 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sue
Date: 2001-10-29 21:07
Can anyone suggest when is the best time to buy a wooden clarinet. can you get through all the grades ona plastic instrument?
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Author: Corey
Date: 2001-10-29 21:32
You can get through all the grades on a plastic.There are seniors in my band with plastic ones. I wouldn't recommend it though> i mean yeah with a really good mouthpiece and ligature you can get a nice tone but i prefer wood clarinets myself.
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Author: Fred
Date: 2001-10-29 21:41
Sue, I think it depends what you want to do in music. If you intend for clarinet to play a significant role in your education and future, then you'll probably want to get a better horn eventually. If you are just playing for fun and need to fill a slot in your school schedule, then plastic is fine - and always desirable if you march. Of course, all plastic clarinets are NOT created equal. Some are so sorry that they should never have been produced. Others are very decent horns.
NOTE: There are some truly sorry wooden horns out there also. If you don't know the difference, get help when/if you buy.
I do believe that even if you are only a casual player, there are two things that are much more important than the composition of your instrument:
1) The horn should be properly adjusted and kept in good repair;
2) You need a decent mouthpiece.
With these two things, a decent plastic horn can sound quite good and give you many years of good service.
Have fun playing!
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-10-30 14:20
The question should not be when to buy a wooden clarinet but rather "When should I step up to an intermediate or professional grade horn"
The material is irrelevant but the design is very important. Student horns, whether wood or plastic, are designed to be easy blowing, inexpensive, and rugged. Some of the better ones (Leblanc, Buffet, Selmer, and Yamaha) sound very good if properly maintained and set up with a really good mouthpiece and reed. So if you are only planning on playing through high school and subsequently dropping music or being a casual musician, a good student horn, well set up will do just fine. Of course if you want and can afford a quality intermediate or pro horn, go for it.
As as already been mentioned, there have been student wooden horns that sound much worse than the plastic ones by our better makers. There are even some so-called "intermediate" and "pro" wood horns that are not as good as a Bundy or Vito.
There do exist some plastic pro horns such as the Buffet Greenline R-13. It is a filled epoxy resin. That the filler is ground grenadilla really isn't important but does make good advertising copy. Allowing for individual differences from horn to horn, reports on this board generally indicate that it is the equal of the regular R-13.
The important elements, in order of importance, to generate a good sound are as follows (IMHO):
1. Player
2. Mouthpiece
3. Reed
4. Correct matching of reed to mouthpiece
5. Ligature and barrel
5. Clarinet
As you can see, the instrument is the last item on the list. Of course I am assuming that it is a decent instrument in its class such as those made by the big four makers mentioned above and that it is kept well maintained.
Before you upgrade your clarinet, try looking at items 2 thru 4 on the list above. (Naturally you are already working on improving the player!) And make sure that your instrument is in tip top condition including clean tone holes. Dirty tone holes, especially the smaller ones closer to the top of the horn, can really hurt your sound and pitch. Some of the common culprits are the register key, A key, and C#/G# key.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-10-30 14:53
Anyone with serious intentions about playing clarinet should invest in a wooden professional model. It is possible to move into high school still playing a plastic instrument, but with few exceptions a plastic instrument will limit your abilities to excell in upper level competition. A high-quality professional clarinet will make a huge difference in your performance level. I agree that a mouthpiece is an excellent place to start and a professional one should be obtained before purchasing a professional instrument. It will lengthen the time a plastic clarinet might be used.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-10-30 15:57
I am going to make a plea to refer to student clarinets as student clarinets rather than by the material from which they are most commonly made (plastic). Many students, teachers, and parents will otherwise be led astray by this and end up buying some old junker of a Pan American student wood thinking that they have a "better" clarinet because it is wood. A modern plastic Vito or B-12, etc will beat such horns hands down.
I certainly agree that any one who is serious (and I include many who only play for their own pleasure and other such amateurs here) should have the best they can afford but goals and financial resources must be considered. Of course if one doesn't have to consider cost, then a person can do what they choose. However most people in the world have to prioritize their wants and needs. This must be sacrificed for that.
As a parent, my child would have to convince me that this would be a regular part of not only their high school life but also beyond. This would include not only verbal persuasion but actions such as dedicated practice, perhaps joining community groups (time permitting), jamming with friends or family members and so on. Perhaps they would have to contribute to its purchase (I bought my pro horn out of very hard earned babysitting money with no monetary contribution by the folks).
If on the other hand, the band director or teacher or student, tells me they MUST have a pro horn to advance but I see insufficient evidence of interest, then I would not make such an investment. The student that doesn't practice isn't going to get any better by switching horns although I will admit that, in some cases, the student might be additionally motivated but I would not risk my money on that. Prove it first then get the reward.
Yes good equipment is a joy but I cannot believe that a well set up student horn from one of our four major makers is going to stop a student's progress. It might not be quite as easy but it isn't an absolute obstacle. I've played my Vito in the concert band for bad weather gigs and people were surprised they could not tell it from a higher grade horn. I did notice in playing the horn that I had to work a bit harder at it but not to the extent that it hampered my playing. I've played my Bundy Eb soprano and people complimented me on the tone and were surprised to learn that it was a Bundy.
But you see, from the day I started until I graduated high school (8 years), I put in that hour a day almost every day that the band teacher wanted everyone to do. Due to the press in time in college in studying engineering and many commitments thereafter, I didn't play for over 20 years, but when I picked it up again I could still play decently. It was the early and dedicated practice that was the key.
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Author: Antonio
Date: 2001-11-01 20:39
Dee
What a inspiration your post. For me as a "late bloomer", I have the option to buy a wood or platic "Thanks God", but always thought about it.
Your email simply answer most of my questions.
Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Antonio
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