How to Take Apart a Clarinet

One of the most common sources of damage to a clarinet is improper disassembly. The soft metal of the instrument's keys can bend easily. If you bend the keys, the pads won't cover the holes fully. This results in a diminished quality clarinet or a broken one. By following the steps listed to disassemble your clarinet, you can minimize the risk of damage.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A clarinet
• Silk swab

1. Loosen the ligature on the mouthpiece and remove the reed. Place the reed in a reed guard. Composed of a hard material such as plastic or glass, the reed guard protects the tip of the reed from tears. If you leave a reed to dry on the mouthpiece, it can warp.
2. Disengage the mouthpiece from the barrel. Dry the mouthpiece by gently wiping it with a silk swab.
3. Place the mouthpiece cap on top of the mouthpiece with the ligature. Secure the mouthpiece in the clarinet case after disassembly.
4. Clean the inside of the clarinet with a silk swab. Pull the swab through the body of the clarinet using one of these two methods: either drop the swab down the bell to the barrel or lower the swab down the barrel to the bell. Use whichever method you're comfortable with. The preferred method is the first—to drop the swab down the bell to the barrel.
5. Twist and pull apart the upper and lower joints of the clarinet. Fit the sections in the correct direction in the case. You can tell if you place the joints correctly when the case closes securely and easily.
6. Position the bell into the proper location where you found it in your clarinet case.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't pull the silk swab through the mouthpiece, since repeated swabbing can change the mouthpiece's dimensions. Instead, run tepid water through the mouthpiece once a week and make sure to protect the cork.
• Avoid damaging or ripping the cork when twisting apart the sections of your clarinet. Gently pull apart the joints when disassembling your clarinet.