{"id":7675,"date":"2026-09-21T23:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T23:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T23:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T23:15:12","slug":"crossing-the-clarinet-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/","title":{"rendered":"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practical Practice Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"height:0;overflow:hidden;\"><script data-no-optimize=\"1\" data-no-defer=\"1\" data-no-delay=\"1\">(function(){function fix(){var m=document.querySelector(\"meta[name='twitter:data2']\");if(!m)return;var t=m.getAttribute(\"content\");if(!t)return;var el=document.querySelector(\".blog-single__meta-1 li\");if(!el)return;var target=t.toUpperCase().replace(\"MINUTES\",\"MIN READ\").replace(\"MINUTE\",\"MIN READ\");if(el.textContent!==target)el.textContent=target;}fix();window.addEventListener(\"load\",fix);})();<\/script><\/div>\n<div style=\"max-width:800px;margin:0 auto;padding:24px 24px 64px;font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;color:#19394C;font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;\">\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The clarinet break is the step from the B-flat on the middle line of the staff to the B right beside it, and it asks your hands to change nine things at once. If your low notes are solid and that crossing still squeaks or cracks, the cause is usually one of four things: fingers arriving at different moments, a hole that is not quite sealed, air that slows at the wrong moment, or the instrument itself. Each one has a quick test, and each one has a different fix.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Every note name here is written pitch, the note as it appears in a clarinet part. On a B-flat clarinet each one sounds a whole step lower.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family:'PlayfairDisplay-Bold','Playfair Display',Georgia,serif;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;color:#026D81;margin:0 0 14px;padding-bottom:8px;border-bottom:2px solid #F5BD52;\">What Changes Between B-flat and B<\/h2>\n<figure style=\"margin:22px 0 24px;padding:18px 18px 14px;background:#FCF8F4;border:1px solid #ECE3D4;border-radius:12px;\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 640 384\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Clarinet fingerings at the break, written pitch. A4 presses only the A key. B flat 4 presses the register key and the A key. B4 presses the register key, covers the thumb hole and all six finger holes, and presses the little-finger E\/B key. C5 is the same with the F\/C key instead. The last column is B flat 4 played right hand down: register key, A key, and the three right-hand holes covered as well.\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;max-width:640px;height:auto;margin:0 auto;\"><g font-family=\"'Source Sans 3','Source Sans Pro',system-ui,sans-serif\"><text x=\"16\" y=\"26\" font-size=\"14.5\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#064B72\">From the last throat note to the first clarion note<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"60\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">register key<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"85\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">thumb hole<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"110\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">A key<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"135\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">left index<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"160\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">left middle<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"185\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">left ring<\/text><line x1=\"16\" y1=\"193\" x2=\"630\" y2=\"193\" stroke=\"#ECE3D4\" stroke-width=\"1\" stroke-dasharray=\"3 3\"\/><text x=\"110\" y=\"210\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">right index<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"235\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">right middle<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"260\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">right ring<\/text><text x=\"110\" y=\"285\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"end\">little finger<\/text><rect x=\"136\" y=\"50\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"150\" cy=\"81\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"136\" y=\"100\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"150\" cy=\"131\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"150\" cy=\"156\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"150\" cy=\"181\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"150\" cy=\"206\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"150\" cy=\"231\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"150\" cy=\"256\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"136\" y=\"275\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><text x=\"150\" y=\"316\" font-size=\"14\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#19394C\" text-anchor=\"middle\">A4<\/text><text x=\"150\" y=\"334\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"middle\">throat<\/text><rect x=\"236\" y=\"50\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"250\" cy=\"81\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"236\" y=\"100\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"250\" cy=\"131\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"250\" cy=\"156\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"250\" cy=\"181\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"250\" cy=\"206\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"250\" cy=\"231\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"250\" cy=\"256\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"236\" y=\"275\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><text x=\"250\" y=\"316\" font-size=\"14\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#19394C\" text-anchor=\"middle\">B\u266d4<\/text><text x=\"250\" y=\"334\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"middle\">last throat note<\/text><rect x=\"336\" y=\"50\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"350\" cy=\"81\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"336\" y=\"100\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"350\" cy=\"131\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"350\" cy=\"156\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"350\" cy=\"181\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"350\" cy=\"206\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"350\" cy=\"231\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"350\" cy=\"256\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"336\" y=\"275\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><text