Albert/Simple Style Clarinets

This is the most commonly used clarinet type for Eastern European folk music. This type of clarinet has fewer number of keys than Boehm system clarinet. It is believed that this makes it easier for the player to move his fingers faster and reach half and quarter tunes quicker.

This type of clarinet on the other hand, has less fingering position options than Boehm system clarinets and because of the distance between the holes, it needs some finger stretching.

Apart from having different key system, Albert style clarinets have a slightly deeper sound than other type of clarinets. Thats why they fit well into folk and jazz music.

Most Albert system clarinets are made of Ebony or Bakelite. However there are some low G clarinets (also called Turkish clarinet) that you can find in Turkey, made of olive tree by order or made of metal as a low cost alternative to others.

Mouthpieces and Reeds

Apart from using different styles of clarinets in different pitches, Eastern clarinet players go for different mouthpieces too.

When the clarinet is played in Balkan folk music, longer mouthpieces is preferred with larger tip openings. Most of Albert system clarinet players in the East use their lips a lot to add varieties to their tunes and large tip openings makes it easier. These types of mouthpieces when used with soft reeds, will also come up with that magical sound we always hear in Eastern tunes. Most preferred mouthpiece by Eastern musicians is Vandoren 5JB and I met some players made their mouthpiece adjusted and tip opening even larger. However this should be done by someone professional, do not try it yourself otherwise you will ruin your mouthpiece forever.

In the East lips are used differently too, when playing the clarinet. Unlike the Western players, Eastern players use their bottom lips exactly like their top lips without folding them in, which gives them the ability of adjusting the pressure on the reed better and use this to change tunes when needed.