Equipment Guide
My current setup:
When choosing equipment, let your ear (and/or a teacher or trusted friend's ear) be your guide, or ask your private teacher to help you (if they haven't already). Equipment is very personal; just because your favorite artist uses a certain mouthpiece/ligature/reed does not mean you will sound like them. Try out many different setups to see which one helps you get the sound you want!
We want equipment that:
However, if you need help getting started, or are not sure where to start, check out the guidelines below for recommended equipment.
- Mouthpiece: Vandoren BD5
- Ligature: Vandoren Leather or BG Duo Ligature (Gold Plated)
- Reeds: Vandoren V12, Strength 3.5+ or 4
When choosing equipment, let your ear (and/or a teacher or trusted friend's ear) be your guide, or ask your private teacher to help you (if they haven't already). Equipment is very personal; just because your favorite artist uses a certain mouthpiece/ligature/reed does not mean you will sound like them. Try out many different setups to see which one helps you get the sound you want!
We want equipment that:
- Helps us produce a beautiful, warm, focused tone with vibrant overtones
- Allows us to play at all dynamic levels with ease
- Will help us play in tune (use your tuner when trying out new instruments, mouthpieces, & barrels!)
- Makes articulation clear and easy
- Will help us achieve our personal goals in tone quality and technique.
However, if you need help getting started, or are not sure where to start, check out the guidelines below for recommended equipment.
Mouthpieces:
For a classical sound, choose a mouthpiece that gives you a focused sound, ease of articulation, warm tone, and vibrant overtones.
Recommended models:
Reeds:
You will want to pick reeds that are cut from high quality cane, which will give you the best sound possible.
My favorites are:
Reed care:
Ligatures:
Choose something that will not stifle the vibration & overtones of your reed. Low quality metal ligatures will "pinch" the reed, and poorly made leather-type ligatures stifle the overtones causing a dull sound. I tend to prefer the sound of ligatures that are similar to the Bonade - with vertical metal plates over the reed. Also, if you play both A and B-flat clarinet, consider how secure your ligature is. Some ligatures can slip easily when removing the mouthpiece, making it difficult to keep your reed in place when switching from one clarinet to another. The BG Duo ligature and Vandoren Optimum ligature are both very secure. I have rarely had issues with "slippage" using those ligatures. Anyway, these are some of my favorites, and worth trying out:
Clarinets - Models & Brands
Start beginners with an intermediate clarinet, if your budget will allow, and then switch to a professional model in high school. If you must purchase a plastic beginner clarinet, choose one of the models below for reliability and durability, then switch to a professional model in high school.
Beginner models:
Choose instruments made in the USA or France. These instruments are made from durable, quality material that sounds great and can withstand beginner wear and tear. Cheap instruments will break easily, and are inconsistently made, making replacement parts difficult to impossible for repair technicians to find. Many repair techs will refuse to repair cheaply made instruments. The instruments below are reliable student model clarinets:
Intermediate models:
(note: I would recommend purchasing a professional model over an intermediate model if you can afford it.)
Professional models:
Clarinet - Intermediate and Professional Model Buying Guide
First, if you have a private instructor, please ask them to help you pick out a new clarinet. Second, always try as many instruments side-by-side as you can. Since quality clarinets are made of wood (a natural material), every instrument is going to feel/sound slightly different.
You will need: New reeds, a tuner, paper, contrasting pieces of music (fast, slow, legato, fast articulation, etc).
For a classical sound, choose a mouthpiece that gives you a focused sound, ease of articulation, warm tone, and vibrant overtones.
Recommended models:
- Vandoren 5RV Lyre, profile 88
- Vandoren M30 Lyre
- Vandoren M13 Lyre
- Vandoren BD5
- Richard Hawkins - any model, but I prefer the S model
Reeds:
You will want to pick reeds that are cut from high quality cane, which will give you the best sound possible.
My favorites are:
- Vandoren V21
- Vandoren Traditional
- Vandoren V12
Reed care:
- Reed case (something to keep them completely flat to prevent warping)
- Airtight bag or container to keep humidity regulated
- Small humidifier to keep where you store your reed case (I only use this when the climate is very dry - winter in Chicago, for example). Replace regularly to prevent mold growth.