x=\"368\" y=\"285\" font-size=\"11.5\" fill=\"#19394C\" font-weight=\"700\">E\/B<\/text><text x=\"350\" y=\"316\" font-size=\"14\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#19394C\" text-anchor=\"middle\">B4<\/text><text x=\"350\" y=\"334\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"middle\">first clarion note<\/text><rect x=\"436\" y=\"50\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"450\" cy=\"81\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"436\" y=\"100\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"450\" cy=\"131\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"450\" cy=\"156\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"450\" cy=\"181\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"450\" cy=\"206\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"450\" cy=\"231\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"450\" cy=\"256\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"436\" y=\"275\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><text x=\"468\" y=\"285\" font-size=\"11.5\" fill=\"#19394C\" font-weight=\"700\">F\/C<\/text><text x=\"450\" y=\"316\" font-size=\"14\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#19394C\" text-anchor=\"middle\">C5<\/text><text x=\"450\" y=\"334\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"middle\">clarion<\/text><rect x=\"536\" y=\"50\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"550\" cy=\"81\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"536\" y=\"100\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"550\" cy=\"131\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"550\" cy=\"156\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"550\" cy=\"181\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"550\" cy=\"206\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"550\" cy=\"231\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><circle cx=\"550\" cy=\"256\" r=\"9\" fill=\"#026D81\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><rect x=\"536\" y=\"275\" width=\"28\" height=\"12\" rx=\"6\" fill=\"#fff\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"2\"\/><text x=\"550\" y=\"316\" font-size=\"14\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#19394C\" text-anchor=\"middle\">B\u266d4<\/text><text x=\"550\" y=\"334\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#5c6b78\" text-anchor=\"middle\">right hand down<\/text><text x=\"16\" y=\"374\" font-size=\"12.5\" fill=\"#5c6b78\">A filled shape is a key pressed or a hole covered. Written pitch.<\/text><\/g><\/svg><figcaption style=\"font-size:14.5px;color:#5c6b78;margin-top:10px;line-height:1.5;\">The column on the right is B flat played right hand down, which puts three of the nine changes in place before the crossing starts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The clarinet&#8217;s low register, the chalumeau, runs from low E, which hangs below three ledger lines under the staff, up to the B-flat on the middle line. Its top four notes, G, G-sharp, A and B-flat, are called the throat tones, and they use almost nothing: open G has no fingers down at all, A is one small key pressed by the side of the left index finger, and B-flat adds the register key, the key on the back of the instrument that the left thumb presses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The next note up, the B on the middle line, is the first note of the clarion register, and it needs everything. The thumb covers its hole while still pressing the register key, all six finger holes close, and one little finger presses one of the keys on the lower joint. Going from B-flat to B, eight things go down and the A key comes up, and all of it has to land at the same instant. If one finger arrives late, the clarinet plays whatever that half-finished fingering produces for a split second, which is where the squeak comes from.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The fingering itself is not new. The clarion register repeats the chalumeau fingerings with the register key added, and each clarion note sounds a twelfth, an octave plus a fifth, above the note it borrows from. The B is the low E fingering with the register key, and the C above it is the low F fingering with the key. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/is-clarinet-hard-to-learn\/\" style=\"color:#026D81;\">whether clarinet is hard to learn<\/a> explains why this one step carries the instrument&#8217;s reputation. What the reputation leaves out is that the break is a timing problem, and timing is trainable.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family:'PlayfairDisplay-Bold','Playfair Display',Georgia,serif;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;color:#026D81;margin:44px 0 14px;padding-bottom:8px;border-bottom:2px solid #F5BD52;\">Find Out Which Problem You Have<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin:32px 0;\"><a class=\"btn-yellow type-default\" href=\"https:\/\/tunelark.com\/find-a-teacher\" style=\"display:inline-block !important;line-height:1.35;max-width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;background:#f4b643;color:#000000;padding:14px 32px;border-radius:999px;font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.06em;text-decoration:none;\">Find Your Music Teacher<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Much of the frustration with the break comes from working on the wrong thing. A student who is not sealing a hole can practice crossings slowly for a month and get nowhere. Three short tests, in this order, sort it out.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\"><strong>Test one: low E and low F.<\/strong> Play each for four slow counts, tongued, meaning each note started with the tongue against the reed. These are the B and C of the clarion without the register key, so they need exactly the same seal. If either squeaks, sounds fuzzy or will not start, the problem is under your fingers or in a pad, the padded disc that seals a key&#8217;s hole, and the break is only where it shows up. The most common culprit is the right ring finger, which has to cover one of the largest open holes with the pad of the finger rather than the tip. A phone video of your hands shows it more reliably than feel does.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\"><strong>Test two: the twelfth drill.