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Question: How should a clarinet sound!?
I mean with good tone and such!.
I have a feeling mine doesn't sound right!.!.!.
I am getting it checked out at a music store but just for future reference I wonder how it is supposed to sound!?

Maybe someone could post a video if it wouldn't be too much trouble!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
So here's the problem: when you have videos, the sound may be distorted by the mic, by the website host (like YouTube!.!.!. do you know what a pain it is to get the sound to sinc up!?- imagine what else may be going wrong with the sound that we're not aware of! lol), or by your computers speakers, etc!.

Most of these will not be "remastered" or "formatted" for sound quality!. I watched the videos that were posted!.!.!. and although one is a really GREAT clarinet player, the sound is really distorted!.!.!. most especially the tone!.

The other factor is: what style are you playing!?
In classical, it should be rich and deep and resonant, with not too much vibrato (if ANY at all!)!. The tone will be focused and almost highbrow (think of an old english guy with a monacle drinking tea with his pinky straight out- lol)!.
For jazz, it is going to be more fat!.!.!. the notes aren't quite as focused, vibrato is a MUST, the pitch is almost on the flat side!.!.!. note bends are common (this effects tone in a large way!)!.
For Middle-eastern / Greek, Indian, Jewish, Hungarian!.!.!. all of these styles are usually played on a "G" clarinet (as opposed to the standard Bb), and the tone is more piercing!. There are even clarinets made to be played in quarter steps and eighth steps (so between "C" and "D" for example, there are 4 or 8 notes!.!.!. CRAZY!)!.!.!. these all have a different tone!.!.!. the first video posted for you was a "G" clarinet- the tone was excellent for that style, but he would have been laughed off the stage if he had done that in a symphony!

also, the British idea of good tone and the American idea differ greatly- they also differ in ornamentation, vibrato, etc!. What I recommend for you is to listen to a few recordings (actual CD's or at least iTunes) and figure out who you like, and try to immitate them!.!.!. play along and see if you can match their tone and style!.

For classical, check out Michele Zukovsky (principal clarinetist of the LA Phillharmonic), Andrew Marriner (principle of the London Symphony), Stephanie Zelnick (just google her- she's incredible!), and my absolute favorite, David Harmon (though his tone is generally regarded as mediocre!)!.
Eddie Daniels is my favorite for jazz (though his classical is outstanding as well), as well as "the greats"- Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Sydney Bechet, etc!.!.!.

Other than that, make sure you have a private teacher, as they will be able to tell you what to do and how to do it!.!.!. there's only so much we can do for you here on Y!A!. :)

Good luck, and have fun making music!

*EDIT: SINCE YOU ADDED YOUR INFO, MY ANSWER IS NOW GOING TO BE A NOVEL, BUT HOPEFULLY IT WILL HELP!.!.!.

Check the cork- make sure that all the joints fit without wiggling, and make sure there are no chips in the cork!.

Next, check the pads- put your horn together without the bell and mouthpiece!. Cross your legs so that your right ankle is on your left knee, and press the end of the clarinet to your calf!. Finger a low "E"!.!.!. and suck!. If you are forming a suction, it is not the pads!. If there is little or no suction, blow hard, and have your mom try to feel where the air is coming out!.

also, if it is a wood clarinet (and sometimes with plastic too), you may find that the saliva is coming out of your thumb hole or around the hole for the C#/Ab key!.!.!. this is because your spit has formed a path down the back of the horn and into those holes!. Hold it up and look through it like a telescope!.!.!. try to reflect the light so you can see a line down the back!.!.!. if you see a line from your saliva: if plastic, swab it out with a damp, warm swab, let it dry, then put a drop or two of water at the top!. Let it run down, but turn your clarinet to direct where it flows to create a path AWAY from the tone holes!. Let it dry, then play as normal!. If it's wood, follow the above, but replace all water with bore oil!.

