Vandoren 4’s at the end of 10 years of playing. Picked it up after a couple decades of not playing and really glad I had some 2 1/2’s to get back into it. Need to wake up the muscle memory in the embouchure!
@@clarinetninjaThanks man. Never really left - just a long pause. When it’s in you, it’s in you. Once I picked it up again, I realized how much I had thought about the clarinet. It’s a beautiful thing.
I have much the same experience. I used to play 3.5 V12s and Rue Lepics. After over 15 years I'm getting more serious, partly because I now have a daughter and want to pass on my love of music and clarinet specifically. So now that I've back in it, I tried a 2 traditional and 2.5 V21. Like you, I'm using these to rebuild my embouchure muscles. I'm also taking this opportunity to fix some long-standing issues like biting. At 40, my teeth really can't take that pressure anymore. So now I'm trying to build in more upper lip support, almost double lipped. So playing soft reeds gives me flexibility to do this retraining and training. I also set aside my Pyne BN for a 4C as my daily driver to really "start over" at the top of the instrument.
You are right about the Classical sound. I use a Vandoren B45 with 2/half reed. But I'm into Jazz, swing, & Musicals in the pit where flexibility of style is required. I can get away with the Classical sound but it is hard work. Wouldn't use it in a full time Orchestra. Your videos are great. We never stop learning. Thank you for helping us to be better players.
Sounds like you have your resistance where you need it to get what you need/want for what you do. It’s always great to find the sweet spot and live there for a while. I say for a while because, for me, I find it to be somewhat of a moving target. Which is one of the reasons I have too many mouthpieces Thanks for watching and commenting! I love the community component of this:)
Thank you SO much for this video! I always thought I couldn't get better than mediocre at clarinet playing, but I can see that with a 2.5 reed it IS harder to get those higher notes, and especially to achieve dynamics. I'm gonna try a range of reed strengths and see what I can get. I guess not having a teacher doesn't help (the last time I was taught clarinet was back in high school 35 years ago!).
Hi Robyn! I am glad that this video was helpful to you! I started (as of yesterday) a group called the Clarinet Ninja Dojo. It is for people in your exact situation. It's all about getting adults who love the clarinet to where they want to be. It is starting small but strong. Feel free to reach out at TheClarinetNinja@gmail.com if you want to know more about it :)
Just found your channel and subbed. I used to play the Clarinet in elementary and middle school before I was separated from my clarinet. I'm now in the process of finally getting another many years later and your videos have helped fan the flame to get back into playing the Clarinet. I ever so loved it, and am looking forward to getting back into it. Your videos are most helpful and I appreciate all the tips and advice. I'll be getting a number 2 reed to ease myself back into playing. Hopefully I can re-learn quickly... its been over 15 years lol.
Thanks! That’s wonderful to hear:) I am trying very hard to put something useful into the world. I will keep trying. Best wishes on your renewed journey! Please let me know if there is a topic or product I can make a video about that will be helpful to you!
@@clarinetninja I completely forgot how to read music and play given how many years it's been since I've played. I did buy some books (waiting on them to arrive) to go through the beginner experience again. I figure it's best just to step back to ground 0 and start fresh. I suppose anything you view that would be helpful for someone trying to relearn how to play. I've watched most of your videos now and they are all extremely informative and very helpful. What would you recommend for a beginner book? As I ordered Essential Elements Band with EEi: Comprehensive Band Method: B Flat Clarinet Book 1 and Rubank Elementary Method Clarinet (Rubank Educational Library, 34). Would these suffice or should I look into some other beginners book?
@@Revan225 those are great books. I learned from Rubank as a kid and use it to this day. It does a great job building upon each skill lesson by lesson. Essential elements is more positioned towards a band experience and does the same thing building skills but with more modern and plentiful “songs” rather than the steady diet of exercises that Rubank uses.