<\/strong> Hold low E steadily, then press the register key without moving anything else. Do the same from low F and from low G.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin:22px 0 24px;padding:18px 18px 14px;background:#FCF8F4;border:1px solid #ECE3D4;border-radius:12px;\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 482 210\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Three slurred pairs on the treble staff, written pitch, half notes. Low E slurs up to the B on the middle line. Low F slurs up to the C in the third space. Low G slurs up to the D on the fourth line. Each pair keeps the same fingers and adds only the register key, and each upper note sounds a twelfth above the lower one.\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;max-width:482px;height:auto;margin:0 auto;\"><g font-family=\"'Source Sans 3','Source Sans Pro',system-ui,sans-serif\"><text x=\"16\" y=\"22\" font-size=\"14.5\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#064B72\">The twelfth drill: same fingers, add the register key<\/text><g transform=\"translate(0,30)\"><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"466\" y2=\"40\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"52\" x2=\"466\" y2=\"52\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"64\" x2=\"466\" y2=\"64\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"76\" x2=\"466\" y2=\"76\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"88\" x2=\"466\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><text x=\"38\" y=\"86\" font-size=\"58\" fill=\"#026D81\" font-family=\"'Segoe UI Symbol','Apple Symbols','Noto Music',serif\">&#119070;<\/text><line x1=\"466\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"466\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><line x1=\"82\" y1=\"100\" x2=\"110\" y2=\"100\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"82\" y1=\"112\" x2=\"110\" y2=\"112\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"82\" y1=\"124\" x2=\"110\" y2=\"124\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(96,130) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"103.6\" y1=\"127.6\" x2=\"103.6\" y2=\"90\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"96\" y=\"162\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">low E<\/text><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(158,64) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"150.4\" y1=\"66.4\" x2=\"150.4\" y2=\"104\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"158\" y=\"162\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">B<\/text><line x1=\"202\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"202\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><line x1=\"222\" y1=\"100\" x2=\"250\" y2=\"100\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"222\" y1=\"112\" x2=\"250\" y2=\"112\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"222\" y1=\"124\" x2=\"250\" y2=\"124\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(236,124) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"243.6\" y1=\"121.6\" x2=\"243.6\" y2=\"84\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"236\" y=\"162\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">low F<\/text><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(298,58) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"290.4\" y1=\"60.4\" x2=\"290.4\" y2=\"98\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"298\" y=\"162\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">C<\/text><line x1=\"342\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"342\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><line x1=\"362\" y1=\"100\" x2=\"390\" y2=\"100\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"362\" y1=\"112\" x2=\"390\" y2=\"112\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(376,118) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"383.6\" y1=\"115.6\" x2=\"383.6\" y2=\"78\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"376\" y=\"162\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">low G<\/text><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(438,52) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"430.4\" y1=\"54.4\" x2=\"430.4\" y2=\"92\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"438\" y=\"162\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">D<\/text><path d=\"M104,85 Q127,29 154,51\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><path d=\"M244,79 Q267,23 294,45\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><path d=\"M384,73 Q407,17 434,39\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><figcaption style=\"font-size:14.5px;color:#5c6b78;margin-top:10px;line-height:1.5;\">The fingers do not move within a pair. Only the register key is added.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">If the upper note pops out clean, your fingers seal and the instrument can make the note. The crossing from A or B-flat is then purely a matter of timing, which the next two sections deal with. If the upper note cracks, falls back to the low note or sounds thin, the issue is air or the mouth, not the fingers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\"><strong>Test three: the instrument.<\/strong> If low E and F fail when the video shows your fingers sealing, look at the mechanism. Check the bridge key first: the small lever that links the clarinet&#8217;s two main sections, the upper and lower joints, has to line up with its partner when you put the instrument together, and a beginner who twists the joints together carelessly can leave it sitting off its partner, which leaks. Then test the pads by suction. Take off the mouthpiece and the barrel, the short piece just below the mouthpiece, finger the C below the staff on the upper joint, seal its bottom end with your palm and suck the air out from the top. A healthy joint holds the vacuum for several seconds and lets go with a pop. For the lower joint, finger low E, seal the bottom with the other hand and suck from the top, where about three seconds is acceptable.