Cold temperatures mean taking a few simple preventative measures to ensure your clarinet remains in good shape. This care is a MUST for wooden clarinets! If you’re playing on a plastic clarinet it’s still worth putting Tips #2 and #3 that are listed below into practice. Why? Well, for starters these care tips will help keep your clarinet in good shape regardless of what it’s made out of. You’ll also be building good habits if you’re currently playing a plastic clarinet but planning to one day switch over to a wooden clarinet.
Tip #1: Put a humidifier in your case.
With cold weather comes dryer air. You’ll want to help maintain the humidity in your clarinet case so that the wood stays happy. The pads and corks will be happy too! A happy clarinet will make for a happier you! The easiest way to do this that I’ve found is to place a Boveda 49% humidity pack in your clarinet case. The ideal humidity for your clarinet is 45-55%. Just put the humidity pack in your case and you’re all set! You can pretty much set it and forget it. Once it’s “stiff” and no longer “squishy,” that means it’s time to replace it.
Tip #2: Keep your instrument away from radiators and windows.
Hot and cold extremes are never good for your clarinet!
Tip #3: Warm up your clarinet before you start to play.
There could be times when you open up your case, start to grab the clarinet pieces, and it feels like you’re grabbing chunks of ice. Yes, your clarinet could be THAT cold at times! When your clarinet is cold you shouldn’t start playing it right away. Cold clarinet+warm air being blown into it by you=disaster waiting to happen! Drastic temperature changes within too short a period of time could cause your clarinet to crack. So here’s how to gently get your chilled clarinet ready for playing-
Take the upper and lower joints and put them under your armpits. You read that right, armpits! Your armpits are extra warm and will do the trick. For your barrel, grab it and hold it/cup it in your hands.
Once the barrel and the upper and lower joints are feeling warm, it is safe to assemble your clarinet. At this point, you can safely start to blow in a little bit of warm air into the instrument. It’s all about a gradual, not abrupt, warming up of your clarinet! Warming up your instrument this way will also help you play in tune sooner.
Two friendly reminders:
Use cork grease! Be sure to have cork grease readily available. With your corks drying out, you want to prevent them from cracking.
Swab really well! This goes without saying, but I’m mentioning it anyway because you want to make sure all moisture is removed from your clarinet before you put it away.
I hope these care tips help keep your clarinet safe and cozy during cold temperatures. If you have any clarinet questions please feel free to message me or sign up for a lesson!