How do you clean and care for a clarinet?

The swab: cleaning after each practice session

A swab is a long cloth made of chamois, silk, or microfiber, with a cord and a small weight at the end. It absorbs moisture from your breath, which can damage the pads and encourage cracks in wood if left inside.

1. Remove the mouthpiece with its reed and ligature before swabbing.
2. Disassemble the clarinet into its barrel, upper joint, lower joint, and bell. Some players swab with the joints assembled, but cleaning each section separately is safer while you're learning.
3. Drop the weight through one end of the section and gently pull the cloth until it comes out the other end. Repeat two or three times.
4. Straighten the swab before each pass: it can get stuck if it goes in knotted or folded.
5. Dry the tenons and sockets with a cloth.

On many clarinets, the small tube for the register key (the key you press with your left thumb) protrudes slightly into the upper joint, where swabs can catch. If yours gets stuck, don't pull harder: patiently work it back out the way it went in. If it won't come out, take the clarinet to a technician; forcing it can dislodge that tube.

Mouthpiece and ligature

• After playing, run a small mouthpiece swab or cloth through the inside, entering through the wide end without touching the tip or the table (the flat surface where the reed rests).
• Once a week, wash it on its own, without the ligature, using cold water and a little mild soap. Rinse and let it dry.
• Never use hot water: ebonite, the material used in many mouthpieces, can discolor and warp, leaving the table no longer flat.
• Don't scrape the inside or use stiff brushes: a scratch on the tip or table changes the response of the whole clarinet.
• Put the protective cap on whenever you're not playing.
• Don't overtighten the ligature screws: the reed needs to vibrate, and the ligature can bend.

If there are already white or brown deposits inside the mouthpiece, ask your technician for advice; don't remove them with metal objects.

Reeds: rotation, storage, and when to replace them

A reed is a very thin strip of natural cane. It gets wet, dries out, and changes shape each time you play, so its lifespan depends on how you treat it.

1. Moisten it before playing, in your mouth or in a small glass of clean water, for a minute or less.
2. When you're done, remove it from the mouthpiece and gently dry it from the base toward the tip.
3. Store it in a reed holder that keeps it on a flat surface with some ventilation; never leave it loose in the case or in your pocket.
4. Rotate three or four reeds, using a different one each day. That way none wears out from constant use, and you always have a spare if one breaks.
5. Play a new reed for just a few minutes during the first few days: it settles in better and lasts longer.

Don't share reeds or bite them while you're thinking: teeth damage the tip. Reed strength (2, 2½, 3…) depends on your level and your mouthpiece; your teacher will tell you when to move up. We explain this in how to choose your first clarinet.

To understand what each number means and when to move up or down, read how to choose reed strength for clarinet and saxophone.

Cork grease and how to assemble without bending keys

Cork grease

Clarinet tenons are covered with cork, which needs a little grease so the sections fit together without force. Apply it when assembly is difficult, rather than out of habit: spread a small amount over the cork with your finger and wipe off the excess with a cloth, since it attracts dirt. A new clarinet will need it more often at first. Don't use petroleum jelly or cooking oils, and don't put grease on metal parts.

Assembly, step by step

1. Join the bell to the lower joint with a gentle twist, without squeezing the keys.
2. Hold the upper joint with your fingers pressing its rings: this raises the bridge key lever that connects the two joints.
3. Join the joints with a careful twist and align the two parts of the bridge key. Joining them without lifting the lever bends it: this is one of the most common types of damage to student clarinets.
4. Fit the barrel and then the mouthpiece, with its table aligned with the thumb hole on the back.
5. Fit the reed and ligature last.

Wood or resin: the risk of cracks

Cracks often appear because of thermal shock: warm breath enters a cold clarinet, the inside expands faster than the outside, and the wood splits. In Bogotá, a clarinet left overnight in a car or a cold room is at risk if you play it loudly as soon as you take it out.

• Warm the barrel and upper joint between your hands or under your arm before playing.
• Start gently with long tones for a few minutes.
• If your wooden clarinet is new, play it for a short time each day during the first few weeks, then gradually increase your playing time.
• Always dry the inside, without exception.
• Bore oil isn't for frequent use: use it only if your technician recommends it, and follow their instructions.
• In hot regions, excess humidity is the problem: swollen pads and mold in the case. Dry everything thoroughly and allow it to air out.

If you see a crack, stop playing with that section and take it to a technician: many cracks can be repaired successfully if caught early, but continued playing lets them spread toward the tone holes. For this reason, many teachers prefer resin clarinets for school or outdoor bands; learn more in wind bands in Colombia.

Pads, keys, and technical checkups

• If a pad sticks or makes a clicking sound, place pad cleaning paper between it and the tone hole, close the key gently, reopen it, and remove the paper with the key open.
• Wipe fingerprints off the keys with a dry cloth. Don't use metal polish: it can get into the mechanism.
• Don't oil the key rods: leave that to a technician.
• Take your clarinet for a checkup once a year, or sooner if low notes won't sound, it squeaks for no apparent reason, or a key doesn't return to its position.

Sometimes students think they can't play the upper register when there's actually a leaking pad. Your clarinet teacher can help you tell whether the issue is your technique or the instrument. If you also play saxophone, the care is similar but has its own details: see how to clean a saxophone.

Frequently asked questions