Recommended Clarinet 'Care Kit'

The Clarinet Care Kit

I was obliged to make some recommendations when a new beginner pupil has come to me with a clarinet and no additional accessories. The instrument had sticky pads and dirty keys. The following were my recommendations for a ‘care kit’ for years to come...

Thoughts - 

I have never felt the need to bombard a novice player with a bewildering and costly list of ‘extras’ or special equipment as they begin their study. A well made instrument, quality mouthpiece, appropriate reeds and the development of good habits and practice discipline rate much higher in my priorities. However, some items are sensible to purchase and introduced from the outset so that an instrument can be well cared for, serve better and its value maintained.

To address the sticky pads I would recommend cleaning paper. Cleaning paper is paper that has a finely ribbed texture and which has no sticky gum line like one would find with cigarette paper. It is used to absorb excess moisture when smaller tone holes have become blocked through a build up of water or as a first level treatment for the onset of the ‘tacky’ sound of a sticky pad. Cleaning paper can be used when pad surfaces are wet but the sheets are very thin and are likely to disintegrate if used under too great a pressure. Yamaha make a good product.

If the sticky pad problem persists move on to powder paper. The application of powder paper has been around for years as a treatment to reduce the surface adhesion of pads to tone holes on woodwind instrument, i.e. the familiar ‘tacky’ sound on the lifting of a pad that is caused by a build up of saliva or moisture on the surface from playing or even just during transport when keys are held shut for a long period. The powder residue on the paper creates a new barrier between the pad surface and the tone hole rim. Best applied when the pad surface is dry. Once again, Yamaha make a fine product.

For individual ‘problem pads’ I would recommend the BG Pad Dryers. These are a washable, micro fibre fabric product that provides an alternative to cigarette paper or cleaning paper to use for removal of moisture from tone holes. Simply insert between pad surface and tone hole and allow the moisture to be soaked up into the Pad Dryer. They are very absorbent and one Pad Dryer is intended to last for years of regular use.

To avoid moisture build up in the first place an absolute must is a good cleaning swab. Many types are available, good and bad, but my preference runs to the Dryer Swab which I helped design. I believe that this is simply the best clarinet swab on the market for both absorption and easy of use. Designed with an asymmetrical shape that makes pulling through the clarinet far easier and the brushed cotton fabric used is both highly absorbent and durable. The addition of a ‘pull back’ strap is a bonus ‘belt and braces’ extra to lend confidence when using the swab. High quality alternatives from BG and Yamaha are also available, each with different features. All of these are preferred to basic cotton or felt versions on the market.

Every clarinettist should use some type of cork grease to aid in the assembly of their instrument and to preserve the cork itself. Most brands are acceptable but some stand out for being either longer lasting or more effective. Rico and D’Addario greases are good, Elm bark grease from Doctor Slick products is a very ‘clean’ product and Selmer Tuning Slide and Cork Grease is deservedly recommended.

To clean around keywork a traditional shaving brush is the best quick answer to removal of dust and link from between keywork mechanisms on any clarinet (or other woodwind). Simply use the brush to lightly and quickly dislodge particles that otherwise might ‘gum up’ mechanisms or compromise the seating of the pads themselves. Regular use will not only keep an instrument looking better but playing better as well.

I like to see all players using mouthpiece patches to protect their mouthpiece and aid the formation of good habits for teeth placement. For most purposes I would recommend ‘thick’ patches, as they tend to be more durable and provide a greater cushion for the teeth. Thinner patches serve well to reduce mouthpiece wear and are almost unnoticeable to the player. Yamaha, BG and Kolbl are leading brands.

To protect reeds from damaged and warping once they begin to be used some type of reed storage device, other than that supplied by the reed manufacturer, should be used. Whether to hold 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8 reeds or more, something that will protect the reed tip, allow for air circulation during storage will help reeds to serve better and last longer. Many brands are available and some of these are small enough to store easily inside a case and some that also feature a humidity control.

