 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Karen Hennes
Date: 2000-05-08 04:29
My daughter is a graduating high school senior and is thinking of pursuing a major in music. What is a good college instrument for her. I would like to buy her one for a gracuation gift--my husband just started a new job, so money is tight, but I would like to get an idea of brands and prices. She plays the b flat clarinet.
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Author: Beejay
Date: 2000-05-08 13:52
If you search back through this bulletin board, you will find a lot of discussion about the question you ask, and especially about the relative merits of new student grade instruments vis-a-vis second-hand professional instruments. My guess is that someone pursuing a major in music would need a professional-quality clarinet, but as others have argued in this space, this does not necessarily mean paying more than for new student instruments. Whether you buy new or used, you would probably do best to stick to one of the four best-known makes -- Buffet-Crampon, Leblanc, Selmer or Yamaha -- and of course, you should seek advice from an expert.
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Author: Amber
Date: 2000-05-08 16:26
talk to the music director. He/she has years of experience with all sorts of brands. He/she also knows what your daughters playing is like, so he has an idea what would best suit her. You are such a cool mom! I had to buy my R-13's on my own! She is a very lucky girl!
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Author: Kim
Date: 2000-05-08 21:22
I would buy an R-13 because that is what I play. However, don't count out other brands. LeBlanc, Yamaha, and Selmer all make very good pro horns. Also, I think that you should take your daughter with you because it is her decision on what instrument she plays in the future. She has to try various instruments before she decides which one is the best for her. Tell her that you would like to buy her a new instrument and bring her with you so that something you buy isn't a bad decision for her.
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Author: steve
Date: 2000-05-08 22:28
cool indeed!!!
but let me relate a not too happy story...my HS friend was a gifted sax player, and went on to Cincinatti Con to study woodwinds. On his HS graduation day, his parents presented him with a package...he opened it and found a brand new (1972) Selmer Mark VI alto, every saxophonist's dream. They bought it at a local music store.
Unfortunately, they didn't consult a teacher or ww tech, and, most importantly, they didn't consult my friend...it turned out, the sax and him just couldn't forge a musician- instrument relationship...it didn't work for him...after years of messing with mouthpieces, customization, the whole ball of wax, he found another Mark VI that became his performance horn....he never could bring himself to sell the gift horn, and never told his parents to their dying day....
moral????
s.
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Author: bill
Date: 2000-05-08 22:33
Personally, I like the Buffet R-13s. The mouthpiece and ligature also make a huge difference. If your daughter has a mp and lig she likes, then that is good. As for selecting clarinets, it is not a thing that one who is not going to be playing it should buy. If if does not matter if the gift is a surprise, then your daughter should try out several horns, and once she finds a brand she likes, she should try a few more of that brand and model. If she is majoring in music, she should have the clarinet that she likes best.
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Author: Dave Lee Ennis
Date: 2000-05-10 12:55
It shouldn't be a suprise gift, in case she doesn't get on with the instrument - Steve's story is a winning example. Ditto to everyone's comments, I only wish I had something more to contribute.
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