<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;max-width:100%;contain:inline-size;margin:0 0 18px;\">\n<table style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;font-size:15px;margin:18px 0;\">\n<tr style=\"background:#FCF8F4;\">\n<th style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;text-align:left;\">What happens<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;text-align:left;\">Most likely cause<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;text-align:left;\">What to do<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Low E or F squeaks or will not start<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">A finger not sealing, or a leaking pad<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Check the right ring finger on video, then run the suction test<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">The twelfth drill works, the crossing from A or B-flat fails<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Fingers landing at different moments<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Right hand down and the slow study below<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">The upper note cracks, drops back or sounds thin<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Air slowing, the tongue dropping, or biting<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Faster air, a high tongue, no extra jaw pressure<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Stuffy tone, notes hard to start, clarion notes that refuse to speak<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">A reed that is too hard<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Try the next strength down. Reeds are numbered by stiffness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Squeaks on many notes, not only at the break<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">A reed that is too soft, chipped or warped<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:8px 10px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;\">Fit a fresh reed before changing anything else, then try the next strength up<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<h2 style=\"font-family:'PlayfairDisplay-Bold','Playfair Display',Georgia,serif;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;color:#026D81;margin:44px 0 14px;padding-bottom:8px;border-bottom:2px solid #F5BD52;\">Right Hand Down: Move Fewer Fingers<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The most useful habit for the break is called right hand down. While you play the throat tones, the three right-hand fingers stay down on their holes instead of hovering. The throat notes still sound, and when you cross to B or C the lower joint is already closed, so fewer fingers have to move. Clarinet teachers use it for exactly this reason, and it is the rightmost column in the fingering diagram above.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Two small hand positions help the rest of the crossing. The left thumb sits angled at about two o&#8217;clock, so its tip can press the register key while the pad of the thumb stays over the hole, and moving between B-flat and B means covering the hole without letting go of the key. The left index finger rolls onto the A key rather than lifting off its hole and reaching, so coming back down to the hole is a small roll in the other direction instead of a jump.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Rest the bell on your knees and low E and F, and the B and C a twelfth above them, lose their outlet. Keep it clear, between the knees or just in front of them.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family:'PlayfairDisplay-Bold','Playfair Display',Georgia,serif;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;color:#026D81;margin:44px 0 14px;padding-bottom:8px;border-bottom:2px solid #F5BD52;\">Air, Tongue and Embouchure Across the Break<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The clarion notes need faster, steadier air than the throat tones, because they sound the whole tube at a higher resonance while a throat tone sounds a short tube at its lowest one. The mistake at the break is letting the air ease off at the exact moment the fingers move, often because attention has gone to the hands. Keep the air firm and constant straight through the change. A slurred crossing should feel like one continuous breath with the fingers moving inside it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Clarinetists call the shape of the tongue inside the mouth voicing. For the break, keep the tongue high and arched, closer to the shape of the vowel in &#8220;ee&#8221; than in &#8220;ah.&#8221; A tongue that drops as the fingers move is a common reason a clarion note cracks back down.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The embouchure, the way the lips and jaw hold the mouthpiece, stays the same across the break. Low F and the C a twelfth above it should feel identical in the mouth. Biting harder to force the upper note out is the instinct, and it makes the squeak worse, because extra jaw pressure pinches the reed. If the twelfth drill works only when you bite, the air is what needs to change. Check too that enough mouthpiece is in your mouth, since too little is one of the standard causes of a squeak.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family:'PlayfairDisplay-Bold','Playfair Display',Georgia,serif;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;color:#026D81;margin:44px 0 14px;padding-bottom:8px;border-bottom:2px solid #F5BD52;\">Across and Back: A Six-Bar Study<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Across and Back takes the three crossings from the twelfth drill and approaches each one from a throat tone, first going up and then coming back down, every throat note played right hand down.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"margin:22px 0 24px;padding:18px 18px 14px;background:#FCF8F4;border:1px solid #ECE3D4;border-radius:12px;\"><svg viewBox=\"0 0 456 176\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Across and Back, bars one to three, in 4\/4, half notes, written pitch. Bar one: G4 slurred up to D5. Bar two: A4 slurred up to C5. Bar three: B flat 4 slurred up to B natural 4. Every throat note is played right hand down.\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;max-width:456px;height:auto;margin:0 auto;\"><g font-family=\"'Source Sans 3','Source Sans Pro',system-ui,sans-serif\"><text x=\"16\" y=\"22\" font-size=\"14.5\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#064B72\">Across and Back, bars 1 to 3<\/text><g transform=\"translate(0,30)\"><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"440\" y2=\"40\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"52\" x2=\"440\" y2=\"52\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"64\" x2=\"440\" y2=\"64\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"76\" x2=\"440\" y2=\"76\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"88\" x2=\"440\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><text x=\"38\" y=\"86\" font-size=\"58\" fill=\"#026D81\" font-family=\"'Segoe UI Symbol','Apple Symbols','Noto Music',serif\">&#119070;<\/text><text x=\"96\" y=\"62\" font-size=\"25\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#19394C\" font-family=\"'Playfair Display',Georgia,serif\" text-anchor=\"middle\">4<\/text><text