@@clarinetninja I do have one more question. It's more or less just asking your opinion. I managed to purchase an old Buffet Evette Clarinet (should be arriving late next week or just after). It has fresh cork, fresh pads, all keys work and plays normally (at least according to the seller), the wood is in perfect condition with no cracks or repaired cracks and even has a good sheen to the wood. It looks very clean with no wear on the logo and the keys still have a good but clearly faded luster. It reminded me of my old Clarinet which I was forced to part with years ago which was a buffet as I remember their logo on it. To make a long story short-ish (sorry for rambling), what are your thoughts on the Buffet Evettes? This one is the model made in France. May of the other Evettes were Labeled Evette sponsored by Buffet but this one is stamped with Evette Paris Made by Buffet. I was wondering if you had any knowledge of these or how they compare to their modern counterparts? Forgive me for an obscure question. I am sadly overly excited for this Clarinet to arrive. I am in my 30s and its making me feel young with excitement to re-learn.
@@Revan225 I don't have any direct experience with these clarinets. I know Buffet clarinets well,. I got my first Buffet in the 1980's sometime and have pretty much been playing them ever since. I did switch for a couple years but went back. The most important things are that 1) it's in good repair - it sounds like it will be but it is always worth checking with a repair tech 2) have a good mouthpiece to start on - I made a video about. this, I would imagine you already know that :) The clarinet you are getting should serve you well!:)
Once you have a decently developed embouchure, the choice of reed strength is dependent on the overall resistance that the clarinet and mouthpiece create, and of course the sound the player wants and their physical characteristics. There are concert players who use relatively soft reeds and jazz players who use a fairly concert-type set up with relatively hard reeds. There are even a few jazz players who use an extremely open mouthpiece and a medium to medium-hard reed, though a long lay on such a mouthpiece tends to moderate the resistance somewhat (probably at the expense of requiring more work to control the pitch). So, if this is meant to address intermediate and advanced players as well as beginners, I think it would be useful to get into the rest of the resistance equation more, which might require a longer video, however.
I agree entirely. It is difficult to retain viewers with a long video with a great deal of "if this then that" kind of information as it is all very personal. Thats one of the big challenges putting information out into the world via youtube
@@AJ_Rio 9 years; I used 3 1/2 for a while but orchestra demands kept pushing. Now I play 5's for orchestra, but it was a long road, and definitely my mouthpiece had a lot to do with it; I couldn't play even 4's on a B40 for example, and get the same colors. I currently play Vandoren BD5, still the same reeds, though I go to the 56 Rue Lepics for lower strengths; I think they're more balanced on the BD5 than the other cuts.
@@AJ_Rio there are plenty of players way better than me who play 3's for solo/chamber and 3 1/2 for orchestra, or just low reed strengths, and there are others who play 5's completely, like Stephen Williamson, principal of Chicago. However, most orchestral players play from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2, some play 5, some play 3, but those are rare exceptions. The number you play doesn't matter as long as it allows you to get the colors you want as comfortably and accurately as possible, as Clarinet Ninja pointed out.
I don't have any direct experience with the Albert system so I am hesitant to just repeat things I have read online. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the Greek clarinet tradition and have nothing of consequence to add there :(
I feel like I’ve been experiencing a strange trend with my reeds recently. (For context, I play on a BD5 mouthpiece.) for a while, I played on stronger reeds, 3.5+ V12 to be exact and was fine with it. Then I attended a masterclass and the teacher told me, “you sound very good, but my goodness you embouchure is holding you back.” He then took a photo of me playing and let’s just say it was strawberry chin bad haha. I’ve been fixing and now my chin is significantly better, however I felt like the reeds I’ve been playing on were now too hard, and I been going down an downward spiral and now my 3.5 Rue Lepic reeds feel stuffy (out of the 8 I’ve opened so far, 6 felt stuffy and caused an airy tone) and im considering purchasing a strength 3 Rue Lepic box, which is approximately a 2.75 traditional reed. Is this normal, or do you think there’s another factor coming into play here?
Whenever we make a change there is a ripple effect on other parts of our playing. I wouldn’t think too much of it. Experiment with things and find out what works and then be ready for more changes as things evolve. It’s all a moving target:)
Also! If you’re working on an embouchure change you’re using ur muscles in ways that you haven’t before; it takes time for build strength for a new embouchure as you are aware so switching to something softer would be reasonable.
