Clarinet

[supapapa]

I have just bought a clarinet and can`t get a note out of it ,any suggestions? (clean and decent please)

[MarkRae]

Er, well with the greatest of respect, can you actually play the clarinet...?

You've not forgotten to put the reed in, have you...?

[snags]

I was going to suggest the reed too...

[Buenchico]

One of my college friends was a clarinetist. (I was best man at his wedding, where his pupils provided an arch of raised clarinets outside the door of the church). He was almost obsessive about using only good quality reeds with his clarinet and softening them well first (by placing them in his mouth and lubricating them well with his saliva).

[supapapa]

No I can`t play
Yes it has a reed but it is damaged

[MarkRae]

Well there's your answer!

[Buenchico]

Reeds need frequent replacement. This firm specialises in them:
http://www.reedexpress.co.uk/

[supapapa]

So A reed needs to be undamaged and soft? I didn`t even know that a clarinet used a reed.

[MarkRae]

I have a feeling we now know why you can't get a note out of it...

[mike11111]

it is the vibration of the reed which produces the sound. No reed - no sound.

[ganesh]

I'm waiting for the punchline,supapapa.

[supapapa]

I am 60 now and I decided too learn an instument I asked my wife which one,off the top of her head she said Clarinet. Should she have suggested something else?

[supapapa]

There is no punchline I`m a novice

[MarkRae]

Learning an instrument is a great thing to do at any age...

But you'll actually need to have lessons! You can't seriously expect to pick the thing up and start playing it...

[ganesh]

I didn't understand markrae's comment,and I thought it was all leading up to a joke.My father has just taken up the clarinet and he's over 80,no reason not to learn something new at 60,but it did seem a little odd that you knew nothing about it!

[ganesh]

I agree you'll need lessons,can you read music?

[supapapa]

no

[MarkRae]

Every major town in the UK will have places which offer adult eduction courses in things like this. E.g. if you lived in London, you could enrol in this:
http://www.citylit.ac...larinet_level_1/ME107

[Whickerman]

Oooh - i play guitar, bass, piano etc and tried clarinet. Took me a week to get any sound at all through it and I never got to play a tune. But if you master it, you'll never look back, it's a great instrument. That reed is crucial, as is where you place it in your mouth. Lessons will be highly advised. Chances are, you already know someone who plays!

[Answerprancer]

I used to play clarinet and still can a bit.
A couple of lessons from a player are essential, the most important first steps include learning the correct embouchure and fingering (which is not terribly difficult).
Broken reeds are useless - at best - you'll get a sound like a goose that's been trodden on. If the instrument is second hand, you might need to have the pads checked.
The reed is pretty fragile, don't let it snag on your jumper or you'll split it.
Good luck and I'll bet you'll have "Stranger On The Shore" mastered in the next few months :-)