- For advanced students/players only: Reed knife (double hollow ground), or ReedGeek to balance out reeds. Some players will also use reed rush or 600 grit sandpaper when working on reeds.
Ligatures:
Choose something that will not stifle the vibration & overtones of your reed. Low quality metal ligatures will "pinch" the reed, and poorly made leather-type ligatures stifle the overtones causing a dull sound. I tend to prefer the sound of ligatures that are similar to the Bonade - with vertical metal plates over the reed. Also, if you play both A and B-flat clarinet, consider how secure your ligature is. Some ligatures can slip easily when removing the mouthpiece, making it difficult to keep your reed in place when switching from one clarinet to another. The BG Duo ligature and Vandoren Optimum ligature are both very secure. I have rarely had issues with "slippage" using those ligatures. Anyway, these are some of my favorites, and worth trying out:
- BG Duo ligature
- Vandoren Optimum
- Vandoren Leather
- Bonade Inverted ligature (great ligature if you're on a budget!)
Clarinets - Models & Brands
Start beginners with an intermediate clarinet, if your budget will allow, and then switch to a professional model in high school. If you must purchase a plastic beginner clarinet, choose one of the models below for reliability and durability, then switch to a professional model in high school.
Beginner models:
Choose instruments made in the USA or France. These instruments are made from durable, quality material that sounds great and can withstand beginner wear and tear. Cheap instruments will break easily, and are inconsistently made, making replacement parts difficult to impossible for repair technicians to find. Many repair techs will refuse to repair cheaply made instruments. The instruments below are reliable student model clarinets:
- Vito
- Selmer USA
- Yamaha (student models)
- Buffet (student models)
Intermediate models:
(note: I would recommend purchasing a professional model over an intermediate model if you can afford it.)
- Buffet E-11
- Buffet E-13
- Buffet E-12F
- Yamaha YCL-650 (marketed as a pro model, but in intermediate price range)
Professional models:
- Yamaha: Custom CSVR (most affordable entry level pro model clarinet)
- Buffet: R13 (most affordable of this line, and best seller!), RC, Tosca, etc. All models are great!
- Selmer Paris: Signature, Recital, Privilege, Odyssey, etc. All models are great - find the one that works best for you!
- Leblanc: No longer being manufactured, but used models can be found: Opus, Concerto, Legacy, Symphonie
Clarinet - Intermediate and Professional Model Buying Guide
First, if you have a private instructor, please ask them to help you pick out a new clarinet. Second, always try as many instruments side-by-side as you can. Since quality clarinets are made of wood (a natural material), every instrument is going to feel/sound slightly different.
You will need: New reeds, a tuner, paper, contrasting pieces of music (fast, slow, legato, fast articulation, etc).
- INTONATION TEST: Goal is within +/- 10 cents. Pick one clarinet, and play the chromatic scale from the lowest note to the highest note, slowly with full air support, while watching the tuner. Have a friend or teacher watch the tuner, too, and take note of any intonation issues.
- NOTE: Make sure pro model clarinet is warmed up first. Also, Students coming from a beginner model clarinet will find a pro model clarinet to feel very different, especially in intonation. Be sure to play with high tongue position and full air support through the entire intonation test, and take breaks when you need to. I strongly advise students to involve their private teacher in picking out a professional model clarinet for the first time.
- EVENNESS TEST: While you are playing the chromatic scale, also pay attention to which notes are too "free blowing," "stick out," sound "covered," or "fuzzy" on the instrument. Write this down to keep track and compare after trying out all clarinets. Any instrument with too many oddities in evenness would not be a wise purchase.
- Repeat steps 1-2 for all instruments. If any instrument has unusual intonation or is overly uneven sounding (some notes will be more free blowing than others), do not go on to step 4.
- FEEL TEST: Compare the instruments with the best intonation/evenness, play your favorite pieces of music, and compare the feel of each instrument. At this point, you finally have to choose the instrument that best suits your personal style, sound, and that has the feel you want.
Picking new equipment is exciting! Enjoy this guide, and if you need help or advice, please do not hesitate to ask!