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The Complete Guide to Clarinet Barrels
For such a small instrument, the clarinet certainly has quite the number of equipment and accessories! After you’ve sorted out your instrument, mouthpiece, reeds, ligature, and more, it’s probably time to evaluate your clarinet barrel. (Look at the further reading section at the end of this article for in-depth articles on these pieces of clarinet equipment.) Here’s everything you need to know about clarinet barrels Barrel basics Besides connecting your mouthpiece to the upper joint, barrels play a big factor in controlling your overall tuning. Barrels can mean the difference between tuning to A=400 Hz or A=442 Hz (or other!) Barrels are measured in millimeters (mm), and the most common…
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The life span of a clarinet (and its accessories)
You know what they say – nothing lasts forever, and the clarinet is no different. One of the most common questions I’m asked is “How long does a reed/mouthpiece/ligature/clarinet last?” There are a few different factors affecting this answer, so let’s break it down by item: Now, let’s talk about clarinets: How do you know if your clarinet or accessories are wearing out? As you probably gleaned from reading this article, there is no set timeline for replacing your clarinets or its accessories. It depends on several factors and is unique to each musician. Ultimately, clarinets and accessories get blown out, and these are apparent in the following scenarios. If…