To keep your Clarinet in good condition, you need to take care of it correctly. Normans has put together this handy guide of hints and tips to help you.
Before playing: Ensure no food, sweets or sugary drinks are consumed just before or during play. This can leave a residue within the instrument and is usually the cause of ‘sticky’ pads.
After playing: Use a pull through like the Selmer 375 on the inside of the instrument. This helps to try the pads and keep them at optimum condition. Remove the reed from the instrument and put it back in its cover to try out. This will ensure that the reeds doesn’t warp. If the reed becomes chipped/split it is unlikely to work and will need replacing. The life of a reed is solely dependent upon how well it is looked after!
Cleaning: Wipe the keys down after playing with a sliver cloth Like the Bach 3955. Sweat can cause issues to plating if the keys are not cleaned sufficiently.
Check: Check that the cork is greased enough. Not enough will make it difficult to assemble and too much will mean it won’t stay in position. Check the whole instrument over. If something looks unusual, ask a teacher or technician to inspect it.
Bent Keys: Clarinet keys can get bent very easily. As they are made from such a soft metal, extra care is needed when assembling and taking the clarinet apart.
Sticky Pads: Another common problem is a key getting stuck. This tends to be because the pads are dirty and need a clean. Put a piece of cigarette paper under the key, close the key and gently pull the paper out from under it. This should remove any residue that is on the keys.
We sell a complete care kit containing all the tools you need to keep your instrument in great condition:
http://www.normans.co.uk/p-2491-rocket-sck-cl-care-kit-for-clarinet.aspx