Many thanks for this video and channel. As a long time clarinet player I find your tips to be very useful and informative. The "incredible" Martin Frost must be the player you are referring to who uses a number 5 reed. Right? His tone, articulation, circular breathing, artistry and overall mastery of the instrument is almost beyond belief. I don't know how he does what he does either! 🎵🕶🎵
Frost plays V12 4's on a BD series mouthpiece, before that he played Kanter mouthpieces, though which model is unknown. This is according to his Facebook posts, though.
I recently switched up to 3’s form using 2 for a year and 2.5 for a year at this point using a 2.5 is almost to low and it’s harder to get a nice sound and it gets kazzoo(e) my teacher advised me to move to 3’s vut there harder to play on should I just keep adjusting to 3’s?
When we switch to a more resistant reed, any unbalance in the reed creates more of a challenge. The result is a fuzzy reed that is hard to play - and moving to a harder reed becomes annoying. If your teacher says to stick with the 3's I think that is a good idea. Make sure the back of the reed is flat and that they are balanced on the right and left sides. Getting to this strength reed is when we have to learn how to adjust them because the small differences have a huge impact.
Thank you for this video! Can I ask you a question? Over the years I have known two players (one was 17 and the other 20) who played 4 and sounded fantastic. They played with such ease in sound and in their faces. (Both used the same brand model mouthpiece I was using too) and the most amazing thing was their sound. The Forte they played was as loud as 2 players combined. I want my sound to be audible from behind 40 string players or not be buried under the mighty brass section (except when all we play is high trills). I use 3 to 3 1/2 depending on the reed brands, but I consider my sound to be small. If moving up on the strength of the reed will help me play bigger sound, then what can I do to be able to play with thick 3.5 or 4 without the struggle of tone production? I've done long tones and that helped me with endurance, but not for the thicker reed. Will I need to gain more muscles around my mouth? Or will air solve the issue? Or should I not worry at all about the size of the sound but the quality?
There is a lot here to respond to....I will try and get it :) Overall - you will only be able to make the sound that is in your ear. There have been lots of times that I have heard other players and admired a part of their sound, but never could make myself sound like that. Can equipment limit us from getting that sound? Yes, it can. At the same time, the same equipment played by different people has wildly different results. I don't think there are muscles in your embouchure that need to be stronger. I think that it could be that your natural voicing, based on your oral cavity, tongue, etc probably doesn't work with a #4 reed on that mouthpiece. Having a big relaxed breath will always make it better. I don't know if any of these musings help - but I can tell you, that if it feels like you have to "force" anything out - then it's not the right thing for you. Let me know if there is more I didn't address well enough - I could go on about this stuff for days!
@@clarinetninja thank you! I never really thought about it... You sound like what's in your head theory. And it's true about our body structure differences. Thank you for your response. Please keep posting more videos. One more thing. If the sound stops or the reed touches the mouthpiece when playing forte, that means I should move up to a thicker reed, I'm assuming? My embouchure stays the same, no biting involved, but with some reeds, I cannot produce a big sound because the reed touches the mouthpiece. Am I sanding the top or the reed too much?
I have started every student that age on a 2. I have been doing it that way for 30 years or so. Depending on the kiddo be open to moving to a 2.5 pretty quick if they develop an affinity for the instrument
Vandoren 4’s at the end of 10 years of playing. Picked it up after a couple decades of not playing and really glad I had some 2 1/2’s to get back into it.
Need to wake up the muscle memory in the embouchure!
Glad to have you back in the clarinet community!
@@clarinetninjaThanks man. Never really left - just a long pause. When it’s in you, it’s in you. Once I picked it up again, I realized how much I had thought about the clarinet.
It’s a beautiful thing.
Man U are insane clarinetninja
@@masimiand thanks? maybe...
I have much the same experience. I used to play 3.5 V12s and Rue Lepics. After over 15 years I'm getting more serious, partly because I now have a daughter and want to pass on my love of music and clarinet specifically. So now that I've back in it, I tried a 2 traditional and 2.5 V21. Like you, I'm using these to rebuild my embouchure muscles. I'm also taking this opportunity to fix some long-standing issues like biting. At 40, my teeth really can't take that pressure anymore. So now I'm trying to build in more upper lip support, almost double lipped. So playing soft reeds gives me flexibility to do this retraining and training.
