If you’re wondering what you need to take clarinet lessons look no further! If you want to become a virtuoso clarinet player or just someone who wants to play in your garage, this page is for you!
First off you need an instrument! If you don’t have a clarinet, GET ONE! It’s impossible to learn play clarinet without one after all.
Now that that’s established lets look at the different brands and very quickly discuss the do’s and don’ts of finding a student model clarinet.
Brands like Buffet, Selmer, Backun, and Yamaha – These brands are household names in the clarinet world. Buffet and Yamaha make everything from decent student model plastic clarinets all the way to professional wood models. They are a household name for a reason, they make quality instruments, and you’ll pay the premium usually as well. But don’t let that deter you! You can always find used clarinets of all levels on sites like craigslist or the Facebook marketplace for a fraction of the retail value. Yes there maybe some repairs that need made but overall the instruments you can find used are just as good as brand new instruments
Brands like First Act, First Class, colored clarinets from eBay, and anything else you can find at Wal-Mart – STAY AWAY! If you were wondering if that clarinet or guitar or other extremely “well priced” instrument at Wal-Mart is a good deal then let me set you straight. Either leave it at the store or burn it! These instruments are extremely cheap, and when I say cheap I mean both light on the wallet and light on quality. These instruments are made from very lightweight plastics that have poor resonance and poor key action. I’ve seen instruments like these break within weeks of taking them out of the case. Not to mention they sound AWFUL. Trust me. Save your money.
Other brands like Bundy, Conn, Etude, Antiqua, Jupiter, etc: These brands are fine for students and sometimes even have great sound but sometimes can be hard to find. You’ll usually find some of these brands on sites like Woodwind/Brasswind and the reviews may be mixed. You could also find these at your local music shop such as Beacock Music (Vancouver and Eugene), where you can try them out and see if it’s to your liking. They could be plastic or wood but either way are worth taking a looking at. Also some of these brands my not be in production anymore, thus the reason they are hard to find (ie. Conn).
Student vs. Intermediate vs. Professional Models
Student Models
As the name hints, these models are good for students. All, or at least 99%, of all student models are made of plastic. Although plastic doesn’t have the best sound or resonance, it is more resilient for younger players who don’t always treat their instrument with the most deference. Plastic is more weather resistant (good for marching band), humidity resistant, able to absorb most shocks from drops and falls, and most of all easier to play due to being more free blowing. By “free blowing” I mean that the instrument is more open and easier to play and doesn’t require as much initial embouchure (the way in which a player applies the mouth to the mouthpiece of a brass or wind instrument) strength. Student models, although very good for beginners, are unlikely to last through the first couple years of play by a student going through middle school. By high school the student will likely need at least an intermediate model instrument to grow musically.
Intermediate Models
Intermediate Models are extremely popular among high school students and adult students who are not planning to become a full time musician. These instruments can be made of plastic, but the better ones are made out of wood, which is more resonant and give a better quality of sound. Intermediate models require more embouchure strength and training, have better key action, but are also less resilient and will need some general annual maintenance to stay in working order. Well made intermediate model clarinets such as the Buffet E11 or E12, can even be used through college. I used my Buffet E11 until the last year of my Bachelors Degree, at which point I upgraded to a professional model Buffet R13.
Professional Models
Professional models are a definite step up from intermediate models. They have fast key action, better resonance, and better intonation in general. Musicians argue about which instruments are the best and which provide the best sound, intonation and key action but in the end it’s which instrument works best for you. I have played on my Buffet R13 for the past 10 years and I love it, but I have some colleagues that swear by their Selmer or Yamaha professional model. Every player is different so it’s good to try as many models as you can to get a feel for what you want if you’re going to spend the money (which is no laughing matter since profession clarinets start at $2,500 for a new base model professional instrument).
So after you’ve picked out your clarinet, next step is learning how to take care of your new friend.
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