 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: New Music Parent
Date: 2001-05-28 16:32
I'm looking for a book or guide that can help me understand more of what my child needs as he starts his musical career on the clarinet. Is there an "all-in-one" place where I can get information on buying clarinets, reeds, mouthpieces, retailers, how I can best support my child, how to get the best prices, etc.? The discussion on mailorder/online got me thinking that most people don't know where to go except where the teachers recommend. There's got to be something out there that can help me and my son!
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Author: Rosie
Date: 2001-05-28 17:12
As a parent who happens to be a new clarinet student (still under the year mark!), I've found that reading this bulletin board is a great resource along with my private teacher. Fortunately, even though he teaches through a school/store, he tells me what he likes best, which is not necessarily what the store sells. And remember, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. I've noticed the folks on this bulletin board are always helpful.
I think that being supportive is one of the best things your child will have. Sometimes this means monitoring practice sessions, sometimes it means backing off. Sometimes it's not the student that's doing the squeeking, sometimes its the horn/mouthpiece/reed combination. If you're willing to try different brands/combinations (especially with reeds), that will be a great help.
I never played as a child, and my children are playing brass instruments, but I'm amazed how my husband talks to some of the guys where we take lessons, and then orders different mouthpieces for them to try when things get difficult.
I'm not sure about an all-in-one book/store. I did buy an Educator's Guide to the Clarinet, but I think it's overkill for where you are at this point. I'm not sure if your child is starting in a school program, but I would highly recommend a private teacher. The one-on-one approach can be helpful. I really like our school band instructor, but she has the 'general' knowledge about many instruments. My son really benefitted from his private teacher.
Enjoy the new music in your life!
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-05-28 18:05
Check out the following page for some basic information.
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Equipment/Beginner_Equipment.html
Then just take some time exploring the whole sneezy site. There is a whole section on suppliers. Many of the peoople on this board use International Music Suppliers, Muncy Winds, and the Woodwind & Brasswind.
And of course feel free to come back and ask questions here. That way if any of the information is confusing, you can get clarification.
A good instructor is probably the best thing you can do for your child.
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-05-29 14:56
Let me chime in, briefly...
The single most important investment is time with a pleasant teacher.
A good, inexpensive mouthpiece will make learning easier (Something like the Hite Premier), wash it weekly with soap and water.
I like the Legere synthetic reeds for beginners, especially kids... it is fairly durable, and should last as long as 10 natural cane reeds. The player still needs to disassemble the horn and put the reed in a smaller case.
It's all about the reed.
The Vito or Bundy plastic clarinets are good values, second hand. They can be purchased for less than $200, and sold (in the Fall when everyone wants one) for slightly more than $100. Get one from a repair shop that refurbishes them and guarantees the pads for a few months.
The clarinet itself is far less important than your encouragement and the guidance of a good teacher. Once every two weeks should be enough, plus the time the kid spends in school. If he plays daily, 20 minutes to 1 hour you will see progress.
There is a special place in heaven for the parents of reed players.
Oh yeah,
Put out the cat during practice time.
Best of luck,
anji
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-05-29 16:03
Anji wrote:
> There is a special place in heaven for the parents of reed
> players.
And the parents of violin players have to suffer through hell before they get to heaven ...
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-05-29 18:15
And hell on earth for the parents, friends and neighbors (yea, even unto the neighboring state) of bagpipe players.
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-05-30 00:32
Anji- to get away from that noise! Why do you think they point the pipes behind them? Also: It's harder to hit a moving target.
I'd reccommend LaVoz medium or Rico reeds for a student. They're cheaper to replace than the Legere reeds and those little kids break A LOT of reeds (thank god you don't have an oboe player...the reeds cost tons more and they make tons more noise).
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Author: Bob R
Date: 2001-05-30 18:18
I think I'll chime in as well..
The clarinet and double reed instruments are the most "parts oriented" instruments in a band or orchestra. What do i mean by "parts oriented" ? I mean can be affected by external factors like reeds, ligitures, mouthpieces, barrels, etc etc. The instruments themselves have more parts than brass or string instruments. The important thing as a parents is not to get caught up in the hype of having the perfect equipment for your child. Why ? Because there isn't a formula getting your child the perfect instrument. Everyone plays different and progresses at a different pace.
