Klarinet Archive - Posting 000623.txt from 1997/11

From: "David S. Naden" <dnaden@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Top line modell for beginner?
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 13:16:45 -0500

Dirk--

Follow your dream and purchase a top-line instrument. It is obvious
that you are committed to becoming the best you can be as a clarinetist
and a musician, and only someone that committed would even want to
purchase a top-line instrument.

One word of caution: Buffet Prestige instruments list at approximately
$5000 per instrument, with a purchase price of $2500-3500. The Buffet
R-13 is the standard professional instrument (or a comparable model).
Before you buy, determine if you want to really invest the dollars into
the Buffet Prestige line (or similar), or if the R-13 will be
sufficient.

David S. Naden

Dirk Kussin wrote:

> I have some questions which could be answered by clarinetists with
> longer experience and teachers.
>
> The question is the question in the subject. But I will explain a
> little bit (I apologize for my poor english, I hope you will
> understand what my intention is):
>
> I'm 30 years old and started playing the clarinet 10 month ago. I
> bought a plastic B-12 clarinet. Now I plan to buy a wooden clarinet at
>
> the end of this/beginning next year.
>
> I'm still beginner. Because of my profession I had some longer breaks
> in practising (and this will be so also in future). But my tone has
> improved considerably in the last months. But I have to admit that my
> level is not far away from the beginners level (and, of course, I
> could not learn as fast as a kid, have not too much time practising,
> so it is clear that I will never be a world class player). On the
> other hand I'm now sure that I want to lear the clarinet further-on.
>
> My plan is to buy a top line instrument (e.g. Buffet RC or even
> Prestige) for the following reasons:
>
> -- it was clear for me from the beginning that I buy the B-12 only for
>
> testing out if my ambition (and my ability) is big enough
>
> -- I'm sure that I will have more fun with a finer instrument since I
> can evaluate tone quality and a fine tone is important for my
> motivation; also aesthetical reasons (wood, silver ...) etc.
>
> -- I'm not a kid, I know what I do (ok, I do not mean that kids do
> never know what they do)
>
> -- I'm not rich but I have the money and I'm ready to spend it
>
> -- why buying a middle line instrument, and then later a top line
> instrument? (Of course, I will keep the top line instrument for the
> rest of my live or at least for decades.) (The alternative for me
> would only be to buy a middle line and never a top line instrument.)
>
> Why my question? I'm sure that there are counter arguments against a
> top line instrument for a beginner and I would like to know them (but
> keep in mind that I'm not a kid). So, if there are pedagogical or
> other reasons, please let me know.
>
> I mean: Perhaps a good instrument makes it too easy for me so that I
> do not learn solving the problems. Or a trivial reason: A beginner
> frequently emits to much saliva (at least this is the case with me,
> but I have improved), so because of this or because of other reasons
> the high quality instrument perhaps will be damaged. (If this is true
> then I would find it a very strong argument.) Or...
>
> Hope my questions do not sound stupid. I saw that there are some
> people on this list starting the clarinet in "later" years (and I'm
> happy that I'm not the only one). I think those other guys could also
> be interested in these questions. Also, it would be interesting to
> hear from these people what they think.
>
> Thanks
>
> Dirk
>
> --
> Dirk Kussin dirk@-----.de
> Fachbereich 17 Mathematik Raum D2.323
> Universit@-----. (+49) (5251) 60-2636
> D-33095 Paderborn --------- http://www-math.uni-paderborn.de/~dirk/