How do I choose a clarinet to buy?

September 13, 2009 10:40 PM

I want to learn to play the clarinet. How do I choose a clarinet to buy? I have no experience with wind instruments (I'm 26). While I've got no aspirations of becoming a jazz legend, I want a clarinet with reasonably good sound quality. Are more expensive ones generally easier to play? Are used as good as new, or do I have to worry about identifying and replacing worn out parts? What other supplies will I need right off the bat? Also, I live in Mexico so I think I will have to buy online and not try it out beforehand.
posted by lockestockbarrel to media & arts (11 comments total)

Most people who decide they want to learn an instrument give up before they get good. Why not buy a cheap used one, mess around with it until you find out if you really are going to stick with it, and only then buy something good?

That way, if it does turn out that you lose interest, you haven't spent as much.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:50 PM on September 13

You can pick up a used one for around US$350. The Buffet brand is pretty basic for learning, but I had a Selmer that sounded fantastic. Start out with plastic, but eventually you will want to upgrade to a wooden one. The biggest difference with expensive and cheap are how they are tuned. Cheap ones will be in tune for say the lower notes, but become more flat as the note gets higher and the only thing you can do about that is change your embouchure (mouth position).
For supplies, start with a soft reed, probably a 1 or a 2 strength. You will also want a swab, which is a piece of felt on a length of string with a weight at the end. This is so you can pull it through the instrument and remove condensation from playing. Moisture is bad for the pads. Also keep handy a tiny screwdriver to tighten any screws that work their way loose. A polishing cloth is good for wiping oil off the nickel keys after playing to prevent tarnishing.
posted by idiotfactory at 11:18 PM on September 13

I have a hard time believing that there aren't any music stores in Mexico. Why not look around for a local store that can rent or sell you a second-hand clarinet? You will also need to buy music and reeds from them.

Like most woodwinds, it is fairly hard to figure out how to make a decent sound with a clarinet. Try to find some locals that can help you get started.
posted by b1tr0t at 11:19 PM on September 13

Are more expensive ones generally easier to play?

The big difference is expense as far as you're concerned right now is between plastic and wood - wood (an E11 for example) being the first upgrade once you get a big more serious about it. But it won't make a difference for a while, so get a cheap plastic one to start with (wood is more temperamental, too, and there's more to learn about caring for it - so don't bother with that.)

Are used as good as new, or do I have to worry about identifying and replacing worn out parts?

Used should be okay - the thing you might need to worry about replacing is the cork and pads on the instrument, which can get worn out. Maybe a missing screw.

What other supplies will I need right off the bat?

Low-number reeds, you'll probably go through them kinda quickly since the low ones are less sturdy (but easier to play for a beginner) and because that always happens. R

You will definitely need a swab and cork grease (to keep the cork moist and from cracking, and the instrument easy to put together.)

You can get thin paper to keep the pads dry, and the screwdriver - but both are really not necessary if you're just starting out, so don't sweat them.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:32 PM on September 13

Also, it will sound like crap for a while. Gross wet-sounding notes instead of nice clear ones. Squeaking. That's not the cheap clarinet (well, a little bit) - it's just your body figuring out how to produce a nice sound.

Oh, yes, and a little thumb pad is a good idea. You support the instrument with a little metal or plastic thumb shelf, and it can often really cut into your finger and become uncomfortable.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 11:38 PM on September 13

The little kids start out playing the cheap plastic ones. When I went to take it up again, I got a new cheap plastic one because my old cheap plastic one needed a total repad/recork... which was going to cost more than the new clarinet did.

It's not a good clarinet. It will never be a good clarinet. It is, however, excellent for twiddling with until I'm ready to take it really seriously again.

Woodwind & Brasswind has some of these cheap student clarinets for under $150. I know they do ship internationally for most items but I don't know how much international shipping costs.

No, one of these will never be a reasonably good instrument, but if you stop playing you'll feel less guilty, and if you can keep playing, you can save up later for a nicer clarinet. You'll probably get more sound difference out of a better mouthpiece after you've practiced for a bit than out of a clarinet that's just a couple hundred dollars more.