As your child progresses he/she will be ready to start using more advanced pieces of equipment. Its hard to explain this to a child who plays in band eveyday at school and sits in a section where the other kids all have different horns. I would start with a basic resonite clarinet with a basic mouthpiece. Start by using 2 or 2 1/2 strength rico reeds. Don't fall into the " Mom, I would sound better if I had ............" trap. Develop the skills first, then worry the instrument.
Later
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Author: Sara
Date: 2001-05-30 19:09
Just a note on teachers, sometimes the best teacher don't cost the most money, there's tow main teache in our town for clarinet players and both charge 14 for a half hour, which for around heres not cheap but its ok. I take from this masters student who goes to the local college. The only students he has are me and these other two guys. And all three of us made all state in fact we all sat next to each, 3,4,5. the others made low region chairs or nothing at all. So be careful when choosing a teacher, it makes a really big impact as to whether your child will stick with it or not.
Sara
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Author: Tracey
Date: 2001-06-01 05:10
I have to disagree with you Bob R. I play the viola, and if there is a big different between clarinet and other instruments such as the strings, it is that having inferior equipment doesn't make you a poor player. The clarinet is actually priced very very reasonably-- you can get a professional quality instrument for only around $500-1000, as compared to the tens of thousands of dollars that you would spend on a violin BOW alone! This is so amazing to me, that you don't have to have rich parents to sound good. In my opinion, the clarinet is definitely much more user friendly and easier to get into (in terms of price) than any other orchestra instrument.
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Author: Bob R
Date: 2001-06-01 13:05
I have to disagree with Tracey's comments. I'm not trying to say having beginner equipment makes you a poor player. My point was to learn the fundamentals of playing the instrument before buying more expensive equipment. My other point was that alot of external factors affect how a clarinet will sound. Any professional clarinet player will tell you that the reed, mouthpiece, ligiture, barrel combination that you use can effect how you play. What works well for one person may not for another. However, for someone learning how to play a clarinet these factors are not as important. Over time as a begnning student's embouchure builds, he/she will be ready to advance to using stronger reeds and different mouthpieces & ligitures. You can sound good with a beginner clarinet, but only up to a point where your ready to advance. Generally, clarinet players start out on resonite clarinets and later advance to intermediate or professional grade wooden horns. You really can't compare a strings instrument to a clarinet. It may be less expensive to start on, but over time things can get lot more expensive.
My main point was not to jump up to using professional grade equipment until your child has truly advanced to a point where he/she is ready. Play professional grade wooden horns, with different mouthpieces, and harder strength reeds, requires more skill, than playing a beginner horn on softer reeds. A beginning student needs to learn proper hand placement, fingerings, build a solid embouchure before advancing. In no way does this mean having a beginner clarinet makes you a poor player.
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Author: Tracey
Date: 2001-06-01 20:52
<<In no way does this mean having a beginner clarinet makes you a poor player.>>
Yeah, that's absolutely correct. The reason playing a string instrument is so flawed is that playing on a beginner's instrument will always make you sound worse than a player with lesser ability on a professional instrument. This is the reason that clarinet players don't need to spend nearly as much money on instrument repair/overhaul/accessories in general, in that a good instrument is not needed to sound good. I really don't think that over any amount of time that playing a clarinet will ever become more expensive than a string instrument. True, you do need to buy reeds constantly, but a pack of 4 strings costs around 200 dollars. Anyway, I'd much rather not buy 4 10,000 dollar bows and a 50,000 dollar violin than a 1500 dollar R13 and around a couple hundred on mouthpiece, ligature, neckstrap, etc. accessories. As a 9th grader in youth symphony, I can even notice this. The concertmistress and last stand 1st violin are around the same level of ability, yet her instrument is 5,000 dollars more. She is only a freshman also, and this is what results in playing a string instrument. Yet, the principal clarinet plays on a metal ligature and she still sounds great. She's been to Interlochen and musical camps and definitely held her own there, with a metal ligature. In the long run, if you continue violin/viola/cello/bass (yeah, why don't you buy you own bass, hehe) it ultimately results in a lot of spent money simply to sound better than your nearest orchestral competitor.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-06-01 21:45
Tracey wrote:
> Yet, the principal clarinet plays
> on a metal ligature and she still sounds great.
Umm - Tracey, did you really mean "metal ligature"? Metal ligatures are most common and are used by some of the very best players. Some of the very best players are using stock $20 Bonade ligatures - price isn't everything!
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Author: dew
Date: 2001-07-01 22:19
Our school's private teacher recommends Greg Smith mouthpieces for her students that play R13s.
Is that necessary for a doubler?
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