Besides learning how to play a clarinet, a large part of the success of a clarinet player depends on learning to choose the right mouthpiece, since this is the part in charge of emitting the sound and on which our performance as a musician will depend whether it is satisfactory or not.
Choosing the best clarinet mouthpiece is key to your success as a clarinet player. Choosing the wrong mouthpiece can affect your ability to create a good sound. To guide you in choosing the best clarinet mouthpiece, we have reviewed the best clarinet mouthpieces available on the market.
What Is a Clarinet Mouthpiece?
The clarinet is a beautiful woodwind instrument capable of emitting a sweet and harmonious sound that has enchanted millions of people for thousands of years. Now, what is the way in which this sound can be emitted? Well, thanks to the smallest and most important part of this instrument: the mouthpiece.
The mouthpiece, as its name indicates, is not only the area where the musician rests his lips and blows to get a note, but it is the part where all the sound is generated and gives rise to the music. This mouthpiece is where the reed and the damp of the instrument are located, which through the air blown by the interpreters will be in charge of vibrating and emitting the appropriate sound for each note.
Although the functioning of the mouthpieces is always the same and the parts that make them up are also the same in each model, no two mouthpieces are the same. This means that in order to achieve the sound we want with our clarinet, we must first study in-depth the market of mouthpieces and try which one works best for us.
Each musician has his own sound, so each one of them will have to make his own personal search of mouthpieces until he finds the ideal one. This doesn’t have to be very complicated, as long as you have the right information. And that is precisely what we are trying to give you now through this article, accurate and useful information to help you in your search for clarinet mouthpieces.
Best Clarinet Mouthpieces
Nowadays, there are multiple types of clarinet mouthpieces on the market which can be a great advantage but also a disadvantage, especially if you are a beginner who has never tried this instrument before and who barely knows the world of music and its ins and outs.
Therefore, we are going to explain in detail the five best clarinet mouthpieces according to the experts and the valuations of other musicians who bought them before you.
Clarinet Mouthpiece Review – Top 5
- Vandoren Clarinet Mouthpiece (CM1005)
- D’Addario Woodwinds X5 Clarinet Mouthpiece
- Pomarico Black Crystal Moon
- Selmer Paris Focus
- Yamaha YAC CL4CM-II
1. Best Intermediate Clarinet Mouthpiece – Vandoren Clarinet Mouthpiece (CM1005)
The Vandoren CM1005 Clarinet Mouthpiece is highly recommended for its exceptional tone, responsiveness, and compatibility with various reeds. It offers great value for its price and is a top choice for both beginners and experienced players.
The mouthpiece has flawless intonation, sound, and performance, making it unmistakenly Vandoren.
What We Like:
• Its lightness
• Impeccable sound quality
• Elegant and made of high-quality materials
What We Don’t Like:
• The price is high for most musicians, especially beginners
See Pricing and Details2. Best Beginner Clarinet Mouthpiece – D’Addario Woodwinds X5 Clarinet Mouthpiece Review
The D’ Addario Woodwinds X5 mouthpiece is an elegant but robust mouthpiece made of top-quality materials that will appeal to both professionals and novices both for the beauty of its sound and the ease of use and maintenance.
This mouthpiece is made of high-grade rubber that will delight all those clarinet virtuosos who are looking for a very smooth and melodic sound while guaranteeing long-lasting durability of the piece and great tonal beauty.
While all the features of this mouthpiece are remarkable and set it apart from other mouthpieces on the market, what makes the D’Addario Woodwinds X5 really stand out is its two-tone and coating system that allows users to modulate the mouthpiece according to their abilities, their geographical location, and even their age.
This is something that is rarely seen and is to be welcomed, especially among those young musicians who are looking to learn with as much comfort as possible before moving on to the next level in their musical training. This is the best clarinet mouthpiece for beginner, and an overall good b flat clarinet mouthpiece.
What We Like:
• Two-tone systems
• Sound quality
• Durable, quality materials
• Easy to use and maintain
What We Don’t Like:
• Not very durable
See Pricing and Details3. Best Clarinet Mouthpiece For Jazz – Pomarico Black Crystal Moon
Are you a jazz lover looking for a clarinet mouthpiece with which to enjoy your long improvised music sessions without having to give up quality elegance and comfort? Then look no further because the mouthpiece you were looking for is the Pomarico Black Crystal Moon, already considered by many as the best crystal clarinet mouthpiece.
The dimensions of this mouthpiece are 3.8 x 1.7 x 1.1 with a weight of just 1.6 ounces, making it the lightest mouthpiece of the moment.
In addition, it also features an adjustable thumb rest system that will delight jazz virtuosos looking for maximum comfort for every gig. However, it is an expensive mouthpiece.
What We Like:
- Elegant design
- Lightweight, quality materials
- Adjustable thumb rest system
What We Don’t Like:
- It is very expensive
4. Best Cheap Clarinet Mouthpiece – Selmer Paris Focus
The new Selmer Pans are classified by experts as the best clarinet mouthpiece for beginners looking to start their way in the world of music without having to make a large initial investment while not renouncing to enjoy a quality mouthpiece, easy to use and with a more than remarkable sound.
The first advantage of this mouthpiece is the company that manufactures it Selmer Paris Focus which has been making top quality clarinet mouthpieces of all kinds since 1885 and has sought to reinvent itself and adapt to the needs of today’s musicians with this new, more versatile, beautiful and economic model.