I also set aside my Pyne BN for a 4C as my daily driver to really "start over" at the top of the instrument.
You are right about the Classical sound. I use a Vandoren B45 with 2/half reed. But I'm into Jazz, swing, & Musicals in the pit where flexibility of style is required. I can get away with the Classical sound but it is hard work. Wouldn't use it in a full time Orchestra. Your videos are great. We never stop learning. Thank you for helping us to be better players.
Sounds like you have your resistance where you need it to get what you need/want for what you do. It’s always great to find the sweet spot and live there for a while.
I say for a while because, for me, I find it to be somewhat of a moving target. Which is one of the reasons I have too many mouthpieces
Thanks for watching and commenting! I love the community component of this:)
Thank you SO much for this video! I always thought I couldn't get better than mediocre at clarinet playing, but I can see that with a 2.5 reed it IS harder to get those higher notes, and especially to achieve dynamics.
I'm gonna try a range of reed strengths and see what I can get.
I guess not having a teacher doesn't help (the last time I was taught clarinet was back in high school 35 years ago!).
Hi Robyn! I am glad that this video was helpful to you! I started (as of yesterday) a group called the Clarinet Ninja Dojo. It is for people in your exact situation. It's all about getting adults who love the clarinet to where they want to be. It is starting small but strong. Feel free to reach out at TheClarinetNinja@gmail.com if you want to know more about it :)
Just found your channel and subbed. I used to play the Clarinet in elementary and middle school before I was separated from my clarinet. I'm now in the process of finally getting another many years later and your videos have helped fan the flame to get back into playing the Clarinet. I ever so loved it, and am looking forward to getting back into it. Your videos are most helpful and I appreciate all the tips and advice. I'll be getting a number 2 reed to ease myself back into playing. Hopefully I can re-learn quickly... its been over 15 years lol.
Thanks! That’s wonderful to hear:) I am trying very hard to put something useful into the world. I will keep trying. Best wishes on your renewed journey! Please let me know if there is a topic or product I can make a video about that will be helpful to you!
@@clarinetninja I completely forgot how to read music and play given how many years it's been since I've played. I did buy some books (waiting on them to arrive) to go through the beginner experience again. I figure it's best just to step back to ground 0 and start fresh. I suppose anything you view that would be helpful for someone trying to relearn how to play. I've watched most of your videos now and they are all extremely informative and very helpful.
What would you recommend for a beginner book? As I ordered Essential Elements Band with EEi: Comprehensive Band Method: B Flat Clarinet Book 1 and Rubank Elementary Method Clarinet (Rubank Educational Library, 34). Would these suffice or should I look into some other beginners book?
@@Revan225 those are great books. I learned from Rubank as a kid and use it to this day. It does a great job building upon each skill lesson by lesson. Essential elements is more positioned towards a band experience and does the same thing building skills but with more modern and plentiful “songs” rather than the steady diet of exercises that Rubank uses.
@@clarinetninja I do have one more question. It's more or less just asking your opinion. I managed to purchase an old Buffet Evette Clarinet (should be arriving late next week or just after). It has fresh cork, fresh pads, all keys work and plays normally (at least according to the seller), the wood is in perfect condition with no cracks or repaired cracks and even has a good sheen to the wood. It looks very clean with no wear on the logo and the keys still have a good but clearly faded luster. It reminded me of my old Clarinet which I was forced to part with years ago which was a buffet as I remember their logo on it.
To make a long story short-ish (sorry for rambling), what are your thoughts on the Buffet Evettes? This one is the model made in France. May of the other Evettes were Labeled Evette sponsored by Buffet but this one is stamped with Evette Paris Made by Buffet. I was wondering if you had any knowledge of these or how they compare to their modern counterparts? Forgive me for an obscure question. I am sadly overly excited for this Clarinet to arrive. I am in my 30s and its making me feel young with excitement to re-learn.
