Upgrading your equipment is always a great way to improve your clarinet playing. Choosing the right mouthpiece is one of the most cost effective ways to do so. I have some suggestions on which brand and model might be right for you.

You may or may not have considered how much of an impact your mouthpiece has on your

tone, articulation and feel when you play, but it’s huge! The mouthpiece you use has as much

impact on your clarinet playing as the reeds you are choosing. Selecting the right mouthpiece

for you can greatly improve your abilities on the clarinet, even if you are still using your student model instrument.

Clarinet mouthpieces have two main varying characteristics: tip opening and facing length. The tip opening is the distance between the reed and the tip of the mouthpiece. Mouthpieces curve away from the reed, and generally a wider opening will do best with a softer reed and a smaller opening will do best with a harder reed. Facing length is where the reed separates from the mouthpiece table, the flat surface the reeds rests against. Generally, shorter facings will respond better with softer reeds, and longer facings will respond better with harder reeds. All this to say, we have many variables and thus many mouthpieces to consider.

My brand of choice for clarinet mouthpieces is Vandoren. This company, founded in 1905 in

Paris, specializes in the top piece of your clarinet, from mouthpieces and ligatures to reeds. I

also highly recommend pairing a Vandoren mouthpiece with a Vandoren reed, but that’s another article altogether!

My top three Vandoren mouthpiece models I recommend are the M15 series 13, M30D and

B45. These three mouthpieces are a great middle ground of the above described characteristics (tip opening and facing length). The M15 is the most closed of these, and thus would be best paired with a harder reed (size 3.5-5). The B45 is the most open and therefore works best with a softer reed (size 3-4). Though reed selection is important, you’ll have the best long term outcome if you choose your mouthpiece then find reeds to work with it, not the other way around.

These mouthpieces will run you about $150 and are a good choice for any advancing middle

school, high school or college student. These are professional mouthpieces and would be great options for the serious musician as well.

So, which is right for you? My next recommendation is to try several mouthpieces before you

buy one. This would be great to do with your private teacher, band director or other professional musician. It’s very helpful to have a different set of ears present to give you feedback when you are testing new equipment! When you try mouthpieces play the complete range of the clarinet and try articulating (tonguing) through the whole range too. Listen for clean and clear starts to your notes and pay attention to how it feels when you play. Are you working much harder to get the sound you want? Or maybe you feel you can relax and get an even better tone. That’s the ideal mouthpiece!

JMC is glad to have Allison Fong back as a repair technician after a two-year hiatus to raise her child.

Allison was Johnstonbaugh’s repair coordinator from 2018 to 2020 and left after giving birth to her son. Allison has an extensive music career, having played and taught oboe throughout the Sacramento area. Also, she holds bachelor’s degrees in Oboe Performance and Music Education from California State University, Sacramento. While attending college, Allison began working at her local music store, where she was introduced to band instrument repair.

She apprenticed in instrument repair under Scott Mandeville until 2018, when she moved to Pittsburgh. Allison has been a NAPBIRT member since 2015 and has attended national conferences and clinics for instrument repair.

Allison’s passion for instrument repair stems from her passion for quality music education.

While in college, Allison had many friends who were music educators. She witnessed their struggles as music educators, such as administration difficulties and lack of proper or functional equipment. Allison felt she could help her community's music programs in a supplemental capacity by offering compassionate and mindful instrument repairs. She recognizes that by providing a band director with functioning instruments, she is, in turn, helping all of the students that are under their supervision.

JMC appreciates the high quality of work she delivers with her repairs and is glad to have her back in the shop.

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Issued December 2022