x=\"96\" y=\"86\" font-size=\"25\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#19394C\" font-family=\"'Playfair Display',Georgia,serif\" text-anchor=\"middle\">4<\/text><line x1=\"440\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"440\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(130,76) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"137.6\" y1=\"73.6\" x2=\"137.6\" y2=\"36\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"130\" y=\"128\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">RH<\/text><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(180,52) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"172.4\" y1=\"54.4\" x2=\"172.4\" y2=\"92\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><line x1=\"212\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"212\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(246,70) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"253.6\" y1=\"67.6\" x2=\"253.6\" y2=\"30\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"246\" y=\"128\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">RH<\/text><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(296,58) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"288.4\" y1=\"60.4\" x2=\"288.4\" y2=\"98\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><line x1=\"328\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"328\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><text x=\"338\" y=\"70\" font-size=\"24\" fill=\"#19394C\" font-family=\"'Segoe UI Symbol','Apple Symbols','Noto Music',serif\">&#9837;<\/text><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(362,64) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"354.4\" y1=\"66.4\" x2=\"354.4\" y2=\"104\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"362\" y=\"128\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">RH<\/text><text x=\"388\" y=\"70\" font-size=\"24\" fill=\"#19394C\" font-family=\"'Segoe UI Symbol','Apple Symbols','Noto Music',serif\">&#9838;<\/text><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(412,64) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"404.4\" y1=\"66.4\" x2=\"404.4\" y2=\"104\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><path d=\"M138,31 Q155,9 176,39\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><path d=\"M254,25 Q271,3 292,45\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><path d=\"M366,51 Q387,29 408,51\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/p>\n<div style=\"height:14px\"><\/div>\n<p><svg viewBox=\"0 0 422 176\" role=\"img\" aria-label=\"Across and Back, bars four to six, half notes, written pitch. Bar four: B4 slurred down to B flat 4. Bar five: C5 slurred down to A4. Bar six: D5 slurred down to G4. Every throat note is played right hand down.\" style=\"display:block;width:100%;max-width:422px;height:auto;margin:0 auto;\"><g font-family=\"'Source Sans 3','Source Sans Pro',system-ui,sans-serif\"><text x=\"16\" y=\"22\" font-size=\"14.5\" font-weight=\"700\" fill=\"#064B72\">Bars 4 to 6<\/text><g transform=\"translate(0,30)\"><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"406\" y2=\"40\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"52\" x2=\"406\" y2=\"52\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"64\" x2=\"406\" y2=\"64\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"76\" x2=\"406\" y2=\"76\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><line x1=\"30\" y1=\"88\" x2=\"406\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.2\"\/><text x=\"38\" y=\"86\" font-size=\"58\" fill=\"#026D81\" font-family=\"'Segoe UI Symbol','Apple Symbols','Noto Music',serif\">&#119070;<\/text><line x1=\"406\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"406\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(96,64) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"88.4\" y1=\"66.4\" x2=\"88.4\" y2=\"104\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"122\" y=\"70\" font-size=\"24\" fill=\"#19394C\" font-family=\"'Segoe UI Symbol','Apple Symbols','Noto Music',serif\">&#9837;<\/text><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(146,64) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"138.4\" y1=\"66.4\" x2=\"138.4\" y2=\"104\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"146\" y=\"128\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">RH<\/text><line x1=\"178\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"178\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(212,58) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"204.4\" y1=\"60.4\" x2=\"204.4\" y2=\"98\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(262,70) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"269.6\" y1=\"67.6\" x2=\"269.6\" y2=\"30\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"262\" y=\"128\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">RH<\/text><line x1=\"294\" y1=\"40\" x2=\"294\" y2=\"88\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"1.4\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(328,52) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"320.4\" y1=\"54.4\" x2=\"320.4\" y2=\"92\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><ellipse cx=\"0\" cy=\"0\" rx=\"8\" ry=\"5.6\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.6\" transform=\"translate(378,76) rotate(-12)\"\/><line x1=\"385.6\" y1=\"73.6\" x2=\"385.6\" y2=\"36\" stroke=\"#19394C\" stroke-width=\"2.2\"\/><text x=\"378\" y=\"128\" font-size=\"12\" fill=\"#026D81\" text-anchor=\"middle\" font-weight=\"700\">RH<\/text><path d=\"M100,51 Q121,29 142,51\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><path d=\"M216,45 Q237,3 258,25\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><path d=\"M332,39 Q353,9 374,31\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#026D81\" stroke-width=\"1.6\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg><figcaption style=\"font-size:14.5px;color:#5c6b78;margin-top:10px;line-height:1.5;\">Across and Back, an original study for this guide. RH marks a throat note played with the three right-hand fingers down.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The order is deliberate. From G to D, the right hand is already down and no little finger is involved, so only the left thumb, on its hole and on the register key, and the three left-hand fingers move: five changes. A to C adds a little finger on the F\/C key and releases the A key, which makes seven. B-flat to B is six changes, but it is the hardest of the three, because the two notes are a half step apart, the smallest step in Western music, and any lag between fingers is heard as a separate squeak between them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Set a metronome to 60 and give each half note two clicks. The method:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">1. Play one bar at a time, slurred, meaning both notes joined in one breath with no tongue, until it comes out clean four times in a row. A clean repetition has no squeak, no gap and no bump in the sound at the change.