With this mouthpiece, you can play a wide variety of sounds with optimum clarity and beauty, being also a mouthpiece designed exclusively to withstand prolonged use without deteriorating and being very easy to maintain and use. Undoubtedly an affordable option full of advantages.
What We Like:
• The price
• Quality materials
• Light
• Good sound
What We Don’t Like:
• Not the best choice for professional musicians at the highest level
See Pricing and Details5. Best Bass Clarinet Mouthpiece – Yamaha YAC CL4CM-II
Lightweight, durable and elegant, those are the three main features to highlight of the clarinet mouthpiece from the prestigious Yamaha brand, which always offers us top quality products, and this mouthpiece is no exception. With a weight of 1.8 ounces, this mouthpiece is one of the lightest on the market, allowing musicians to play for hours in a comfortable way.
On the other hand, this hard rubber mouthpiece offers a sweet premium sound that makes it perfect for both novice and intermediate players who want to start getting a crisper sound from their instruments. All these features make this mouthpiece an affordable option that allows players to enjoy high-level music while advancing in their clarinet studies.
What We Like:
• Quality materials
• Quality sound
• Inexpensive
What We Don’t Like:
• Not suitable for high-level musicians
See Pricing and DetailsWhat Are Some Other Great Clarinet Mouthpieces?
Besides the recommended clarinet mouthpieces above, here are some of our other recommended ones:
1: Selmer 7711 -3 Goldentone 3 Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece
2: Vandoren CM308 B45 Traditional Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece
3: Yamaha Clarinet Mouthpiece 4C
4: American Plating 2332K Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece Kit
5: Vandoren CM307 B40 Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece
6: East Coast Instruments Universal Clarinet Mouthpiece
Do Clarinet Mouthpieces Make a Difference?
As we have told you throughout the article, no two clarinet mouthpieces are ever the same, and each musician will need a different type of mouthpiece depending on their musical tastes and level. Now, what are the factors that a musician who plays the clarinet should take into account to appreciate the difference between one mouthpiece and another?
Well, based on the analysis made by clarinet experts who have spent many years observing all the mouthpiece models that are appearing on the market, the mam factors that should be analyzed before buying are the material, the tip, and the tuning. There are other aspects that we could look at, but the most important and the ones that make the difference between one model and another will always be these three.
The Material
The material a mouthpiece is made of will make a big difference in the quality of the sound it can emit.
Among the main materials used for the manufacture of mouthpieces, the following stand out: plastic, which is usually used to manufacture mouthpieces for beginners and amateur musicians, ebonite which is used for high-level mouthpieces that provides a very sweet sound and allows to easily reach a higher volume, and finally glass, a very resistant and much more elegant material that is preferred by jazz lovers for the wide and mellow sound that it generates.
The Tip
Nowadays, the tips of mouthpieces are usually classified in two ways: open or closed. At the tip of the mouthpiece is the reed with the end of the mouthpiece, and the opening that generates the space between the two parts will be crucial for the type of sound and the ease with which it can be generated.
As a general rule, the more closed a mouthpiece is, the darker its sound and the lower its resistance, while with open tips, the resistance increases, and the sound is much brighter and wider.
Tuning
As it happens with the rest of the instruments, the type of tuning in which our clarinet is made will determine the type of mouthpiece that we will have to buy, being able to choose between mouthpieces for bass clarinet, special in Bb and in Eb.
It is important to consult an expert on the type of tuning of our instrument; otherwise, we could make a mistake and cause our mouthpiece to fail to emit a single note in tune.
Which Clarinet Mouthpiece Is Best for a Beginner?
This is the main question that anyone starting to play the clarinet should ask themselves, and experts always tend to give a unanimous answer start with a mouthpiece with a slightly narrow tip and a medium length face that will allow them to obtain a brilliant sound in almost any register such as the Yamaha 4C mouthpiece.
As for the material a beginner’s mouthpiece should be made of. It is recommended to start with plastic rather than opting for ebonite or glass. The reason why any beginner should start with a piastre mouthpiece is because of the brilliant sound it generates right from the start, which is essential for students who have not yet mastered the technique and are looking for their best clarinet playing style
Later, as the player improves his level, he will be able to opt for other types of mouthpieces that offer a much more personalized tonality, such as glass or rubber.
How Do You Pick a Clarinet Mouthpiece?
Although it may seem unimportant, whether or not we choose the right mouthpiece for our clarinet can make the difference between becoming an excellent musician in a short time or being eternally stuck producing a poor quality sound. The key to always get it right when we enter a specialized mu6ic store with a wide variety of mouthpieces for sale? Take into account the musician’s level and style.
With the help of an expert in musical instruments to advise us in our purchase, we can find the type of mouthpiece we are looking for since it is not the same to look for a mouthpiece for a young student who barely knows how to play a few notes with his clarinet, than for an experienced jazz concert player who wants to renew his old mouthpiece for a new one that offers the same sound and greater durability.
Therefore talk to the seller and be clear about the sound you are looking for and your level of technique with the instrument. This way, you will always end up finding the right type of mouthpiece for each moment of your career.
Conclusion
We hope that through this simple buying guide and with the list of the best clarinet mouthpieces that we have provided you with, you will be able to find the type of mouthpiece that best suits your needs as a musician, whether you are a novice or an experienced player.
After all, music is the art of transmitting feelings and expressing the deepest emotions of the human being through the beautiful sound provided by instruments as beautiful as the clarinet, so it is worth knowing it thoroughly and knowing how we can get to give the highest level in each piece of music we play.
Do not hesitate to put Into practice all our tips to enjoy the best music and share it with the rest of the world!