace the mouthpiece cap. Others may disagree but I feel that more air can circulate round it here than inside the plastic case which they are supplied in. You can buy a 'proper' reed case and I have one on my wish list at the mo!

I also prefer a cotton swab and I bung these through the washing machine fairly regularly too! I use this to (carefully) dry my mouthpiece - dab it with a corner if you're nervous but you should be able to drop the weight in through the corked end of the mouthpiece and pull it down just far enough to dry it out, then pull it back out carefully the same way as it went in - never try to pull it all the way through!

I don't like mouthpiece swabs or pad savers as I feel that they are just breeding grounds for germs and agree with Barry that tepid water is probably all that's required now and again. I have read that it's safe to use a very mild solution of Fairy liquid if you really want to but don't quote me on that! Also, be extremely careful not to get the cork wet!

Lastly, ask your teacher to check but I think if you weren't putting your clarinet in its case properly, you would have difficulty in closing it. Needless to say, never try to force it shut, just in case something is trapped!

May I add to what's gone before that I generally take my clarinet apart to swab it out.
It can be quite wet aroung the joint s and you won't really get this while it's assembled.

A little tip which we came to by trial and error (after twice getting the cloth stuck so badly that it had to be taken to Dawkes for extraction!): use gravity to help your pull through. When you've put the weight down the clarinet, always invert the clarinet and pull the cloth upwards. That way, gravity helps ensure the cloth stays long, rather than bunching up as it does if you pull down or along.

Since it's been done this way, BerkshireSon has had no problems with the cloth getting stuck.

Thanks again, all of you!

Taking it apart to dry it sounds like a good idea, so I can check the joints get dried.

I'll stick with the full size pullthrough to clean the mouthpiece, because most of the smaller swabs I've found are those mop things, but I'll be gentle with it. Washing the mouthpiece sounds like a good plan, I'll just have to be very careful of the cork.

I think I've got a better idea of what I should be doing now!

Oh, and thanks clarijo for the tip about the case closing. It closes easily so I think I'm just being over anxious. This is all so new to me and I don't want to get into bad habits now when it's the easiest time to form good ones.

And BerkshireMum, I've been doing the exact opposite of that and now you've said it it seems so obvious! Thank you.

May I add my tuppence worth please?

Silk does a very good job of re-distributing moisture around the inside of the bore, but as it's not very absorbent it isn't, in my experience, the best fabric for drying. Cotton or microfibre do a much better job of removing moisture.
The other problem with silk is that if you accidentally put it in the wash with biological detergent, it gets eaten!

I'm glad you're enjoying your playing, fairyhedgehog.

j

I have a blue cotton pull-through thingy, and that works more than adequately.

Thanks, jazzycat.

Luckily, my new pull through arrived today and it is microfibre. I thought I'd gone for a silk one but it turns out I was wrong. It's very absorbent and easier to pull through than my cotton one. I think I'm sorted for now!

Sounds perfect fairyhedgehog.

Hope you've found all the advice useful

I have! Thank you all so much.