Mr. Mayo’s Resources

Starting Off External Videos

 

Considerations For Those Looking to Play The Clarinet

  • The clarinet is known as the violin of the wind band.  Many bands have numerous students on this instrument.  Because of this, it can be quite competitive when it comes to scholarships and auditions.  However, depending on the region you live in, there can be numerous positions available at honor bands, which can make it less competitive.

  • There is the constant expense of reeds with the instrument. 

  • The clarinet has a lot of keys and can be complicated to play. 

  • The clarinet requires the tongue to be arched to be played. 

  • Students with small fingers often have difficulty covering all of the holes on the instrument.  This usually gets better as the student grows. 

  • The instrument is usually easy to get the first sounds on.  However, as you learn more notes, it can get quite challenging quickly and takes a great deal of patience.  This instrument can be quite a challenge to play at a high level.

  • There is a high expectation for this instrument, as a bad tone clarinet can break the band.

  • Ultimately, students who work hard, practice consistently, and are driven to better themselves will likely have the greatest success no matter the instrument.

Considerations When Buying A Clarinet

  • Most students start on a Bb Clarinet.

  • Beginner – Most beginner clarinets are made of plastic and have nickel plated keys.  It is mostly machine made.  Less attention to detail, especially when making the tone holes, can often cause the instrument to struggle to play in tune.

  • Intermediate – Most intermediate clarinets are made of composite wood or wood.  The keys most often are nickel played or silver plated.  Honestly, most students find them easier to play than the beginner model.

  • Professional – Professional clarinets are made of wood or a wood and carbon fiber composite.  The wood/carbon fiber composite is difficult to crack.  The keys are most often silver or gold plated.  The instrument is mostly handmade. 

  • Simply put, as you progress from beginner to intermediate to advanced, the instruments are made of higher quality materials, progress from primarily being machine made to handmade, slightly larger bore size (tubing), better tuning from note to note, and better resonance.  Beginning instruments are built more to get a basic sound and stand through durability so that a musician can learn to take care of it.  Intermediate and advanced clarinets are more focused on the sound of the instrument.

  • If you do not know what these differences are or know if they would be valuable to you, consult a professional. I am not claiming to be a professional, but you could contact me as well. A simple google search can also inform you of the basics.

  • Be sure to never leave a wooden clarinet in the elements, as wood bassoons can crack.  A plastic clarinet is recommended for marching band.

The Eb Clarinet

  • The Eb Clarinet is a higher pitched member of the clarinet family.  It is a transposing instrument in the key of Eb, sounding a third above written C.

  • This clarinet in solo literature, orchestra music, and mostly upper level band music.

  • The Eb clarinet tends to emphasize and poor fundamentals that a player has on the traditional clarinet.

The Alto Clarinet

  • The Alto Clarinet is a member of the clarinet family.  It is a transposing instrument in the key of Eb.  It bridges the link between the Bb clarinet and the bass clarinet.

  • It is used primarily in chamber music and some band literature, although it is not as common to see it written for in modern music.

 

The Bass Clarinet

  • The bass clarinet is a member of the clarinet family that sounds an active lower than the standard Bb clarinet.  It is pitched in the key of Bb. 

  • It is widely performed in chamber music, orchestra, and wind band music. 

Other Clarinets

  • The contrabass and contra-alto clarinets are the lowest two standard instruments in the clarinet family.  The contrabass is performed two octaves below the standard Bb clarinet while the Contra-alto is performed one octave below the alto clarinet.

  • The instruments are used sometimes within chamber, orchestra, and wind band music.

  • Throughout history, other clarinets have included the D Clarinet, the A Clarinet, the Ab Clarinet, the G Clarinet, the basset horn, and other varieties.  These are less common in modern times. 

Reeds and Ligatures

  • Reeds are pieces of cane that are attached to the instrument by using a device known as a ligature. 

  • When air is blown across the reed, it vibrates creating the sound.  This is the entire tone production of the instrument.  

  • Quality of reeds is of the absolute most importance.  Generally speaking, you get what you pay for.

  • Students have to learn to take care of reeds to minimize the cost. 

  • Synthetic Reeds – Recently, manufactures have begun to make synthetic reeds.  While these reeds usually do not have the same tone quality, they often provide greater projection and are more durable.  They tend to work better for marching band.

  • Ligatures – Ligatures can be made of metal, cloth, string, leather, and other materials.  They are important, as they resonate along with the reed.  Screws on ligatures are sometimes made to be on the same side as the reed and other times on the opposite side of the reed.

  • Ligatures are made to be right-handed, so remember that the screws will always go to the right.

  • Most students will begin on a 2.5 hardness reed and move to a 3 as they develop proper air support.  On occasion, a player will move to a 3.5.

  • There is a common misconception that as one gets better at the instrument, one will begin to play on harder reeds.  This is not true.  There are some professional players that play on softer reeds.  Also, temperature, humidity, the use of the reed, and the age of the reed can have a factor on the stiffness of the reed.  In addition, one hardness for one reed maker is not the same hardness for another.  No two reeds are the same even with the same reed maker.  There are too many factors to try to use reeds as a comparison of difficulty. 

