Clarinet Manual: How to Buy, Set Up and Maintain a Boehm System Clarinet

Informative from what is the Clarinet, to how to buy and how to maintain. Beautiful and Detail Pictures. Used this to disassemble trill keys and reset a spring. Paid for it's self. Arthur easily explains everything you need to know (and where not to go). Stephen Howard also has another book - the Saxophone Manual, the the Clarinet Manual was patterned after. SH has an online UK web page for more in-depth information on woodwind instruments he has shared over the decades:

Being a new beginner on the clarinet, I was asking a lot of questions to music stores, etc. NO ONE seemed to be that knowledgeable nor knew where to direct me. After finding this manual, it had EVERY answer to every question I had previously asked, and then some, PLUS DETAILED PICTURES. New and experienced clarinet players both can benefit from what this book has to offer. I called a high school band director friend of mine and suggested to him that he tell his clarinet students about it. So very glad to have found this. Best clarinet book I have found, and I have read about 4 now.

Very useful and extremely interesting information for any clarinetist on the world, this book is amazing, i learned a lot of it about my instrument, how maintain it in order to play at any time and have great sound of it, i do recommend it for anyone who plays the clarinet.

Outstanding manual for any clarinet player. Covers all aspects of maintenance and care.The author did a very thorough job. Guidance for minor repairs you can do yourself.Also warns not to attempt repairs you are not qualified to do on your own. However, it is a guide so you know whether your repair guy is being honest.

Every clarinetist should own a copy.Know how your instrument works. Know what the tech is doing with your precious instrument when it's at the shop. Know the what goes into a job before trying to attempt it.Written in the Haynes Manuals style and with pictures that are a thousand times better than the lousy black and white ones we suffered with in the seventies as we tried to fix our cars, this is a reference work that I will retain forever.

This is absolutely the easiest to read and understand instruction manual that I have ever picked up. From the very first page through to the last, it is a complete and factual book for the beginning clarinet player or the professional who makes his/her living from playing music. I love the up close and sharp photos which fill this book from cover to cover. I highly recommend Clarinet Manual for all who love and play the clarinet.

Excellent manual. If you want to know more about maintenance or just how your clarinet works, then this is the book for you.

I have this book and also the saxophone book. They are excellent books. They are beautifully put together books. I think the books are enjoyable to read even if you don't own a clarinet or a sax. Mr. Howard did a great job. Now if he would only write one for my Mazda RX-8.

If you are familiar with the ubiquitous Haynes manuals for cars, you probably know what to expect. However, this manual contains loads of clear colour photos - not so much artistic shots (though they are excellent) but really helpful close-ups of the things you need to see to understand. The advice just keeps coming from start to finish - from the things to check when you receive a new clarinet to how to do some quite advanced maintenance and tweaking. Much like the car manuals, there is sufficient detail that you can make an informed decision as to whether a particular task is within your scope or whether it is time to head for the professional repairer. The author avoids the assumption that you will have access to expensive specialist tools so there is much that is within the scope of the enthusiastic amateur. There are some great tips on preventative maintenance - simple but essential advice on how to assemble the instrument without damaging it. There are also plenty of tips on what to do when things go wrong and how to separate stuck joints safely. For the first time buyer, there is some much needed information on selecting an instrument. For the budding professional, there are some thought provoking comments; the author skillfully avoids "taking sides" and frequently provides a range of viewpoints over some contentious issues. To sum up, whether you are just starting out on the clarinet, or have been playing for decades, the Haynes Clarinet Manual should be a real asset to you.

Like the author's similar manual on the saxophone, this is a comprehensive treatment of how to choose, buy and service your clarinet including what to check and look for before you buy whether new or second hand. As is usual for Hayne's manuals, everything is clearly explained with lots of colour pictures and a guide to sourcing specialist tools and materials for those brave enough to tackle the more ambitious repairs. I recommend it - it may not improve your playing but it will tell you if the fault is with you or your instrument!

I bought this to help me restore a junk clarinet to playing order.I did what the book said, and now I have a playable clarinet.Job done!

This book deserves 5 stars all the way. Superbly written with loads of photos, plenty of advice for both beginners and experts. Whether you are looking for advice on what clarinet to buy, or on how to clean a mouthpiece, or on how to polish keys or replace pads, this is the book for you.Totally worth the money.

I found the book clear and informative, although I haven't tried to do any servicing yet.It was delivered promptly and was well packaged.