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">2. Play the same bar tongued. Tonguing can hide a late finger in the gap between notes, so the slurred version stays the real test.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">3. Raise the tempo by four beats per minute only after a clean set at the current speed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">4. Join the bars in order, first the three going up, then all six.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Five minutes of this inside a daily session of 15 to 20 minutes, five or six days a week, is usually enough, and it works better as the second item of the session than as the first, once your embouchure is warm and before it is tired. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/how-to-practice-music-at-home\/\" style=\"color:#026D81;\">practicing music at home<\/a> covers building a short session that actually happens, and if the staff above is unfamiliar, our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/how-to-read-sheet-music-beginners\/\" style=\"color:#026D81;\">reading sheet music as a beginner<\/a> covers the lines, spaces and note values it uses.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family:'PlayfairDisplay-Bold','Playfair Display',Georgia,serif;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;color:#026D81;margin:44px 0 14px;padding-bottom:8px;border-bottom:2px solid #F5BD52;\">How Long It Takes, and What a Teacher Sees<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">The break usually settles somewhere in months three to six of steady practice. The low register is generally squeak-free by around month three, so the break tends to arrive just as everything else starts to feel easy. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/how-long-to-learn-clarinet\/\" style=\"color:#026D81;\">clarinet timeline<\/a> shows where it sits in the first year and a half.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">A teacher earns their fee here because most of what goes wrong at the break cannot be felt from the inside. A finger lifting a fraction early, a thumb rolling off its hole as it reaches for the register key and a tongue dropping at the change all sound like the same squeak to the player. On camera, with both hands and the face in frame, a teacher can usually name which one it is within a few repetitions. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/first-saxophone-flute-clarinet-lesson\/\" style=\"color:#026D81;\">what goes wrong in a first saxophone, flute or clarinet lesson<\/a> covers the earlier habits that feed into it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Travis S., who teaches clarinet on Tunelark, has spent nearly 30 years teaching woodwinds and directs school band programs across the New York area, and he lists sound production and practice habits among the things his lessons are built around. Sara M. has held principal clarinet posts with the Stockton and Tucson symphonies and has taught privately since 2009, from beginners to adults returning to the instrument.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-family:'PlayfairDisplay-Bold','Playfair Display',Georgia,serif;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;color:#026D81;margin:44px 0 14px;padding-bottom:8px;border-bottom:2px solid #F5BD52;\">How to Find a Clarinet Teacher on Tunelark<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:0 0 18px;\">Every Tunelark teacher is vetted by working musicians and educators for teaching quality before they can list. Each teacher sets their own rate and shows it on their profile, and scheduling, billing and support are handled for you.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding-left:24px;margin:0 0 24px;\">\n<li style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin-bottom:8px;\">Open the teacher list at tunelark.com\/find-a-teacher and filter by instrument, then read the bios and watch any video a teacher has posted.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin-bottom:8px;\">Look for a teacher who names tone, fundamentals or sound production, since that is the work the break is made of.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin-bottom:8px;\">Book a trial lesson at $25 off the teacher&#8217;s 30-minute rate, so trials start at $14.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin-bottom:8px;\">Play the twelfth drill and one crossing early in the lesson, with your hands and face in the camera frame. That is the diagnosis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"font-family:'PlayfairDisplay-Bold','Playfair Display',Georgia,serif;font-size:26px;font-weight:700;color:#026D81;margin:44px 0 14px;padding-bottom:8px;border-bottom:2px solid #F5BD52;\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"When should I start working on the break?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Once the low register speaks cleanly from low E upward, which for most students is around the third month. Learning the register key first on the twelfth drill, where the fingers do not move, separates the two new skills instead of asking the hands and the air to learn them together.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Which little finger should play the B?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Either one. The standard student clarinet duplicates three pairs of little-finger keys between the hands, E with B, F with C, and F-sharp with C-sharp. Choose by the next note: when B and C sit side by side, one little finger takes each, so neither has to slide from one key to another.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"The break works in the study but falls apart in real music. What now?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Take the exact two notes that fail from the piece and practice them in the piece's own rhythm and articulation, starting well below its tempo. Music crosses the break at speeds and from notes the study does not cover, and each new pair needs a few days of its own.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Could my clarinet be the problem?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Sometimes. Rental instruments can arrive with leaking pads, and a repair technician finds and fixes one quickly. Take the whole instrument in rather than the joint that seems to be at fault, because a pad above the note that fails is often the cause.