Some questions about an old clarinet i just got...?

Question

i just got an old clarinet from my grandma - and i mean old! it was my cousins dads or grandfathers so it hasnt been played in around 20 years. she just found it in a case in her cupboard and gave it to me to learn to play.

so ive got some questions about it:

1 - it didnt come with a reed so i put one of my old saxophone reeds on it and i wudnt make any sound, is this the clarinet or the reed?

2 - becuz its quite old, the the stuff under the key things is coming off. will this be a problem?

3 - it hasnt had any cork grease on the cork for ages, shud it still be ok if i just start putting it on agin or will it be damaged?

4 - itz not very easy to put the pieces into the case, should i leave them out so i dont damage them or should it be ok.

5 - becuz itz so old, will it still be a gud clarinet or is it 2 old to play for any reasons?

thakyou :)

Answer 1

That's pretty cool! I'm a clarinet player, so I think I can answer your questions:

1: Yep, it's the reed is certainly a problem. Saxophone reeds won't vibrate properly on the clarinet mouthpiece.

2: The pads of the clarinet are what seal the holes and direct your tone through the instrument, which is essentially what produces the different pitches. So, if the clarinet is missing pads (or if they don't seal properly) you won't be able to produce any sound.

3: Cork grease should be fine

4: Hmm. I think that they would generally be safer in the case, as I assume the case was made for the instrument?

5: Well, I highly recommend taking the clarinet to a music store for a tune up if you want to seriously pursue playing and practicing. They will replace all of the pads and polish/tighten everything up. Plus, you can get some new clarinet reeds there (try a thinner size, perhaps a 2 or 2 1/2 for beginners.) I think that the tune up should cost less than $40, and your clarinet could be restored to beautiful condition.

I love the clarinet so I hope this helps you out!

Answer 2

i played the clarinet for years... i stopped now, but i kept it around anyhow...

1. its the reed you have to use the reed made for the clarinet! as you should know they are numbered to make sure you get #1 for beginners and see how that works for you.

2. the white stuff under the keys needs to be replaced or else there really wont be any sound coming out.

3. i dont think putting the cork grease on now will have any kind on effect on it. not sure should double check.

4. i personally dont have a problem putting mine back in the case may the case got swollen from just being put away for so long i would want to risk damaging my instrument. its a risk you'll need to take to keep it safe from denting while inside the case and out (incase it falls from where ever it is that you'll be keeping it).

5. as long as you take care of using the correct reed, and take care of the white things under the keys it should all be ok.

let me know how it all goes for you. :-)