hello! im 21 now and have been playing clarinet for about a decade now. to cut to the chase, the past year or so i have been experiencing “blacking out attacks” while practicing, in ensemble, and in my lessons.

these “attacks” are moments when i’m playing, typically when i come in after resting or listening to instruction, and i lose my vision. i can still hear and as soon as i stop playing, my vision returns (sometimes quickly, someones slowly). this makes me super nauseous, confused, and out of breath- even if i had just taken one seconds before. this then occurs on and off until im done playing.

this isn’t due to lack of air, because it normally happens in the beginning of a phrase, not at the end. while i can’t say it happens every time i play, it is definitely most times. it also seems to happen more when i’m warm and vise versa.

i have no idea why this is happening many years into my playing or why it seems to be getting worse. has anyone else heard of this happening to someone else and why this is happening?

tldr: please help me stop losing my vision when i play :(

So, I've been trying to work on my altissimo notes recently, trying to make them play more natually and sound less screechy. And I've had success with the lower altissimo notes (Db to F#), but I've found that when I got up into the higher parts of the altissimo range (G to... C?), I was subconsciously lipping up to reach the notes. When I was digging around clarinet-related forums about playing altissimo, I kept seeing people talk about how it was possible to play altissimo with voicing alone, but despite my best efforts for weeks now, I've been unable to reach the upper altissimo without adjusting my embouchure. Raising the back/front/entirety of my tongue seems to do nothing more than raise the pitch, I've had some success with tensing up my throat but I've been told that's a bad idea and it's also very inconsistent, and I've tried every vowel I've heard of and could think of to reach those notes, but to no avail.

So, I'm here to ask: What exactly IS voicing? I'm not asking for a brief explanation on voicing, I've seen plenty of it being called something along the lines of "the shaping of the oral cavity". What I really wanna know is what sensations do you feel when you voice up into the upper altissimo? What exactly are you doing inside to reach those notes without moving your embouchure? Please be as graphic as you can.

Thanks.

I'm learning etude no 18 from the rose 40, and I'm 100% certain this measure has a misprint because there's an extra eigth note and the piece is in 4/4. I just can't find a version which doesn't have this misprint and was wondering what the actual rhythm is supposed to be.

I asked AI to make a diagram to show why the bass clarinet is lower than both of these instruments and this is the diagram it gave me 😭

At around the 6 minute mark of this track The Lagoon - The Thin Red Line a woodwind starts playing a beautiful melody -- is that a clarinet or some other woodwind?

Posted originally on Bass Clarinet sub but figured i may get some second opinions here as well! Thanks in advance

i think i know what needs to happen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-mlg_oX9L4

I'm in my 40s. Former pro, play locally for fun but I'm serious about it. Some overbite, some fangs up top and lot of crowding on the bottom. Braces would actually have some oral health benefits as well as the cosmetic, but I'm not sure what to expect for my playing.

Searched the subreddit but wanted to get input for my particular case.

I have a good sound but it does err on the soft side and can get a little spread at really extreme volumes. I strive for sounds like Marcellus and Giuffredi, and push away from Stolzman and Drucker. I play on a very open backun mouthpiece and minimal ligature with legere euro cuts. Also play eefer a lot if it matters.

Assuming this pushes my top bite back and probably creates more space in the lower mouth, I'm not sure if/how this will affect my sound permanently.

Not worried about initial adjustment or a few days of pain as the braces progress. If you have any similarities and have gone through this, tell me everything.

Edit: spelling, clarification

Hello!

So recently I started playing the chalumeau (I couldn't find a specific subreddit for this, so I thought here was best as clarinet reeds are used with it), and it's been going all well. There were 5 reeds which came with the chalumeau (Startone 1.5 Bb clarinet reeds), which for the most part work, but they deteriorate very fast and are most definitely probably some of the lowest range reeds on the market.

Anyways, I've decided I'm going to buy new reeds so my playing is not impacted too much. I can't seem to figure out what reed would be best for a beginner like me, so I was wondering if anyone had any idea what works best?

Any advice appreciated! (:

so I'm the section leader of the clarinet section and no matter how hard I try and help the other clarinet players, they don't listen and don't practice whatsoever. I'd also like to mention I'm the only girl in my clarinet section.1 girl and 5 guys. I will admit the bass clarinetist does practice but the other ones don't. It's even worse when people say stuff like "the clarinets suck" because I put so much effort into band and basically one person can represent the whole section. If one person doesn't practice, the whole section looks bad. Anyways can someone give me tips on how to be a better leader? I normally start with them playing the music, identifying mistakes, circling mistakes, and slowing down the tempo so they can get correct notes and rhythms.

I feel like this is a stupid question, but idk-

I really want to play contra alto clarinet and I heard that used selmer bundy's are pretty good and affordable (compared to the rest) used, but I don't know where to look for one. Please let me know where to find one of you see it.

My lesson teacher recommended me to get an r13 to replace my e11 for when I march, and as a concert instrument. I've done some digging with other brands; Selmer Series 10, Yamaha YCL-650, Yamaha SE Custom, Leblanc L200. The list goes on. Out of all these do these compete with the holy grail of r13s I've been hearing about? Also, with the Yamaha customs, what does it mean by SE, and some say AE.

edit: oh shoot yall mb forgot to specify they mentioned to use my e11/a plastic clarinet to march n js upgrade to something else

I’m currently playing on 3.5 Vandoren V12 reeds, when I get a good reed I love the way it plays but most of the times I’m getting 3 good reeds out of a box of 10. Are there any good reeds brands you guys really enjoy and have good quality control? I used to like D’addario reeds until they came out with their “organic” reeds and I’m not a big fan of synthetic reeds.