Finally a silver polish cloth, used to wipe over keywork after playing to remove fingerprints reduce oxidation tarnish is a good practice. Denis Wick and others offer good, generous cloths for the purpose.

These products represent my suggestions for a best practice maintenance ‘kit’. As a player progresses and becomes more discriminating the enhancements to be found from experimentation with equipment including the upgrade of instruments, experiencing different mouthpiece options, learning about varieties of reeds and the effects of different ligature designs, barrels, bells, etc. are all waiting to be discovered – but after a good foundation in playing has been laid.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful. 

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Clarinet & Saxophone Pads and Repadding CASS Article

Clarinet & Saxophone Pads and Repadding

I was asked the question below about pads last month for my Single Reed Doctor column in the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain ( CASS ) magazine and following some time for thought and discussion I have tried to answer in general but, hopefully, still useful terms.

There are so many different pads on the market now. Why do different makers use different pads, and which should I choose if I get my instrument repadded?

My reply follows:

Since for most players a total replacement of pads – a ‘repad’ – is a rare occurrence a logical piece of standard advice would be to replace single or even multiple worn pads with whatever type of pad was previously used. Combining or mixing a variety of pads is not usually recommended. Your repairer should be able to advise you and employ the appropriate pads. However, on the occasion when a complete repad is required one really does have a choice to make.

The construction of musical instrument pads is quite a complicated business involving different layers of materials to provide the desired combination of stability, rigidity, flexibility, air tightness and durability. The quality of the finished pad also can vary greatly with more expensive pads (using better materials) often well worth the additional cost. Pads are usually referred to by the material used on their surface and there are indeed many options available from frequently used ‘skin’ pads traditionally made from fish bladder, to various types and qualities of leather (white, brown, black), cork, and numerous synthetic surface material pads. Virtually all will be found successfully in use depending upon both the quality of the materials used to create the pads and the expertise and familiarity of the installer (repairer) in their fitting. All pad types require experience and practice in their fitting to perform at their best. Do bear in mind that manufacturers choose and supply the type of pads they use in their new instruments for a variety of different reasons including but not limited to: durability, ease of installation, cost, tradition, artistic input, availability, air tightness and appearance.

Let’s consider clarinet and saxophone options separately as they have fundamentally different requirements from their padding.

Clarinets have traditionally been padded in either skin or leather pads. In my experience the performance of good quality pads made from either material, expertly fitted, is very similar and can be highly satisfactory. Leather pads are anecdotally often credited with being more slightly more durable and tending to mellow a tone quality when compared with skin pads. They may also be more forgiving for seating to tone holes. Cork pads are sometimes used for smaller upper joint tone holes but the successful employment of cork depends hugely the experience of the repairer doing the fitting  and on the quality of the cork itself as high quality ‘clean’ cork is increasingly difficult and costly to obtain. Cork is not suitable for lower joint pads so by default a less desirable ‘mix’ of pads ends up being used. New synthetic material pads have the opportunity to be more airtight than any natural product but, also anecdotally, have a tendency to acquire ’tackiness’ on their surfaces, which, while this can be addressed by cleaning when it occurs, can be very annoying.

For saxophones the widely respected quality of Gordon Beeson leather pads has set a standard of comparison for all padding options ever since their introduction in the 1940’s. Older instruments, dating to the 1940’s and earlier, were occasionally padded in white leather with inadequate backing materials and the quality of their performance varied widely. There were some examples of excellent pad performance but also much indifferent or poor performance as well. Skin and cork pads have never been routinely used. For some players synthetic pads may have a genuine role to play for use in smaller left and ‘palm key’ tone holes which attract a great deal of moisture and they are certainly capable of great durability. However they can be problematic for stability when used in pad cups covering larger tone holes and on pads that rely upon spring action to open, specifically the G# and low C# pads, as a result of the propensity for the surfaces of synthetic pads to become ‘tacky’ and stick. For the saxophone player the additional choice of reflectors, plastic or metal, flat or domed, also arises and one may wish to consider these options carefully as there are different sound qualities also attributed to the choice of reflector. Domed metal reflectors tend to brighten a tone and aid projection whereas plastic or ‘flat’ reflectors affect or ‘boost’ the tone far less.

