Clarinet Archives | Bret Pimentel, woodwinds

I’m pleased to share videos from my recent recital mini-tour, performed at Delta State University, Mississippi State University, and East Mississippi Community College. The program was five works for five different woodwind instruments, all using live electronics. My electronic setup was a Shure SM58 microphone (for flute and oboe), a PiezoBarrel clarinet pickup, a Little-Jake bassoon … Read more

ClariMate review follow-up

April 29, 2025September 19, 2024 by Bret Pimentel

ClariMate device installed on a clarinet

Follow-up review of the Buffet-Crampon ClariMate MIDI features and other updates.

Review: PiezoBarrel “Wood” clarinet pickup

July 30, 2024July 29, 2024 by Bret Pimentel

I’m a little late to the party here after Chris Mothersole’s recent article in The Clarinet, but I recently acquired a “PiezoBarrel” wind instrument pickup and wanted to share my experience. The PiezoBarrel pickup is a way to electrify wind instruments, for amplification and for the application of electronic effects, such as guitar effects pedals. … Read more

Favorite blog posts, May 2024

June 2, 2024 by Bret Pimentel

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, June 2024 edition.

Thumb position for oboe, clarinet, and saxophone

April 22, 2024 by Bret Pimentel

Proper position of the right thumb for oboe, clarinet, and saxophone can affect player comfort, ease of technique, and risk of injury. (Thumb position is important for flute and bassoon as well, but I find the issues different enough that I won’t lump them in here.) For oboe and clarinet, the right thumb supports the … Read more

Favorite blog posts, January 2024

January 31, 2024 by Bret Pimentel

Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, January 2024 edition.