 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: perryg114
Date: 2013-11-24 22:27
My daughter is 7 now and wants to learn to play the clarinet. I think she is a little small for one right now but what do I know. I have seen small instruments that were like a miniature clarinet but was a simplified version with a clarinet mouthpiece and just tone holes and no keys. Would this be better to start her out on and what would you guys recommend?
Perry
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2013-11-25 01:06
I started teaching a 7 year old once and the only necessary "modification" was that I started her with a Leblanc Vito since the RH holes are smaller than those on a Bundy/Selmer. Any Yamaha or Buffet plastic instrument would be fine too.
Just stay away from the Bundy/Selmers until her fingers are large enough to cover the holes. That is, if her fingers/hands are large enough to reach all the holes!
Otherwise you could get an e-flat clarinet for a starter. Or a C clarinet!
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-11-25 02:17
perryg114 wrote:
> I think she is a little small for one right now but what do I
> know.
You know how small her hands are, for one thing (we don't). I've never understood the urge to start kids on small clarinets whose hands are too small for a Bb clarinet. If your daughter can actually cover the holes, is strong enough to hold the instrument up with her right hand, and has enough fine motor skill to control the reed on a standard mouthpiece (even a very soft reed can feel like a popsicle stick to some small kids) by all means start her on a clarinet. Otherwise you're just giving her a chance to form bad habits.
IMO, beware of starting her on a smaller version like a C or an Eb. Both can present more blowing resistance than a Bb clarinet. Neither a C nor an Eb will be useful to her in her school program, so once she is able to move to a Bb, the smaller instrument will probably go to waste. Assuming she continues to play, by the time she has a reason to need a C or an Eb, she will need a better quality instrument than you'll be likely to buy for her now at 7 years old.
> I have seen small instruments that were like a miniature
> clarinet but was a simplified version with a clarinet
> mouthpiece and just tone holes and no keys. Would this be
> better to start her out on and what would you guys recommend?
>
Maybe, if she'll accept it, or you could have her play real music on a recorder, which develops the concept of woodwind fingering with much smaller tone holes and no keys (on a soprano or alto) and far less stress on mouth formation or sound production. Again, if she'll accept the substitution even temporarily, the difference between the simplified clarinet you've described and a genuine recorder (not an ocarina or a "flutophone") is the difference between a real instrument with a legitimate repertory and a practice toy. You could get two recorders, say, an alto and a soprano, easily learn to play yourself (if you don't already have experience with them), then play duets with your daughter. There's plenty of published material for all kinds of recorder combinations at every technical level. Then, maybe in a year or two at most, she'll be able to move into a regular Bb clarinet, start in her school's program (if that's what you have in mind eventually), and have a far easier time for having had the recorder experience first.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have a prejudice in this area because what I've described is more or less how I started as a woodwind player. I don't in any way regret the couple of years I spent in recorder classes (nor did I at the time), and I still have and sometimes play the cocobolo soprano and alto my parents bought for me when I was 6 (those were the days before plastic).
Karl
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2013-11-25 04:30
I started a few months before I was seven and I think I was average in size. I started with an Eb clarinet which was much better than a Bb clarinet at the beginning. I think I moved to a Bb after one or two years.
If she really wants to play clarinet and there is no real issue with a Bb clarinet or at least an Eb, then one thing I definitely wouldn't do is try to convince her to choose another instrument. I'm not saying you are going to do that. The first conservatorium my parents and I went to tried to do that and absolutely refused that I play clarinet and that did nothing but make a six year old cry...
I started with a Vito Eb clarinet and it was good. I'm not sure these are made now but there are probably decent inexpensive Eb clarinets made (or older used ones).
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-11-25 06:59
I personally think companies such as Schreiber (who already make the B12) should also make an affordable plastic C clarinet for younger beginners for the simple fact that they can play along with their peers who play Concert Pitch instruments such as recorder, violin, guitar, flute, tuned percussion and piano, so they can play from the same music without worrying about sourcing or transposing parts specially for them if none are easily available.
A plastic version of the E11 C clarinet should be easy enough to make and shouldn't cost more than a B12 once production is all set up and running and orders come in through schools and other education authorities. I can't see the reason why there isn't any demand for a high quality and affordable plastic C clarinet as opposed to the cheap Chinese ones on eBay. They'd also be useful for established players wanting a C clarinet without breaking the bank.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: perryg114
Date: 2013-11-25 12:09
Well if I could find a C or Eb clarinet used I could rebuild it. What stiffness reed should I start her out on? I have several Bb clarinets right now. I have an Evette that is less than 20 yrs old I am working on to give her. It was an abused rental from the condition of it. I took it apart last night and other than being dirty and needing new pads there is nothing wrong with it. I don't have any Vito's at the moment but I may have something with small holes that she can use.
Perry
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Author: Steven Ocone
Date: 2013-11-25 12:52
There is a Bundy clarinet that has keys with pads for the third fingers of both the right and left hands. Email me if you want some photos.
C clarinets are nice since they use the same mouthpiece as the Bb.
Steve Ocone
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-11-25 13:25
A beginner should start on a soft reed - usually a 1.5 or 2 depending on how they find tone production and also depending on the mouthpiece facing, but a good teacher will be able to advise what is best to start on and the mouthpiece facing.
Beginning on a reed that's too hard (such as a 2.5 or 3 or higher) will soon lead to fatigue and loss of interest if they find it hard work.
There are teachers that consider a 3 to be a beginner strength reed, but I personally think that's being sadistic - it's like trying to move off in a car in 3rd gear going uphill.
Do not believe the myth that a harder reed makes a better tone, or that reed strength is indicative of progress.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2013-11-25 14:00
Rent an instrument , get a teacher, and see how it goes.
richard smith
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Author: pewd
Date: 2013-11-25 15:33
I've always felt young students should start on piano for a few years (2-4), then transition to a band instrument when they reach middle school.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: perryg114
Date: 2013-11-25 16:30
She took some piano lessons a couple years ago but did not seem to be getting anywhere with it. I do think some sort of stringed instrument is a good idea. The concept of chords was foreign to me as a clarinet student. She wants to play the guitar and that is a lot cheaper than a piano.
Perry
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2013-11-25 16:59
There are modified Clarinets (Nuvo, and another one that's an Eb - Kinder clari) both have quite low blowing resistance.
I own both, and have started as young as 4. But, at 7, you're going to be dealing with front teeth loss
That's the main issue there!
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: perryg114
Date: 2013-11-25 17:20
Yeah you are right. She is going to be dealing with tooth loss on the top soon. She has some permanent teeth on the bottom but the top ones will be coming out soon. Maybe a recorder would be best till the teeth all come in.
Perry
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-11-25 18:21
Only if she seems willing to play it. Don't force the substitution against any serious resistance. Otherwise, maybe just wait until the top teeth are in.
Karl
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Author: MSK
Date: 2013-11-25 21:58
The front teeth is a valid point. Size is also a concern. My son was very small for his age when he started at age 10 (frequently mistaken by strangers for a 7 or 8 year old). He started on a plastic instrument with small tone holes so that wasn't an issue, but reaching the right hand keys was difficult the first year. Also the weight of the instrument limited length of practice time more than attention span.
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Author: Siq
Date: 2013-11-26 00:51
I started with a recorder and a violin when I was 7. I don't think I could have handled a clarinet by the time. I lacked dextry, size and, mainly, the maturity to establish a regular study routine and commit myself to the instrument.
I never properly learned to play the violin(which is the hardest instrument I've played so far) until I was more mature and more ready to actually practice the instrument, for example.
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