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Should I learn on an Albert system?

Author: Arhoolie
Date: 2009-02-07 15:50

I am currently considering taking up the clarinet, and would appreciate some advice.

My online researches reveal that a lot of the clarinet music I like, early New Orleans jazz and klezmer, is played on Albert or Simple system instruments.

Looking at instruments for sale I can see no sign of such instruments being widely available here in the UK.

So I'd value opinions on whether I should just go ahead and learn on the Bflat instruments widely availble from Buffet and Yamaha. Or do I hold out for a specialist instrument.

I don't expect to be able to play jazz or klezmer right away, and will find a teacher to learn the basics, and am not averse to classical music also. But ultimately I'm going to want to bend and slide.

I would say at this point that I am an experienced musician (guitar, harmonica and banjo) but have never even so much as put my lips to a clarinet before.

I know that on banjo if I wanted to play bluegrass it would be wrong of me to start on a Irish tenor banjo. So I don't want to make that sort of error early in my clarinet career.

Is a Buffet B12 going to get me to where I want to be?

Thanks in advance.

George

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