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RE: Band Mom

Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2001-11-14 00:40

Hi Catherine,

If I read your message correctly, your daughter is going to be a new beginner, or has played very little. Also, you don't know alot about clarinets. For a student at this stage and a parent in your position, my recommendation would be a plastic student model from one of the big four manufacturers mentioned above: a Buffet B12 (preferable IMO to the B10), a Selmer CL301 (or 1401), a Leblanc Vito, or a Yamaha YCL20. My personal recommendation is the Buffet B12 because I play one as my "bad weather" instrument and I know its quality but all the others have good reputations. Plastic instruments are lighter in weight than wood. Also, if your daughter becomes serious about the instrument, you can buy a good intermediate or professional model down the road and the plastic instrument will still be valuable as a marching band/outdoor instrument.

Because you have little experience with clarinets, I would recommend you either buy a new instrument or, at least a recent one that a music store with a good reputation will stand behind as being in "best playing condition." (Shiny new instruments are sometimes a good motivator, as well.) You should expect to pay $350 -- $450 for a good student model instrument. If local stores are unwilling to go below $500 or $600 for the models I have mentioned above (new), e-mail me and I will give you contact information for several large mail-order places that will give you a good price. If you know someone who plays clarinet reasonably well (perhaps a teacher at the school), ask them to try out the instrument you buy to make sure that it is set up properly and plays reasonably well. Or take it to a reputable repair person (preferably not connected with the store that sold you the instrument.) You want to be sure the instrument is in good playing condition because a beginner will usually not recognize when probelms she is having are the fault of the equipment and may become frustrated. Most new student instruments should play fine "out of the box" but sometimes a problem slips by quality assurance and sometimes an instrument can develop a problem during shipping.

An entry level wooden instrument is also OK (Buffet E11, Selmer CL201, Leblanc Noblet Model 40 (a better choice IMO than the Normandy) or Yamaha YCL34). Again, IMO, however, the plastic instrument is a better choice for now because of: (1) the fact that the intro level wooden instruments are not much better in quality of workmanship (or design) than their plastic counterparts, (2) the weight, (3) the fact that wooden instruments are prone to cracking problems when used outdoors in cold weather, and (4) the fact that, if she sustains interest in the instrument, your daughter will eventually outgrow her first horn. If you have a plastic student model, you have an instrument that is still useful for marching band or as a bad-weather backup. If you have a wooden student model, you have an instrument that is not of much use and has relatively little resale value.

Whatever instrument you buy for her, I strongly recommend you invest an extra $20 or $30 in a good beginner's mouthpiece. This may be more important to her success than the clarinet you choose. For brand new players, I recommend the Hite Premier. For beginners who have been playing for a little while, the Fobes Debut is also a good choice. (I have played both of these, as did my daughter when she started and can attest to their high quality.) If your music store can't get these, contact me and I will give you contact information for a mail order store that carries them. Do not. I say again, do not, however, buy her a Vandoren B45 if someone recommends that to you. It is far too hard to blow for most beginners and far too often recommended for beginners by people who don't know better.

My last recommendation is that you get to know your daughter's music teacher at school and, if her teacher is a clarinet specialist, ask the teacher for advice on equipment (and any other issues that come up, as well). In this case, you can ignore everything that I (and anyone else on the bulletin board) has suggested -- except the bit about the B45 ;^).

Best regards,
jnk
St. Louis

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