Crossing the Clarinet Break: Exercises That Work

The break is the clarinet's most famous obstacle: between throat B♭4 (just the A key and the register key) and clarion B4 (every finger down plus a pinky key) almost every finger moves at once. Because the clarinet overblows a twelfth, there is no shortcut — but there are reliable ways to make it easy.

Why it is hard#

• Many fingers must land at the same moment — any hole slightly uncovered makes the note squeak or fail.
• The throat tones (G4–B♭4) use few fingers and feel light; the clarion needs the whole instrument sealed and steady air.
• Players instinctively pinch or change the embouchure when moving up, which is exactly what makes the clarion speak badly.

Five foundations#

1. Right hand down. While playing throat A and B♭, keep the right-hand fingers resting on (or just above) their rings. Many players leave them down — it barely changes the pitch, and it makes crossing a one-hand movement.
2. Pads of the fingers, not tips. Cover holes with the soft pads; check for "ring marks" on your fingers after a slow exercise.
3. Constant air. Think of a steady, fast airstream that does not change between registers.
4. Don't move the embouchure. The register key does the work.
5. Slow, then fast. Practise every exercise at a tempo where it is perfect.

The exercises#

1. Twelfths from the low register#

Finger low E3 and play it, then add the register key: B4. Repeat on F3/C5, F♯3/C♯5, G3/D5, A3/E5. The fingers do not move — only the thumb. This trains air and embouchure to stay put.

2. Throat-to-clarion slurs with right hand down#

Slur G4 → D5, A4 → E5 and B♭4 → F5 with the right hand already down. Then play A4 with all right-hand fingers down, and slur to B4 by adding only the thumb, register key, left-hand fingers and left pinky E/B key — the right hand never moves.

3. The little finger switch#

Practise B4–C5–D5 slowly, alternating left- and right-pinky keys so you never slide one pinky between two keys. Use our fingering pages to see both options.

4. Scales across the break#

Play G major (written) from G3 to G5, slurred, at ♩ = 60, then raise the tempo with the metronome's speed trainer. Then C major and F major, which cross in different places. Each of our clarinet scale pages shows the fingering under every note.

5. Short and long patterns#

Use rhythms (long–short, short–long) on the four notes around the break: A4, B♭4, B4, C5. Rhythms force the fingers to move together.

Using the side-key B♭#

The side-key B♭ (A key plus right-hand side key 2) has a clearer tone and is useful for slow passages, but it doesn't solve the break — the fingers still have to arrive together on B4.

Why does my clarinet squeak when I cross the break?#

Almost always a partly uncovered hole (usually the left-hand ring finger or right-hand ring finger), biting, or taking in too much mouthpiece. Slow down and check each finger seals on its own.

Should I keep my right hand down on the throat notes?#

Yes for most players — it steadies the instrument, often improves the tone of the throat notes and makes crossing the break a single movement.

Next: altissimo register guide.