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Do I keep playing right hand down forever?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"For moving passages and crossings, most players keep it. Two limits come later: open G can sound slightly flat with the right hand down, and a long, exposed throat note usually gets its own resonance fingering, an alternate fingering chosen to improve the tone of that one note, which a teacher picks when your music calls for it.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n<details style=\"margin:12px 0;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;border-radius:6px;padding:12px 16px;\">\n<summary style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-weight:700;cursor:pointer;color:#064B72;line-height:1.4;\">When should I start working on the break?<\/summary>\n<p style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:8px 0 0;\">Once the low register speaks cleanly from low E upward, which for most students is around the third month. Learning the register key first on the twelfth drill, where the fingers do not move, separates the two new skills instead of asking the hands and the air to learn them together.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"margin:12px 0;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;border-radius:6px;padding:12px 16px;\">\n<summary style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-weight:700;cursor:pointer;color:#064B72;line-height:1.4;\">Which little finger should play the B?<\/summary>\n<p style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:8px 0 0;\">Either one. The standard student clarinet duplicates three pairs of little-finger keys between the hands, E with B, F with C, and F-sharp with C-sharp. Choose by the next note: when B and C sit side by side, one little finger takes each, so neither has to slide from one key to another.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"margin:12px 0;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;border-radius:6px;padding:12px 16px;\">\n<summary style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-weight:700;cursor:pointer;color:#064B72;line-height:1.4;\">The break works in the study but falls apart in real music. What now?<\/summary>\n<p style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:8px 0 0;\">Take the exact two notes that fail from the piece and practice them in the piece&#8217;s own rhythm and articulation, starting well below its tempo. Music crosses the break at speeds and from notes the study does not cover, and each new pair needs a few days of its own.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"margin:12px 0;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;border-radius:6px;padding:12px 16px;\">\n<summary style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-weight:700;cursor:pointer;color:#064B72;line-height:1.4;\">Could my clarinet be the problem?<\/summary>\n<p style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:8px 0 0;\">Sometimes. Rental instruments can arrive with leaking pads, and a repair technician finds and fixes one quickly. Take the whole instrument in rather than the joint that seems to be at fault, because a pad above the note that fails is often the cause.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"margin:12px 0;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;border-radius:6px;padding:12px 16px;\">\n<summary style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:18px;font-weight:700;cursor:pointer;color:#064B72;line-height:1.4;\">Do I keep playing right hand down forever?<\/summary>\n<p style=\"font-family:'Source Sans Pro','Source Sans 3',-apple-system,Segoe UI,sans-serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.75;color:#19394C;margin:8px 0 0;\">For moving passages and crossings, most players keep it. Two limits come later: open G can sound slightly flat with the right hand down, and a long, exposed throat note usually gets its own resonance fingering, an alternate fingering chosen to improve the tone of that one note, which a teacher picks when your music calls for it.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The clarinet break is the step from the B-flat on the middle line of the staff to the B right beside it, and it asks your hands to change nine things at once. If your low notes are solid and that crossing still squeaks or cracks, the cause is usually one of four things: fingers arriving at different<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":7674,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practice Guide %%sep%% %%sitename%%","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"The clarinet break asks for nine changes at once. Three quick tests find what is really failing, then right hand down and a six-bar study fix the crossing.","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"tl-topics":[204,188],"class_list":["post-7675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online-learning"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.5 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practice Guide | Tunelark<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The clarinet break asks for nine changes at once. Three quick tests find what is really failing, then right hand down and a six-bar study fix the crossing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practical Practice Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The clarinet break asks for nine changes at once. Three quick tests find what is really failing, then right hand down and a six-bar study fix the crossing.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tunelark\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-21T23:15:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-21T23:15:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jennifer Heath\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jennifer Heath\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jennifer Heath\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/56f833eb19ebce6a1a5eed35206f2450\"},\"headline\":\"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practical Practice Guide\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-21T23:15:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-21T23:15:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2574,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Online Learning\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/\",\"name\":\"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practice Guide | Tunelark\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-21T23:15:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-21T23:15:12+00:00\",\"description\":\"The clarinet break asks for nine changes at once. Three quick tests find what is really failing, then right hand down and a six-bar study fix the crossing.