QuickStart Clarinet Blog

Let's talk one of the aspects of playing the clarinet that has a massive impact on the quality of your embouchure - angle. It's one of those weird things I've talked about in my weekly warm-up videos on YouTube in the past. Some teachers are really picky about it and some teachers say almost nothing...

When I'm working with my students, I often get asked what reed strength they should be using. I'm glad people are asking because it's an important question! Reed strength can make a really big difference in how easy it is to play, so I decided to write this post and hopefully clear up one of the mos...

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Embouchure is one of those core factors that makes a big difference in how easy the notes come out and in your overall clarinet sound, but it's not as straightforward as just covering the tone holes or blowing air well. In this post I'm going to walk you through...

The clarinet repertoire is enormous. There are hundreds of solo pieces, concertos, chamber works, and unaccompanied showpieces out there, and sorting through all of it to figure out what's actually worth your time can be overwhelming.

This is my personal ranking of the best clarinet solo repertoire...

Picking a reed can feel like a guessing game. Even within a single box of the same brand and strength, individual reeds vary a lot, and what works great in the practice room doesn't always hold up when you actually need it.

Here are two practical tests you can use to quickly find out whether a reed...

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You've probably heard that the corners of your embouchure are important. But why exactly? And how do you actually develop those muscles so they can do their job?

This post covers both of those questions: why the corners matter so much for your clarinet sound, and wh...

Quarter note triplets are one of the most commonly misread rhythms in music. If you've ever played them and had a teacher or conductor stop you because something felt off, you're not alone. The quarter note triplet is genuinely tricky to internalize, and most players approach it in a way that makes ...

Tongue position and articulation are two of the most misunderstood aspects of clarinet playing. Most of what your tongue does happens completely out of sight, which makes it hard for teachers to spot problems and hard for students to know what to fix.

In this post we're going to cover where your to...

Whether you're buying your first clarinet or upgrading from a student model, this is a significant purchase and it deserves some real thought. There are a lot of options out there and the differences between them actually matter for how you play and how much you enjoy playing.

Here's everything you...

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The altissimo register is one of those things that every clarinetist eventually has to tackle, and for a lot of players it feels like a wall. The notes are finicky, they squeak, they don't always come out on command, and the harder you try, the worse it gets.

Here...