My suggestion would be to hold a conversation with the repairer who will be entrusted with repadding your instrument to learn their opinions and what experience they have with the different pad options and their properties. Where it seems desirable I would advise one stay with what has worked well your instrument in the past. In general avoid any temptation to ‘mix’ pads. If you do wish to try something new and you discover that your repairer is less or even unfamiliar with the type of pad you are considering you should precede with caution – they could find themselves learning how to handle and seat the pads you that have specified with no prior experience and the final result may not be what you imagined. Hopefully the combination of an appropriate pad choice that is suitable for your future needs and expectations as well as the expertise of your repairer will result in an inspirational ‘fresh start’ and long lasting good performance from your instrument.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Oiling a Wooden Clarinet or Oboe - A Discussion CASS Article

Oiling a Wooden Clarinet or Oboe - A Discussion

There are many opinions 'out and about' regarding the advantages or necessity of oiling the bore of wooden instruments, particularly clarinets and oboes. Some proponents are adamant that oiling must be done routinely or accept an increased risk of cracking in the wood. Others say never to oil as the wood will not absorb the oil applied. I have not noticed many contributors who try explain the contradictory advice. This is my brief summary attempt to address this. (for a more detailed discussion about care please see my blog entry Owning and Caring for a Wooden Clarinet, date of entry 27th Nov, 2015)

The coating of African Blackwood (Grenadilla), the material from which the bodies of most wooden clarinets and oboes are constructed, has been a practice of players for many years. When Grenadilla was first adopted for instrument construction oil was applied as a sealant to keep the wood from suffering the effects of moisture absorption through playing and to maintain, as much as possible, a stability in the wood to resist changes in both temperature and humidity levels. Since even this most dense wood is still a natural product it has a grain which is subject to opening up under stress.

• A light oiling, usually with almond or linseed oil was common practice on wooden instruments manufactured up until the late 1970's / early 1980's, and this was as effective a preventative treatment as was then available. 

The use of a small quantity of oil, carefully applied with a pull through swab or pheasant feather, was observed to reduce moisture absorption and lessen the occurrence of 'cracks' - the opening up of the grain.

It is good to bear in mind the following caveat: 

Do not oil apply in excess as the oil can run and will eat away at pad surfaces and attract lint which will affect the pad seating and keywork mechanism function.

Beginning around the early 1980's manufacturers began to use newly available technology to help stabilise their wood stocks. Pressure treatment and impregnation of the their 'billets' (the blocks of wood from which joints are cut) became common practice. Once wood has been treated in this way it has a much greater inherent stability and any oils that are applied are far less likely to be able to be absorbed and provide any useful additional protection to the wood of the instrument.

• It is not generally necessary to use bore oil on modern era instruments (post approx 1980), as their wood has usually been pressure treated prior to manufacture.

Indeed, if oil is used it may have a detrimental effect as a result of not being able to be absorbed by the wood - see the caveat above.

In extreme circumstances an instrument of any age could be completely stripped of keywork and subjected to an 'oil bath' for an extended period of time to attempt to complete rejuvenate a tired looking body and provide a new start. This is best done by an experienced repairer who will also remove all excess oil following the treatment, polish the body and return the keywork afterwards.

Everyone interested in this topic must judge for themselves whether it is oiling is likely to provide a beneficial additional 'belt and braces' protection.

• These days, for the purpose of most players, I believe that it is fair to say that oiling is unnecessary. 

Rest assured that should a 'crack' occur in most cases it can be successful sealed and stabilised by an experienced repairer and your confidence in your beloved instrument will likely be regained in a very short time.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.
Thomas Dryer-Beers