The big thing though is that you probably will need a teacher of some sort at least to start. I'm picking it up again (veeery slowly) on my own, but I would not want to have to learn to make a sound out of it again from zero knowledge without someone there to show me.
posted by larkspur at 12:14 AM on September 14 [1 favorite]

The student models are just fine for starting to learn, and as a beginner you probably won't be able to tell the difference between that and something nicer for a long, long time. Yamaha, Armstrong, LeBlanc, Buffet, Selmer, Bundy and Vito all make acceptable, consistent clarinets (at least for the beginner) in a range of prices.

Buying something *very* cheap and outside the normal brands (there are probably a few I am forgetting- I have been teaching strings for too long!) often means that you are getting cheaper metals that bend too easily, which means your instrument will go out of adjustment quickly and become much more difficult to play and play in tune. With musical instruments, you usually regret going with the bottom-of-the-barrel; I recommend going for the *top* of the bottom of the barrel so you don't get anything weird. Plastic is fine and a lot less hassle than wood to start.

Used is fine as long as it's in decent shape. You may not be able to know for sure since you can't play well enough to test anything out, but there are a few things you can do before you buy. Check the corks at the end of the joints and make sure they're not falling off or torn, and look under the pads under the keys- they should be pretty clean and without holes or rips, with a circular dent from the hole beneath that goes all the way around (incomplete circles or no circles at all mean that it's out of adjustment and will need some repairs before it plays well). Keys should go down easily, and rebound back up (or vice versa) without catching or pulling. If it's wooden, check for cracks.

It would be worth your while to find someone in your area who can do woodwind repair even if you do buy something new.

Supplies: cork grease (only as needed, or your corks will disintegrate), a swab, a whole box of #1.5 or preferably #2 reeds.
posted by charmedimsure at 2:22 AM on September 14 [1 favorite]

I'm a brass player, so take my remarks in that context. In most band instruments you get what you pay for to a certain degree, however, there is a huge market based around people learning to play instruments, mostly kids. This market is directed towards "I want an instrument that only sucks a little bit so that it won't cost an arm and a leg, but won't be a huge disincentive for my kid to play so s/he won't quit." Yamaha has done pretty well in that market and they're easy to get your hands on them. That said, I played a Yamaha trumpet when I was a kid and I wore it out. I mean that. I literally wore it out.

If you don't know what to look for in an instrument, the best thing to do it to hire someone who does. Music teachers are great consultants in that respect as are players in orchestras. To my mind, it is totally worth the money to pay someone to help pick you an instrument if you know nothing about it. Heck, if it were being *asked* I would do it for free since the world needs more music.
posted by plinth at 3:16 AM on September 14

Gina's Flutes (which we found through an article in the NY Times) provided a great instrument. Gina's a former music teacher and she interviews you pretty thoroughly and makes a match for you. She'll also buy it back, if the experiment doesn't work.
posted by eve harrington at 4:24 AM on September 14 [2 favorites]

There is some excellent advice here. Start out with a student clarinet until (1) you've gotten into playing enough that a higher-end instrument would be an okay investment (2) you're good enough that the instrument makes a difference. Learning to play a woodwind instrument often takes months or years of sounding icky. (To get an approximation of what a beginner clarinet player sounds like, stick your tongue all the way out of your mouth, close your mouth and let your lips go slack, and then try to sing.)

Find a good teacher. Not only because it's difficult to self-teach things like embouchure, but because s/he can help you assess the quality of any instrument you buy. Having the help of an experienced teacher is invaluable especially if you are looking for a used clarinet: there are fantastic deals out there on used professional models in decent condition, and then there are used professional models that would require repair that costs twice the asking price to get them into playable shape. Wood clarinets, for example, can get cracks that are difficult to see with the untrained eye. If you can't find someone knowledgeable to help you assess used clarinets, it's a much safer bet to get a new one.
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:32 AM on September 14

Nth-ing the "buy a student model now" camp, with a strong bias for Buffet and Selmer as the most reliable models in terms of a) durability, and b) availability of parts for repairs. You will not regret it.

And if you turn out to love the clarinet and decide to invest in a gorgeous wooden professional model later, you can resell the student model or keep it for emergencies (mine always came in handy to play big-band gigs, where I was concerned that the drunks would knock over my beloved 1920s Paris Selmer).
posted by Sidhedevil at 7:42 AM on September 14