Clarinet gadgets from A to Z
I am a notorious gadget collector. Just for fun, I tried to come up with a
clarinet gadget for every letter of the alphabet. The scary thing is I own
every one of them! (Well, not the Uebel and the Jupiter, but everything else.)
Here's my list.
Classical Fingers. This device fits over the clarinet to train
your fingers to stay close to the keys. I find it very useful on my R13. I
couldn't use it on my old E11 because the bands that attach it to the
clarinet interfered with the bridge key.
Glue Dots, to keep my left pinkie from slipping off the C# key. Not
a very successful experiment -- the dot wouldn't stick to the key.
Mascara Brush, for cleaning the mouthpiece and tone holes.
Pad Dryer. Micro-fiber strip to put under the pads and absorb
the water. Same function as cigarette paper and Yamaha cleaning paper, but
these are re-usable.
Pipe Cleaner, for cleaning the register vent
Tuning Rings. These slip around the joint to lengthen the barrel, or
even the middle joint.
A
Abacus. Why is an abacus a clarinet gadget? It's about those practice rules where you're supposed to play a passage correctly 3 or 5 times in a row. Some people say move pennies to mark successful reps but I can never find any pennies, and I don't have a flat space to put them on. Also I forget which side is the completed side. So I invested about $5 in a toy abacus that sits neatly on my music stand.B
Breath Trainer.
I have several different breath trainers, since having enough breath to
finish a phrase is one of my biggest problems. Most successful so far are
Expand-a-Lung and Breather Fit.
C

D
Dice, Polyhedral.
Not for playing Dungeons and Dragons, but when you want to randomize your
practice items.
E
Embouchure Builder. The fancy version is the Aurus 7, which fits over the mouthpiece and
discourages biting. It also forces you to use more air. The plain version is
to hold a pencil with your lips. I didn't have much success with the Aurus.
F
Foam Balls. I have a bad habit of flapping my arms when I play expressive pieces.
Holding the foam balls under my arms trains me to remain still.
G

H
Humidity Pack, to keep your wood clarinet and cane reeds at constant humidity. A large 49% pack is recommended for the clarinet case, and a small 72% for your reed case.I
Incentive Spirometer. Another breath training device. The idea is that you blow into the tube
and try to keep a ball suspended in the spirometer tube. This one came with
a system called Air Revelation, and includes a program of training videos.
J
Jupiter Clarinet. I was reaching here -- not exactly a gadget.
K
Kitchen Timer. For timing my practice sessions. Or for reminding
me to take a break every 45 minutes or so.
L
M
Metronome (Boss-90). Yes, I know there are metronome apps. I have
those too. But I'm a gadget freak. I had to have the Boss-90 because it does
patterns, like shuffle, Jazz, Blues, etc.
Mascara Brush, for cleaning the mouthpiece and tone holes.
N
Neck Strap, to take some of the weight off your right thumb. Elastic
or stiff (I prefer the stiff ones), with or without leather tabs to use if
you don't have a loop on your thumb rest. I bought a replacement thumb rest
with a loop because the leather tab kept getting entangled with my bridge
key.
O
Omnipatch. These are special mouthpiece patches with a teeth
guide groove that encourages taking enough mouthpiece. Made by Silverstein.
P

Pipe Cleaner, for cleaning the register vent
Q
R
Reed plaque with finishing cloth set. This is a kit for working on
cane reeds. I don't even use cane reeds, but I found the idea
fascinating. Here is the
explanatory video.
S
Straw in a glass of water. For practicing circular breathing.
T
U
Uebel clarinet. Reaching again, but if it's good enough for Ricardo
Morales ...
V
Vinegar to clean the mouthpiece.I also use it to clean my Legere
synthetic reeds.
W
Wrist brace. When I do too much playing, typing, or even holding a heavy tablet, I develop a pain in the tendon of my left thumb. I use two wrist braces, the small one (right) is one I can wear while I play. The big clunky one (left) I wear after I finish a practice session..X
Y
Z
Zoom Recorders and Mics. I have both an H2n audio recorder and a Q2n
Video recorder. The H2n doubles as an external mic for my iPad and iPhone. I
have also heard good things about the Zoom IQ6 external mic for iPhone, but
I don't have that one.
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