Clarinet Straps

Clarinet straps transfer some of your instrument's weight from your right thumb to your neck, reducing the strain on your thumb and wrist during long practice sessions and concerts. On this page, you'll find neck straps for Bb clarinet and bass clarinet from BG France, Neotech, Rico and BAM. You attach the strap by clipping its hook into the ring on your clarinet's thumb rest or by fastening a leather attachment directly to the thumb rest. You can choose an elastic cord that stretches gently or a non-elastic cord that keeps your clarinet at a consistent height. Smaller sizes are suitable for children.

Which clarinet straps should you choose?

• Elastic or non-elastic – with BG France, the name tells you the type: the letter E indicates an elastic cord, while LP means a non-elastic cord with leather attachments. BG France includes two leather attachments with its Bb clarinet straps to fit a large or small thumb rest.
• Neck padding – BG France C20 has a nylon pad with sweat-absorbing cotton, C23 is made of leather, and the Flex (CF) range uses soft nylon with a non-slip slider for quick length adjustments. The ZEN spreader (the letter Y in the name) reduces pressure on the sides of your neck.
• Size – BG France specifies sizes by neck circumference: for example, C20YLP fits a neck circumference of 39 to 44 cm. The smaller C22 range is designed for a neck circumference of 29 to 36 cm, making it suitable for children. Neotech makes Junior, Regular and XL sizes.
• For bass clarinet – BG France C50 and C50YMSH are leather straps for bass clarinet, while C70YMSH has a contoured pad that distributes the load across your shoulders. The YMSH models have a plastic-coated metal snap hook to prevent scratches on your instrument.
• With a thumb rest tab – Rico Clarinet Strap attaches to the thumb rest with a leather tab and is suitable for both Bb and A clarinets. Neotech C.E.O. is a strap for clarinet, oboe and cor anglais, with a neoprene pad, a metal hook and an included thumb rest tab.

Can you use a saxophone strap with a clarinet?

The manufacturer also lists the Neotech Soft Sax and Classic Sax strap ranges as suitable for clarinet. The hook is the deciding factor, though: it must fit through the ring on your clarinet's thumb rest. For a small ring, Neotech recommends a coated metal hook or a loop instead of the larger swivel hook. The elastic Soft Sax distributes the load across your neck and shoulders, while Classic Sax has a contoured pad that moves around less on your neck.

You'll find straps for saxophone and other wind instruments in the wind instrument straps category. During a break, you can put your clarinet on a clarinet stand, and a clarinet case is useful when you travel.