In July 2026, I attended the International Clarinet Association (ICA) Clarinet Festival in Korea 2026. ClarinetFest is one of the most important international events for clarinetists, educators, researchers, students, and clarinet lovers from around the world. Each summer, the festival brings together performers and participants from many countries. In 2026, it was held in Korea, and the 2027 festival is scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah. For me, this festival w

clarinet etude by Lanslot Looking for effective clarinet etude practice tips? Fujiyama Clarinet Studio is a clarinet studio in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. We are holding an online workshop on Tuesday, August 11, a national holiday in Japan, focusing on clarinet etude practice, especially Lancelot: 21 Etudes, a collection suitable for late-beginner to intermediate players. Let’s take on this etude collection, which has also been selected as competition repertoire, with a musi

At Fujiyama Clarinet Studio, we continuously offer lessons that prioritize clarinet fundamentals, along with various programs and online challenges, so that everyone who loves the clarinet can brush up their skills at their own pace—wherever they are. Recently, we ran the “Demnitz Etude Challenge”, aiming to elevate the essential clarinet articulations—tenuto (tonguing), legato, and staccato—from “I can do it” to “I can manage it consistently.” By making it easy to incorporat

Hi, I’m Izumi from Fujiyama Clarinet Studio in Japan. I teach online clarinet lessons and create programs to help clarinetists build strong, reliable clarinet technique fundamentals—step by step.. Do you ever notice that—even though you know “basics matter”—your daily practice slowly drifts into your own habits? Things like the attack, airflow, or the timing between fingers and tonguing can get blurry without you realizing it. That’s why we’re hosting a Clarinet Etude Challen

Understanding Clarinet Breathing Fundamentals Clarinet breathing is the hidden engine behind tone, articulation, and musical flow—less about “taking a big breath” and more about letting the body coordinate efficiently so air moves freely and quietly. When the ribcage, diaphragm, and throat stay mobile instead of fixed, inhalation becomes reflexive, exhalation becomes expressive, and phrasing starts to feel both more stable and more flexible. At Fujiyama Clarinet Studio in Yan

Clarinet Left-Hand Tension: Why the Thumb and Index Finger Matter Many clarinet players experience tightness in the left hand, especially around the thumb, index finger, and wrist. Some players feel that the left hand “locks up,” while others notice thumb pain, stiffness, or difficulty moving smoothly between notes such as F♯, A, B♭, and the register key. In many cases, the problem is not a lack of finger strength. It is often caused by the way the left thumb supports the cla

Welcome back to the Fujiyama Clarinet Studio Blog. We are located in Yanai, Yamaguchi, Japan, providing bilingual lessons both at studio and online. On January 15th, I held the first online breathing workshop via Zoom. Participants Students who had started the breathing training challenge joined the session. Some participants were only two weeks into their training, creating an enthusiastic atmosphere from the start. Being held online, participants from distant locations coul

What a 2-Hour Journey Connects: Passion for Clarinet Lessons 2026—a new year has begun. Thank you for your continued support. Recently, watching a student travel two hours by train for clarinet lessons brought back my memory. Their earnest dedication to professional clarinet instruction overlapped with my own past. High School Memories: My Clarinet Lesson Journey Senior year, when I finally decided to pursue music for university entrance exams, I began lessons with Professor

Yamaguchi-based Fujiyama Clarinet Studio in Yanai specializes in clarinet lessons for adults. In this blog, I’d like to share highlights from a November lesson with an adult student, using Boccherini’s “Minuet” and Yukiko Nishimura’s “Smiley Moon” as our main examples. If you are aiming for ABRSM Grade 3 or coming back to the clarinet as an adult, I hope you find some practical ideas here. What We Learn from Boccherini’s “Minuet” Boccherini was an Italian composer of the Clas

Clarinet Throat Tone A: Why It's Sharp and How to Fix It At Fujiyama Clarinet Studio in Yanai, Yamaguchi, we also specialize in clarinet lessons for adult enthusiasts. In this blog, I’d like to share a glimpse of one of our adult clarinet lessons. We are working on “Misty Moments” , a piece that also appears as a set work for ABRSM Grade 3. We use it to help students assess their level and stay motivated to tackle progressively harder pieces. The key focus in this lesson is