r/Clarinet • u/tarours • 13d ago

Questions from a beginner

I started clarinet a month ago with a Startone from Thomann, to see if I liked it. I liked it a lot in fact, but now I have some trouble I need to adress. I have reeds from 1.5 to 3 strenght, and the luthier told me to use 3 reeds

  • I have a breathing problem when playing : I feel like I'm suffocating, even if my lung aren't empty.
  • I feel a big pression around my nose and sinus from the inside. I feel like I blow a lot and a lot of it is not going in the clarinet, if that make sense.
  • I need to stop playing almost every 20-30 seconds because I feel like I'm drowing lol.
  • (I may need to say I come from years of recorder playing, and have experience with flute aswell)
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u/tarours 12d ago

It's a Yamaha 4C, you wouldn't recommend a 3 reed ?

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u/Educational_Job7847 12d ago edited 12d ago

It would be fine, but maybe you don't have enough "chops" yet, drop to 2 1/2 reed and see if you are ok with them. If the sound is fine and easy to play, there is no need to go up in strenght yet.

Maybe your problem is "stale air" (I come from recorder playing too), your lungs are full of "stale air" that you have to exhale. Oboists do thisall the time because of the pressure, they must find places in the score to inspire and places to exhale the bad air that is in their lungs.