Best Clarinet Mouthpieces for Beginning to Advanced Players

By Julianna Evans, BM, MM, PMP

In today’s blog, I’ll be writing about and recommending the best clarinet mouthpieces from beginning to advanced players.

I thought I would blog about this topic right now at the beginning of August because a lot of students are headed back to school here in the U.S., and I think it can be really confusing for parents and students when they’re faced with buying new equipment when starting or progressing through music programs. I always like to say that there’s not necessarily a “perfect mouthpiece”, it just depends on what you’re looking for. However, that being said I’ve put together a list of my top six mouthpieces that have worked well for myself and for my students over the years.

Getting Started

If you’re able to test some mouthpieces at a music store or negotiate with an online retailer to let you test mouthpieces at home, it would be really useful to use a tuner to see what the pitch tendencies are for each mouthpiece. I would also test how the mouthpiece plays in every register of the clarinet and how easy it is to tongue on the mouthpiece.

Recommendations for Mouthpieces

1. J&D Hite H111 Premiere Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece: 

This is a great mouthpiece for the price, and will definitely sound better than any stock mouthpiece that comes with a rental instrument or if you’re buying a clarinet. I only recommend this mouthpiece to beginning players since the sound can become too bright for more advanced players. 

Pros: Very affordable, helps to produce a good sound for a beginning player, especially if paired with a Bonade traditional or inverted ligature. 

Cons: Has the tendency to produce a bright sound. I also find it difficult to control/focus on tonguing. 

2. Yamaha 4C Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece: 

I find that my tone/sound is warmer, but not as free compared to the Hite. I have a harder time controlling how it tongues, especially throughout the different registers of the clarinet. 

Pros: Affordable, produces a warmer tone quality. 

Cons: Hard to control during tongued passages. The cork around the mouthpiece overlaps instead of the two seams of the cork lining up next to each other. This can cause the mouthpiece to be “too bulky” when trying to insert the mouthpiece into some clarinet barrels. 

3. Vandoren B45 Series Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece Traditional:

This is a really nice mouthpiece for beginning/intermediate players. It produces a nice warm/free sound with good projection and is easy to play on. I recommend this mouthpiece for beginners who know they’re going to continue with clarinet past elementary school. 

Pros: Good for students or anyone looking to “free” up their sound. 

Cons: Can be on the more expensive end for the “newest” beginners on clarinet.

4. Vandoren 5RV Series Bb Clarinet Mouthpieces Traditional: 

This mouthpiece is really great for intermediate/advanced players that are looking for a mouthpiece with good projection, (I even know a few professional clarinetists that play on this model). 

Pros: Really great tone projection, good quality, and has a medium price point. 

Cons: Has great sound projection, but can sometimes lack the control for musical passages that need a “warmer” character of tone (in my opinion).

5. Vandoren M15 Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece: 

Produces a beautiful, warm tone quality and is easy to use. I would recommend this mouthpiece for a more advanced player as it is a tad more resistant than the 5RV model. I know many professional players that play on this model as well. 

Pros: Produces warm, beautiful tone quality.
Cons: It can be more resistant. Medium price point $$.

6.  Vandoren Series M13 Lyre Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece: 

This is another great option for advanced players! It produces a beautiful, warm tone quality and is easy to use. I find this model a bit more resistant and harder to tongue on than the M15 model, but with practice, it should become easier to manage. I know a lot of professional clarinetists who play on this model as well.

Pros: Produces warm, beautiful tone quality. Cons: It can be resistant. Medium price point $$ 

I hope this blog was helpful. Here is a link to a FREE resource on my website that includes these 6 mouthpieces, price points, and links to purchase if you’re interested. You can also click HERE to watch my video where you can listen to me play all six mouthpieces. Again, there are a lot of great clarinet mouthpieces on the market, but hopefully, this blog has given you a jumping-off point if you’re interested in buying or upgrading your mouthpiece.

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