Here are some helpful (I hope) ideas regarding the clarinet.  First, everything we work on comes down to: 1- having a good, stable sound that’s comfortable to produce, and 2- getting our fingers to the keys and tone holes in a reliable, relaxed way.  Simple ideas, but it takes some training.

My teacher, David Pino, once called the clarinet “a remarkably counter-intuitive instrument” and, typically, he was right on.  I think the biggest “intuitions” we have to overcome are: 1- The air isn’t aimed down the instrument tube (it’s not a trumpet). Rather, the instrument points downward while the air moves straight ahead.  It’s more like a wind tunnel that sets the reed vibrating.  2- Our hands often feel less-than-secure, and we have a tendency to grab the instrument with our fingers or other parts of our hands.  This puts them in a position that just plain won’t work – the fingers can’t get to the tone holes.  SO: Don’t blow the air down the tube, and don’t let your hands try to grab the instrument.  Both of these are easier said than done.

Clarinet Major Scales (2 octaves)   Three octaves    Major Scales In Thirds