Problems with lowest notes

Bugdozer

Hi, my first post here!
I have recently acquired a used clarinet and am trying to teach myself to play it. I’m having problems with the very lowest couple of notes - if I play them as part of a continuous descending scale they sound lovely and resonant, but if I try to play the note just on its own, it either won’t sound at all or squeaks horribly.
I know I need to work on my embouchure generally, but what do I need to do differently with my mouth/breath when I reach the lowest notes? I can’t blame the clarinet because as I said, it is sometimes capable of getting a good sound. Might my reed/ligature be set up wrongly?
 
A common issue when starting on clarinet is learning to cover the holes with your fingers. It helps to curve the fingers slightly so the finger doesn't lay flat on the tonehole, but you don't want the finger tip coming straight down either. I have my students finger the F scale descending starting with thumb F and going down to low F. Once there I have them squeeze the clarinet for about 15 seconds and then release and look at their finger tips. There should be "rings" that are well centered in the flesh of the finger. If a ring is close to the edge, that finger might be the one that is leaking and causing a squeak. Another thing to watch for is accidentally bumping and opening a key you don't want to open. The Ab and the side keys are the usual "culprits". Sometimes it helps to finger the clarinet looking in a full length mirror to see how the fingers are moving. Good luck. Hope this helps.
 
Right and it not about pressing "hard" it more about correct placement of your fingers. You will get better at this as time goes on if you continue to work at it. If you decide it isn't you but rather is the instrument, have an established clarinetist give it a go. I highly recommend lessons too. If you take lessons you will progress much faster and might stave off the acquisition of bad playing habits.
 
It’s not the fingering. I can keep my fingers absolutely still from playing a good low note at the end of a scale, stop blowing, and when I start blowing again the note won’t sound.
I have booked in for a lesson next week so if I haven’t cracked it by then, I am sure the teacher will work it out.
 
I'm also having trouble with the low F. I've reached the point where I can normally run down to it, and sometimes I can even start on low F. I think my embouchure's improving. Next I'll get some 2.5 reeds and try again.
 
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