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"crossing the clarinet break hero\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practical Practice Guide\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\\\/\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Tunelark\",\"description\":\"Music for all ages\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Tunelark\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/imgpsh_fullsize_anim.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/07\\\/imgpsh_fullsize_anim.png\",\"width\":257,\"height\":257,\"caption\":\"Tunelark\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/tunelark\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/tunelark\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@tunelark\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@tunelark\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/56f833eb19ebce6a1a5eed35206f2450\",\"name\":\"Jennifer Heath\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/040450f8e37d11ee998d4be9b185b94f.jpg?ver=1790703475\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/040450f8e37d11ee998d4be9b185b94f.jpg?ver=1790703475\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/040450f8e37d11ee998d4be9b185b94f.jpg?ver=1790703475\",\"caption\":\"Jennifer Heath\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/jennifer\\\/\",\"jobTitle\":\"VP of Operations\",\"worksFor\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Tunelark\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tunelark.com\"},\"description\":\"Jennifer Heath is VP of Operations at Tunelark, where she leads instructor hiring and training, customer and student support, marketing, and the day-to-day running of the business. A lifelong singer who began voice lessons at age 7 and performed with internationally touring choirs, she writes about online music lessons: how to choose an instrument and a teacher, what to expect from a first lesson, how the major platforms compare, and how to keep music going through the busier seasons of life.\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practice Guide | Tunelark","description":"The clarinet break asks for nine changes at once. Three quick tests find what is really failing, then right hand down and a six-bar study fix the crossing.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practical Practice Guide","og_description":"The clarinet break asks for nine changes at once. Three quick tests find what is really failing, then right hand down and a six-bar study fix the crossing.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/","og_site_name":"Tunelark","article_published_time":"2026-09-21T23:15:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-21T23:15:12+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jennifer Heath","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jennifer Heath","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/"},"author":{"name":"Jennifer Heath","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/56f833eb19ebce6a1a5eed35206f2450"},"headline":"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practical Practice Guide","datePublished":"2026-09-21T23:15:07+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-21T23:15:12+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/"},"wordCount":2574,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg","articleSection":["Online Learning"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/","name":"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practice Guide | Tunelark","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg","datePublished":"2026-09-21T23:15:07+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-21T23:15:12+00:00","description":"The clarinet break asks for nine changes at once. Three quick tests find what is really failing, then right hand down and a six-bar study fix the crossing.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/crossing-the-clarinet-break-hero.jpg","width":1200,"height":675,"caption":"crossing the clarinet break hero"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Crossing the Clarinet Break: A Practical Practice Guide","item":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/crossing-the-clarinet-break\/"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/","name":"Tunelark","description":"Music for all ages","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Tunelark","url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/imgpsh_fullsize_anim.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/imgpsh_fullsize_anim.png","width":257,"height":257,"caption":"Tunelark"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tunelark","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tunelark","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@tunelark","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@tunelark"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/56f833eb19ebce6a1a5eed35206f2450","name":"Jennifer Heath","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/040450f8e37d11ee998d4be9b185b94f.jpg?ver=1790703475","url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/040450f8e37d11ee998d4be9b185b94f.jpg?ver=1790703475","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/040450f8e37d11ee998d4be9b185b94f.jpg?ver=1790703475","caption":"Jennifer Heath"},"url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/author\/jennifer\/","jobTitle":"VP of Operations","worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Tunelark","url":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com"},"description":"Jennifer Heath is VP of Operations at Tunelark, where she leads instructor hiring and training, customer and student support, marketing, and the day-to-day running of the business. A lifelong singer who began voice lessons at age 7 and performed with internationally touring choirs, she writes about online music lessons: how to choose an instrument and a teacher, what to expect from a first lesson, how the major platforms compare, and how to keep music going through the busier seasons of life."}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7676,"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7675\/revisions\/7676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7675"},{"taxonomy":"tl_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tunelark.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tl-topics?post=7675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}