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Clarinet, honestly

Is the clarinet hard to learn?

The clarinet is easy to start and takes patience to master: a first note usually comes on day one, while a steady tone and the step into the upper register typically take a few months. Your first song is closer than you think: within ten minutes, tonestro has you playing one or two notes in a real song with a band.

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A woman with a long dark ponytail smiles on a light sofa, her clarinet resting in both hands

The short answer

First note
Usually on day one, a squeak or two included.
First song
In ten minutes, with one or two notes in a real song and a band.
A common hurdle
Crossing the break into the upper register.
What helps
Steady air, a reed that suits you and feedback on every note.

The three real hurdles

  1. Squeaks

    A squeak is the clarinet jumping to a high overtone. It can come from a finger that doesn't quite seal its hole, a damaged or misplaced reed, biting, or too much mouthpiece in your mouth.

    What helps: First check that your fingers seal the holes and that your reed is undamaged and sits straight. Avoid biting, and change how much mouthpiece you take in only gradually.

  2. Crossing the break

    The break lies between written Bb4 and B4. You go from a note with almost every hole open to one with every hole closed. A little-finger key joins in, and it all has to happen in the same instant.

    What helps: Try placing your right-hand fingers down already on written A4 and Bb4, and check that those notes stay in tune. Practice the step slowly and speed up once it sounds clean.

  3. Sealing the open holes

    Your fingers close the clarinet's holes directly. If one finger lets a little air escape, the note cracks or doesn't sound at all, especially in the low register.

    What helps: Center the soft pads of your fingers on the holes, keep them relaxed and close, and play slow scales. tonestro gives you feedback on pitch and rhythm; film yourself now and then to check your fingers.

Easier than you think

  • First notes, one hand. Open G (written G4) and E4, D4 and C4 below it need only your left hand, on both fingering systems, so real tunes come early.
  • One fingering, two notes. Add the register key to written low E3 and you get B4; low F3 turns into C5. Much of the upper register reuses fingerings you already know.
  • Songs with three notes. Hot Cross Buns needs just three different notes, and none of the songs below needs more than five.

Easy songs to start with

Of the 63 easy clarinet songs in tonestro, these need only three to five different notes:

The full list: 63 easy songs Fingerings from E3 to G6

Questions beginners ask

Is the clarinet harder than the saxophone?

That varies. The clarinet's open holes and register change bring different challenges: the saxophone's octave key repeats the same fingerings an octave higher, while the clarinet's register key jumps a twelfth.

Does the clarinet need a lot of air?

Less than you might think. It needs steady, supported air rather than big lungs, and that steadiness grows with every session.

Do I have to transpose on a Bb clarinet?

Not for music written for Bb clarinet: you play the printed notes. With concert-pitch music, such as a piano part, you account for the whole-tone difference: a written C4 sounds as Bb3.

Can I learn the clarinet with no musical experience?

Yes. tonestro's courses are made by music teachers and start with your very first note. Here's how adults get going: how to start the clarinet as an adult.

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