Tips for getting started on the clarinet with Jenny Maclay
Finger position
The first piece of advice we can give to beginning clarinetists is to check your finger position. This will make a big difference in technique, but also prevent you from squeaking.
One easy way to check proper clarinet position is to relax your hand by your side, and this is the curvature that you want for your fingers when you're playing. You want to avoid playing with the very tips of your fingers. You don't want to straighten your fingers, or to collapse your fingers, you want to keep the natural curvature of your fingers when you're playing clarinet, which releases tension and makes it easier to play.
Clarinet position
Another tip for beginning clarinetists is to check the horn angle and the clarinet's position when you play. A mistake that we see a lot is people coming to the clarinet ; they bring their head and their chin forward.
Make sure that your chin is parallel to the ground so you can maximize your airflow. And then you bring the clarinet to you.
The best clarinet for beginners
With its new features, the Prologue can help overcome the difficulties of learning the clarinet .
- The ergonomic ring for the D/G hole allows for a better customization for all hand shapes and sizes. That will greatly improve things on the clarinet, like crossing the brake and allow for better right hand dexterity. .
- The adjustable thumb rest : Not only can you move the thumb rest up and down but also left and right, so it allows for greater customization when you're trying to choose the best hand position for you.
- The register key is also designed to make it easier for people to hit the register key and cross the brake with more ease of playing.
You still get the same Selmer sound you know and love, but what is also great about this clarinet is it's real wood, and it's 30 grams lighter than the other version of the Prologue clarinet, so it's lighter for more ease of playing.
And to make the clarinet more fun, this is the only clarinet on the market that comes with customizable bell rings in six different colors!
► Discover the Prologue clarinet
► Learn more about Jenny Maclay