Recommended Reed Brands

  • Rico – Recommended for Beginners

  • Vandoren

  • D’Addario

  • Legere - Synthetic

Recommended Ligature Brands

  • Vandoren

  • Rovner

  • Silverstein

Recommended Mouthpieces

  • Vandoren B45

  • Vandoren CM1405

  • Vandoren M13

  • Behn Overture – Great for Beginners.  The other mouthpiece Behn makes are great as well.

  • Fobes Debut - Great for Beginners.  The other mouthpiece Behn makes are great as well.

Recommended Brands of Instrument

  • Vito – Good for Beginners

  • Buffet

  • Yamaha

  • Le’Blanc

  • Backun

Recommended Listening

  • Martin Fröst

  • Sharon Kam

  • Julian Bliss

  • Sabine Meyer

  • Shirly Brill

  • Emma Johnson

  • Anthony McGill

  • Charles Neidich

  • Harold Wright

  • Thea King

  • Richard Stoltzman

  • Georgina Dobrée

  • Karl Leister

  • Pauline Juler

  • Pamela Weston

 

Some Recommended Method/Technique/Etude/Collection Books

  • Rubank Elementary Method for Clarinet

  • The Rubank  Intermediate Method for Clarinet

  • The Rubank Advanced Method for Clarinet

  • Voxman – Concert and Contest colection

  • Voxman – Selected Studies

  • Klosé – Celebrated Method

  • Hite – Artistic Studies

  • Baermann – Foundation Studies

  • Baermann – Complete Method for Clarinet

  • Hite - Melodies and Progressive Studies

  • Rose – 32 Etudes and 40 Studies

  • Langenus – Method for Clarinet

  • Lazarus – Method for Clarinet

 

Clarinet Literature/Books

  • Weston - Clarinet Virtuosi of the Past 

  • Hoeprich – The Clatinet

  • Rice – The Baroque Clarinet

  • Rice – The Clarinet in the Classical Period

  • Rendall – The Clarinet

  • Klug – The Clarinet Doctor

  • Brymer – Clarinet

  • Pino – Clarinet and Clarinet Playing

  • Weisberg – The Art of Wind Playing

 

Some Solo Literature

  • Mozart – Concerto

  • Copland - Concerto

  • Brahms – Sontas

  • Debussy – Remiere Rhapsodie

  • Finzi - Concerto

  • Hindemith – Sonata

  • Poulenc – Sonata

  • Williams – Six Studies in English Folksongs

  • Neilsen – Concerto

  • Stravinsky – Three Pieces

  • Saint-Saens - Sonata

  • Weber – Concerto

  • Stravinsky – Ebony Concerto

  • Spohr – Concertos

  • Vivaldi - Concertos

  • Bozza – Concerto

  • Arnold - Sonatina

  • Berstein – Sonata

  • Weber – Andante and Rondo – Bass Clarinet

 

Recommended Stores For Instruments and Equipment

 

Recommended Websites

 

Recommended Apps

  • Bandmate Chromatic Tuner

  • Tonal Energy Tuner

  • Sight Reading Factory

  • Smart Music

  • Intunator

  • StaffWars

  • Tunable

  • Master Ear Training

  • Theory Lessons

  • Tenuto

  • APS Trainer

  • tuneUp

Must Have Accessories

  • Case

  • Reed Case

  • Cleaning Cloth/Swab

  • Cork Grease. 

  • Tuner/Metronome - app or physical device

  • Music Stand

  • Thumb Rest – These can get pretty nice.  Check Amazon

  • Pencil

Additional Possible Accessories

  • Breath Builder

  • Instrument Stand

  • Korg-TM 60 with clip on attachment

  • Container for Soaking Reeds

  • Neck Strap – Great for Students with Back Problems

  • Tuning Rings

  • Mouthpiece Cushions

 

  • Instagram Accounts to Follow

  • International Clarinet Association - @icaclarinet

  • Anthony McGill - @mcgillclarinet

  • Danielle Janos - @daniellejanos_clainet

  • Derek Novak - @clarinetayeta

  • Corrado Giuffredi - @corradogiuffredi

  • Lara Campbell - @laura_clarinetist

  • Jenny Clarinet - @clarineristinparis

  • Michaela Cundari - @miclarinet

  • Jonathan Hadas - @jonathan_clarinet

  • Chase Morris - @chasemorrisclarinet

  • Buffet - @buffetcramponofficial

  • Backun Musical Services - @backunmusical

  • Martin Fröst - @martin.frost

  • Melissa Lander - @clarinetlander

  • Katie Edwards - @clarinetsandcoffee

  • Dawn Harrison - @dawnstudiesmusic

  • Yoonah Kim - @yoonahclarinet

  • The Clari Boys - @the_clari_boys

  • Adrienne Paton - @saxafluteclarinet

  • Légère Reeds - @legerereeds

  • Vandoren - @candorenusa