@@Revan225 I don't have any direct experience with these clarinets. I know Buffet clarinets well,. I got my first Buffet in the 1980's sometime and have pretty much been playing them ever since. I did switch for a couple years but went back. The most important things are that 1) it's in good repair - it sounds like it will be but it is always worth checking with a repair tech 2) have a good mouthpiece to start on - I made a video about. this, I would imagine you already know that :) The clarinet you are getting should serve you well!:)
4 sounds beautiful for me 😮
You make all of them sound great!!
I'm now on 2 1/2 + B45
Thank you:)
@@clarinetninja Κανείς μαθήματα μέσω σκάιπ κάνετε μαθήματα μπορείς να με κανείς add. Vasilpetrop
Once you have a decently developed embouchure, the choice of reed strength is dependent on the overall resistance that the clarinet and mouthpiece create, and of course the sound the player wants and their physical characteristics. There are concert players who use relatively soft reeds and jazz players who use a fairly concert-type set up with relatively hard reeds. There are even a few jazz players who use an extremely open mouthpiece and a medium to medium-hard reed, though a long lay on such a mouthpiece tends to moderate the resistance somewhat (probably at the expense of requiring more work to control the pitch). So, if this is meant to address intermediate and advanced players as well as beginners, I think it would be useful to get into the rest of the resistance equation more, which might require a longer video, however.
I agree entirely. It is difficult to retain viewers with a long video with a great deal of "if this then that" kind of information as it is all very personal. Thats one of the big challenges putting information out into the world via youtube
I love vandoren blue box traditional reeds!!!!!!!
I’ve been playing for 2 years and play on a 3 1/2 Strength
I use 4 for solo/chamber and 4½-5 for orchestra.
wow that's actually very impressive! how long have u been playing?
@@AJ_Rio 9 years; I used 3 1/2 for a while but orchestra demands kept pushing. Now I play 5's for orchestra, but it was a long road, and definitely my mouthpiece had a lot to do with it; I couldn't play even 4's on a B40 for example, and get the same colors. I currently play Vandoren BD5, still the same reeds, though I go to the 56 Rue Lepics for lower strengths; I think they're more balanced on the BD5 than the other cuts.
@@AJ_Rio there are plenty of players way better than me who play 3's for solo/chamber and 3 1/2 for orchestra, or just low reed strengths, and there are others who play 5's completely, like Stephen Williamson, principal of Chicago. However, most orchestral players play from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2, some play 5, some play 3, but those are rare exceptions. The number you play doesn't matter as long as it allows you to get the colors you want as comfortably and accurately as possible, as Clarinet Ninja pointed out.
im in middle school rn and i use m30 with 4.0 reed
Have you ever explained the difference between the Greek traditional clarinet vs the western or classic clarinet
Albert vs frence system
Thanks
I don't have any direct experience with the Albert system so I am hesitant to just repeat things I have read online. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the Greek clarinet tradition and have nothing of consequence to add there :(
I feel like I’ve been experiencing a strange trend with my reeds recently. (For context, I play on a BD5 mouthpiece.) for a while, I played on stronger reeds, 3.5+ V12 to be exact and was fine with it. Then I attended a masterclass and the teacher told me, “you sound very good, but my goodness you embouchure is holding you back.” He then took a photo of me playing and let’s just say it was strawberry chin bad haha. I’ve been fixing and now my chin is significantly better, however I felt like the reeds I’ve been playing on were now too hard, and I been going down an downward spiral and now my 3.5 Rue Lepic reeds feel stuffy (out of the 8 I’ve opened so far, 6 felt stuffy and caused an airy tone) and im considering purchasing a strength 3 Rue Lepic box, which is approximately a 2.75 traditional reed. Is this normal, or do you think there’s another factor coming into play here?
Whenever we make a change there is a ripple effect on other parts of our playing. I wouldn’t think too much of it. Experiment with things and find out what works and then be ready for more changes as things evolve. It’s all a moving target:)
Also! If you’re working on an embouchure change you’re using ur muscles in ways that you haven’t before; it takes time for build strength for a new embouchure as you are aware so switching to something softer would be reasonable.
