Everything you need to start playing clarinet with confidence
Learn the parts of the clarinet, form your embouchure, master basic fingerings, and build the habits that set you up for audition success. Written by a band director who has taught clarinet for 20+ years.
Anatomy
Parts of the Clarinet
Tap any part to learn what it does and why it matters.
Sound Production
Producing Your First Sound
The embouchure is the foundation of clarinet playing. Follow these steps to form it correctly.
Flatten your chin
Point your chin forward and downward. The muscles underneath should feel flat and firm, not bunched or puffed. Think of pointing your chin toward the floor. This creates the foundation for a stable embouchure.
Form the corners
Draw the corners of your mouth inward toward the center, like you’re saying “oo.” The corners should feel firm and forward - not pulled back in a smile. This seals the air around the mouthpiece.
Position your bottom lip
Curl your bottom lip slightly over your bottom teeth - just enough to cushion the reed. You should still see a little pink. Don’t roll your entire lip in. The lip acts as a pad between your teeth and the reed.
Place the mouthpiece
Rest the mouthpiece on your bottom lip with the reed facing down. About one-third of the mouthpiece should be in your mouth. Too much and you’ll squeak. Too little and you’ll get a thin, airy tone.
Rest your top teeth
Your top teeth rest directly on the top of the mouthpiece. No pressure - just resting. Your jaw should be naturally closed, not clenched. Let gravity and the embouchure do the work.
Blow with air support
Take a full breath from your diaphragm - feel your belly expand, not your shoulders. Blow steady, fast air through the mouthpiece. If everything is set up correctly, you should hear a clear tone on an open G or F♯.
The Milkshake Trick
Imagine drinking a thick milkshake through a coffee straw. Your mouth naturally forms the right shape - firm corners, flat chin, focused air. Practice that shape five times before picking up the clarinet. It builds muscle memory faster than any description can.
Fingerings
Interactive Fingering Chart
Search any written pitch to see Yamaha's primary fingering, alternate options, and staff notation.
Open the free First 5 Notes clarinet fingering chart.
Brand new to clarinet? Start with the first five notes.
Opening the fingering chart.
Technique
Essential Technique
Master these four areas to build a solid foundation.
Tone Production
Good tone starts with air support, not embouchure pressure. Breathe from your diaphragm - let your belly expand outward, not your shoulders. Blow steady, fast air with your embouchure firm and consistent. A weak tone almost always means weak air, not a bad embouchure.
Long tones are your best friend. Hold a note for 8–16 counts and focus on keeping the pitch perfectly stable. If the tone wavers, your embouchure is shifting. Practice in front of a mirror and keep everything still except the air. Start on open G and work outward in both directions.
The clarinet’s tone quality changes by register. Your chalumeau (low register) should be warm and dark. Your clarion (middle) should be clear and focused. Don’t try to make them sound the same - they shouldn’t. Instead, focus on each register having its own best sound.
Troubleshooting
Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them
Every clarinet student hits these. Here's what's going wrong and how to fix it.
Advanced Fundamentals
Understanding the Register Key
The register key separates beginner clarinet from intermediate play. Here's how it actually works.
What does it do?
The register key is a small lever on the back of the upper joint that your left thumb presses. When activated, it opens a small vent hole that changes the clarinet's acoustics. Instead of the reed vibrating at its fundamental frequency, it vibrates at a higher partial - a twelfth above, to be exact. This is why the clarinet overblows a twelfth instead of an octave like the flute or saxophone.
Throat tones vs. clarion register
The notes right at the register key threshold - B, B♭, and A - are called throat tones. They're the most problematic notes on the clarinet because they sit at the acoustic transition point between registers. Without the register key they're low notes; with it they're high notes.
The clarion register is everything above the throat tones. Here the register key stays on constantly. Your air speed and tongue position become more important than your fingers - focused, fast air is what makes clarion notes speak cleanly.
Why notes don't speak
If your register key notes squeak, take forever to start, or sound weak, the problem is usually one of: wrong timing between key press and fingering change, air speed too slow for the harmonic you're targeting, embouchure too tight (chokes the reed), or a leaky register key pad (have a tech check it). Practice pressing the key and changing your fingers at the exact same instant.
Care
Care & Maintenance
A well-maintained clarinet responds better and lasts longer.
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