The other thing, is that since you have been on bass clarinet, it could just be your embochure!. I imagine this is part of the problem, as you describe a lot of saliva "sounding" in the instrument!. This happens often if you use a reed that is too hard for what you are used to!. You have not noticed it, but your embochure is now more relaxed and not accustomed to the strength of reed you were using on the Bb before you switched!. The bass clarinet may be part of the clarinet family, but is really a different beast unto itself!. Trust me- I am a doubler, and I know your pain! It takes a lot of practice to switch back and forth between the tightness of the clarinet and the openness of a bass clarinet (or bari sax, in my case!)!.!.!. just practice a little every day, and those muscles will rebuild and remember what the heck they are supposed to be doing!

Please don't hesitate to email me if you need more advice on exercises or techniques to develop into a good doubler!.

Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Recording is nothing in comparison to live, but this should give you a good idea!. Listen to the background music; one is slow and the other is much quicker!.

http://www!.toddlevy!.org

This article excerpt really describes the tone beautifully also!.

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Mr!. Weber's great gift, and his constant goal for students, was beauty of tone!. His sound was full, rich, resonant and pure!.

“It had a unique, bell-like quality, that kind of clarity,” said Jon Manasse, a soloist and principal clarinetist of American Ballet Theater!. “The resonance of the sound, when it was correct, was enough to communicate the music without adding special effects or gimmicks!.”

As recounted by Manasse, Stokowski once called Mr!. Weber over and said: “You, sir!. Your tone, it's like a dove cooing!.”

Mr!. Weber himself, in an article in The Clarinet, described good tone this way: “Think of colors: it's got to be gold, silver, blue velvet!. You have to reach out and touch it!.”

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There are a variety of factors that may contribute to the way your clarinet sounds!. It could be something mechanical, the body of the clarinet (what it's made of, professional vs!. student models), the mouthpiece, reeds (hardness and kind), ligature, etc!.

I found my tone improved greatly when I switched to a Selmer Signature wood clarinet, Vandoren mouthpiece, and Vandoren Rue 56 reeds, but everyone has their preferences!.

Practice with very legato fingerings in slow passages, and keep the fingers close to the instrument in the quicker technical passages!. Fingerings also contribute to tone and how easily sound is produced!. Learn to adjust your embrochure slightly to help the sound come easily!.

I really hope all of this helps!. Best of luck in your playing, and never give up in that struggle for beautiful tone!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hi Sam!. You are going to be doing alot of reading here and you still don't know if you are sounding good or not!.!.!. Right!? Nothing anyone here can tell you will be able to answer the question to your satisfaction!.!.!. but let me ask YOU something!. In your band!.!.!. what chair do you sit!? Most of the time, the band director will seat who he thinks plays the best and has the best sound in the first three chairs to play 1st part!. So, maybe that would be an indication of what he thinks of your playing and sound!. You don't hear too many clarinet recording artists anymore!.!.!. and the ones who do have recordings out!.!.!. you probably would not be into their music enough to spend money on buying a CD!.!.!. so I suggest that if you don't take lessons or cannot take lessons!.!.!. go on in to the music store!.!.!. and perhaps someone there can give your tone an evaluation and add some pointers!. Just keep tuting!.!.!. and it would not hurt to get a tone study book to improve your tone!. Thanks for reading!. :))Www@QuestionHome@Com

It all depends on how you are sitting and how you are holding your clarinet!. I play the clarinet and you also have to have your mouth firm and the reed needs to be fresh and not chipped!. also it helps to make sure that you have enough reed in your mouth!. If you are new at playing it might take a little bit to get it to sound good!.

heres a video
http://youtube!.com/watch!?v=xwUPZDvhP6g&f!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it depends the note you're playing
if you're playing C and B
well it depends
forte- loud (F)
piano- soft (P)
but if you put your mouth on your mouth piece and blow it would make a squeaky sound (Tip of the tounge of the top of the reed)Www@QuestionHome@Com

http://www!.youtube!.com/watch!?v=HCWwAZiR3!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com