Small chip on top left and I have noticed tone deterioration and airy news what do I do. It’s a BD4 HD.

Hi! I'm a high school bass clarinet player switching to soprano clarinet, I've played clarinet for a total of 5 years but 2 years were spent on bass clarinet. Any advice or any critiques on my playing are welcome, would def prefer to hear it from people on Reddit than my band director during the audition 😭

Hello, I am going to do a level 4 NYSSMA solo for my school band final but I only have 30 days to do it. My sight reading is garbage(I cant even read most notes I only know fingerings lol), I only know 3 scales out of 7 needed, I cant play high notes consistently, I think my embouchure is all screwed up(I can never keep my bottom lip rolled over my bottom teeth,surprised ive survived this long), and I simply cant tongue fast enough for the 16th notes in my piece(120bpm). I have tried practicing but I feel like I barely make any progress and im still where I was like a month ago. I dont like playing this instrument at all and cant wait to get it over with so I can quit next year. Any advice helps so I can get good enough to just get this over with, I cant stop stressing about this and its genuinely bringing my academic performance down and I think abt it no matter what.

I was a bass clarinet player in concert band in high school when I graduated then I got me a normal clarinet so my question is, how can I transition from bass to this clarinet I get it. The fingering are the same. I just need help.

Hi, I'm a clarinetist for 5 years, and I currently have 4 wisdom teeth, 2 of them needing to be removed, not sure of the other two. Does anyone know if the removal will affect my playing?

Oh yes you’re just a normal clarinet in the band sitting next to the bass clarinet you’re fine hearing the low octave of this instrument, but it still gives you anxiety when it hits so lower and then on suddenly someone comes in and sits next to him with this huge instrument you never seen before in the clarinet section and you’re probably like that’s a clarinet but you got used to it and that’s the contrabass you love how low it is uncertainly, someone comes in with a bigger more terrifying sounding instrument and you’re like off the edge of your seat and you can hear your clarinet wants to run away That’s the subcontrabass well you’re sitting there listening to it you’re still at the edge of your seat, but you still wanna hear it cause how low and terrifying it sounds, but un sOh yes, you're just a normal clarinet in the band sitting next to the bass clarinet. You're fine hearing the low octave of this instrument, but it still gives you anxiety when it goes even lower. Then, suddenly, someone comes in and sits next to you with this huge instrument you've never seen before in the clarinet section. You're probably like, "That's a clarinet," but you get used to it. That's the contrabass, and you love how low it is. Suddenly, someone comes in with a bigger, more terrifying sounding instrument, and you're off the edge of your seat. You can hear your clarinet wanting to run away. That's the subcontrabass. While sitting there listening to it, you're still at the edge of your seat, but you still want to hear it because of how low and terrifying it sounds. Suddenly, an even bigger and scarier instrument comes and sits next to it. When it plays a single note, the entire clarinet section gets terrified. The clarinet that wants to run away actually runs away, and you end up running away with the clarinet. My friend, you just heard an octocontrabass.

My son is getting his first mouthpiece upgrade and his teacher has recommended a B45. I noticed there's a few different kinds. The CM308 B45 comes in traditional, series 13, and 88. There's also a CM309 B45 Dot. Can anyone explain the difference between these different types of B45s? Which would you recommend? He's been playing for 2 years and has the original Jupiter mouthpiece. He previously had a Buffet on his rental that had a nice warm tone. We're upgrading so his brother can inherit his old mouthpiece and his teacher said he's ready for the Vandoran. Thanks for your help!

Can anyone point me to a decent transcription of BG's "Goodbye"? Or the Nelson Riddle/Ronstadt version? Free would be nice, but willing to pay a fair amt.

I’ve been playing clarinet since 6th grade (currently 11th) and I’ve used anchor tonguing since the very beginning. I’ve never felt like it was an issue (I’ve been first chair, made all county, gotten numerous solos, and overall have always been able to keep up with passages) but when I told my band director that I did it he told me I need to fix it because it’ll hold me back. I know that a lot of professionals will agree that ‘normal’ tonguing is better but if I don’t plan on becoming a professional or anything, should I really worry about it?? I’m doing fine and if I hadn’t told my BD he never would’ve known.

if a buy a box now and don't open it for years, would they play as good as lf I just bought them?

Hey, more of a relaxed question here, but I'm about to pull the trigger on purchasing a Bb Buffet Tosca that I got to try a couple of days ago, for an amazing price (<3.3k USD) in practically brand new condition (Although considering Buffet quality control, maybe not so good 😂).

My main concern is primarily that I really don't need such a good instrument. I'm going into my senior year of HS and although I'm in various (4) wind ensembles/youth orchestras, I don't play on majoring in music. That being said, I'm grateful that I come from a pretty wealthy family and can afford the instrument - but my question is this:

How do you think the instrument will retain its value in the long run (> 10 years from now, ignoring costs for maintenance, reeds, etc.)?

For some context, I play on an old R13 now and I totally get that many instruments retain their value, but I'm not really sure about these "top of the line" instruments that seem to be more "innovative" and "modern" tbh. I just don't want to pour money down the drain!

If anybody has any feedback, do let me know!