Assembling the clarinet is a relatively simple task. Before your child begins assembling you can have them soak their reed in a tiny cup of water or place it in their mouth while they assemble the instrument. The biggest problem encountered is gripping the clarinet’s keys and rods tightly while assembling which very quickly leads to the instrument being out of adjustment and failing to play properly. This leads to numerous visits to the repair shop and countless days or even weeks with an instrument out of the hands of your child. Observe your child putting together the instrument and watch their hand placement and ensure they are properly gripping the instrument away from the keys. Make sure the corks are properly greased which will eliminate the need to push or grip too tightly. It is also important to note that when putting the bell on the instrument your child should hold the lower joint.

The following video should highlight all of these points and others:

When you are done playing the clarinet, make sure to swab! Moisture inside the instrument once you put it away is a bad thing, swabbing will take care of this quickly and easy.

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