Playing the clarinet can be a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. However, an imperfection with the clarinet could make performing difficult and discourage the student. A dent in the mouthpiece can hinder sound production and ruin the tone. This article is only for hard rubber mouthpieces (plastic ones will not reshape). If you are using a generic mouthpiece that came with a plastic clarinet, the mouthpiece will most likely be plastic. If you upgraded to a brand name mouthpiece it will be hard rubber. If you are still unsure, ask a local music teacher or at a reputable music store.
Things that you will need for this project:
The mouthpiece An incandescent light bulb
Follow these steps to return your mouthpiece to its normal shape:Make sure that you are using a standard incandescent bulb (60-150 watts). Halogen bulbs are too hot while fluorescent bulbs give off too little. Turn the light on and wait for it to warm up. When you are ready, turn the light off (so you do not hurt your eyes) and gently rub dented section of the mouthpiece on the bulb for about 5 seconds. The heat from the light draws the rubber out to its original form. Repeat steps two and three until the dent has been completely removed.