Many thanks for this video and channel. As a long time clarinet player I find your tips to be very useful and informative.
The "incredible" Martin Frost must be the player you are referring to who uses a number 5 reed. Right?
His tone, articulation, circular breathing, artistry and overall mastery of the instrument is almost beyond belief.
I don't know how he does what he does either! 🎵🕶🎵
I was thinking of somebody I actually know in real life that plays #5 reeds….Martin frost makes everything sound so easy. He is amazing
Frost plays V12 4's on a BD series mouthpiece, before that he played Kanter mouthpieces, though which model is unknown. This is according to his Facebook posts, though.
Martin is truly incredible. @@clarinetninja
I recently switched up to 3’s form using 2 for a year and 2.5 for a year at this point using a 2.5 is almost to low and it’s harder to get a nice sound and it gets kazzoo(e) my teacher advised me to move to 3’s vut there harder to play on should I just keep adjusting to 3’s?
When we switch to a more resistant reed, any unbalance in the reed creates more of a challenge. The result is a fuzzy reed that is hard to play - and moving to a harder reed becomes annoying. If your teacher says to stick with the 3's I think that is a good idea. Make sure the back of the reed is flat and that they are balanced on the right and left sides. Getting to this strength reed is when we have to learn how to adjust them because the small differences have a huge impact.
@@clarinetninja thank you so much!💙
Thank you for this video! Can I ask you a question?
Over the years I have known two players (one was 17 and the other 20) who played 4 and sounded fantastic. They played with such ease in sound and in their faces. (Both used the same brand model mouthpiece I was using too) and the most amazing thing was their sound. The Forte they played was as loud as 2 players combined. I want my sound to be audible from behind 40 string players or not be buried under the mighty brass section (except when all we play is high trills). I use 3 to 3 1/2 depending on the reed brands, but I consider my sound to be small. If moving up on the strength of the reed will help me play bigger sound, then what can I do to be able to play with thick 3.5 or 4 without the struggle of tone production? I've done long tones and that helped me with endurance, but not for the thicker reed. Will I need to gain more muscles around my mouth? Or will air solve the issue? Or should I not worry at all about the size of the sound but the quality?
There is a lot here to respond to....I will try and get it :) Overall - you will only be able to make the sound that is in your ear. There have been lots of times that I have heard other players and admired a part of their sound, but never could make myself sound like that.
Can equipment limit us from getting that sound? Yes, it can. At the same time, the same equipment played by different people has wildly different results. I don't think there are muscles in your embouchure that need to be stronger. I think that it could be that your natural voicing, based on your oral cavity, tongue, etc probably doesn't work with a #4 reed on that mouthpiece.
Having a big relaxed breath will always make it better. I don't know if any of these musings help - but I can tell you, that if it feels like you have to "force" anything out - then it's not the right thing for you.
Let me know if there is more I didn't address well enough - I could go on about this stuff for days!
@@clarinetninja thank you! I never really thought about it... You sound like what's in your head theory. And it's true about our body structure differences.
Thank you for your response. Please keep posting more videos.
One more thing. If the sound stops or the reed touches the mouthpiece when playing forte, that means I should move up to a thicker reed, I'm assuming? My embouchure stays the same, no biting involved, but with some reeds, I cannot produce a big sound because the reed touches the mouthpiece. Am I sanding the top or the reed too much?
Me starting with a five reed. 💀
That’s a crazy staring place!:)
how in the world did you make a 2 sound somewhat in tune without tuning😱😱
What do you suggest getting for a 12 year old learning Clarinet for the first time? 2 or 2.5 reed? Really appreciate your advice in advance.
I have started every student that age on a 2. I have been doing it that way for 30 years or so. Depending on the kiddo be open to moving to a 2.5 pretty quick if they develop an affinity for the instrument
@@clarinetninja sounds good. Thank you so much!
Your videos are plentyful but i don't like them, they aren't very clear, and you mumble a lot..im not a fan 😞
I think you should not spend any more time watching my videos. Best wishes