By Julianna Evans, BM, MM, PMP
In today’s blog I’ll be talking about and recommending the best clarinet ligatures for beginners all the way up to professional players.
I often get questions from my students on what the best clarinet ligature is, and my answer is always there’s not necessarily a “best, #1, perfect ligature”, it just depends on what you’re looking for. However, that being said I’ve put together a list of my top 9 ligatures that have worked well for myself and for my students over the past 25 years.
I’ll be writing about what I look for when testing a ligature, different price points, and I’ll be play testing each ligature back to back HERE so you can hear the subtle differences between the different models. I’ll be using the same mouthpiece, reed and clarinet body with each ligature to maintain a control as a point of comparison. I’ll be focusing on testing out the evens across the registers by playing a 3-octave F Major scale, testing response in the altissimo register as well as tonguing by playing through orchestral excerpts.
1. Bonade (standard) B-flat Clarinet Ligature
One of my favorite ligatures of all time and very affordable. I played on this model during my undergraduate and master degree programs, and also won my audition with the Air Force Band playing on this ligature.
Pros: Affordable, solid control over tone/sound and tonguing. Doesn’t “pop” off the mouthpiece as easily as the Bonade inverted ligature. Cons: Tendency to be rigid if you’re looking to play with a freer tone/sound.
2.Bonade (inverted) B-flat Clarinet Ligature
Another one of my favorite ligatures to play. I find that my tone/sound is warmer, freer, and I can emote easier during expressive musical passages. I have a harder time controlling how much the reed vibrates during lengthy passages with a lot of tonguing.
Pros: Affordable, produces freer tone quality. Cons: Hard to control during tongued passages and “pops” off the mouthpiece easily and cause the reed to move around.
3. Rovner Versa (inverted) B- flat Clarinet Ligature
I recommend this model ligature to my students who are looking to produce a better tone immediately. I find some of the metal ligatures can be too resistant at first and can take some time to produce a nice sound. The Rovner Versa is very easy to play and lets the reed vibrate/respond with little effort.
Pros: Good for students or anyone looking to “free” up their sound. Affordable range. Repositionable flaps and cradle with inserts that can be configured to produce six different tones. Cons: Difficult to control; tonguing can be “wild” because the reed is too free.
4. Vandoren OPTIMUM (standard) B-flat Clarinet Ligature
I really like this ligature for my students. It is easy to use and keeps the reed in place on the mouthpiece with no issues (it’s the most secure ligature I’ve ever used when it comes to securing the reed to the mouthpiece).
Pros: Secures the reed to the mouthpiece very well, comes with three interchangeable pressure plates that provide variation to tone. Easy to tongue. Cons: Can be restrictive if you’re looking for a freer sound/tone quality. I found the interchangeable pressure plates difficult to remove and replace. Medium price point $$.
5. BG Tradition (inverted) B- flat Clarinet Ligature (Model: BGL3)
Produces a beautiful tone quality and is easy to use. I’ve really enjoyed playing on this ligature in the past.
Pros: Produces warm, beautiful tone quality. Secures the reed on the mouthpiece very well for an inverted style ligature. Cons: It can be more difficult to tongue on compared to the standard orientation ligatures. Medium price point $$.
6. Ishimori (inverted) B-flat Clarinet Ligature (rose gold)
Very nice ligature, but is approaching the more expensive price points for ligatures. I would recommend this ligature to a high school/college student.
Pros: Produces a beautiful tone, but is the rose/pink gold model is brighter than the silver-plated model. Good response and free blowing. Cons: Can be difficult to remove/attach to the mouthpiece quickly. Higher price point $$$
7. Ishimori (inverted) B-flat Clarinet Ligature (solid silver)
Very nice ligature, but again is approaching the more expensive price points for ligatures. I would recommend this ligature to a high school/college student.
Pros: Produces a beautiful, rich tone. Good response during sustained tonguing passages, and is free blowing. I prefer the solid silver model to the rose gold model. Cons: Can be difficult to remove/attach to the mouthpiece quickly. Higher price point $$$ (more expensive than the rose gold/pink model).
8. Silverstein Works (inverted) CRYo-4 Ligature Size 6 (Clarinet Small- Gold)
I love this ligature! It maintains a beautiful balance between producing a beautiful tone and stabilizing the reed on the mouthpiece making tongued passages easier.
Pros: Produces beautiful, even tone, and fast response during tongued passages. Cons: Can pop o of the mouthpiece easily while swabbing . High price point $$$
9. Silverstein Works (inverted) Hexa Ligature Medium Gold
To me this is the “Goldilocks” ligature. This is the ligature I have personally used every day for the past four years. This ligature produces a warm tone, while providing increased control tonguing across register changes.
Pros: Warm sound/tone/projection, responds easily across register changes, and provides fast response during tongued passages. Cons: Expensive $$$$
I hope this blog was helpful. Check out this FREE on my website that includes these 9 ligatures, price points and links to purchase if you’re interested. Again, there are a lot of great clarinet ligatures on the market, but hopefully this blog has given you a jumping off point if you’re interested in buying or upgrading your ligature.
Ciao for now!
Julianna
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