Assembly and care tips

1. Place the thin end of the reed in your mouth to moisten it while you put your clarinet together.
2. Check the corked joints of the clarinet; if they’re dry, rub a small amount of cork grease on each.
3. With the upper joint in your left palm, use your left-hand fingers to press down the tone hole rings – when you hold the keys down they’re less likely to get bent; holding the upper joint keys down also raises the bridge key so it doesn’t get bent.
4. Grasp the lower joint near the cork without putting pressure on any keys. Line up the tone holes on the two joints and gently twist them together, taking care that the bridge key doesn’t catch and bend.
5. Gently twist the bell and the barrel into place without putting pressure on any keys.
6. Grasp the clarinet at the top so you’re gripping the barrel and the upper joint at the same time (without putting pressure on any keys) and gently twist the mouthpiece into place.
7. With the ligature already around the mouthpiece, slide the thick end of the reed under the ligature and align the tip of the reed with the tip of the mouthpiece. Tighten the ligature screws to hold the reed firmly in place.