How to Buy a Clarinet

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In this video, I go over some of the details of buying a clarinet. Remember to make sure you have a good mouthpiece first, and then try as many clarinets as you can!
Thanks so much for watching!

[@marchelfman3278]

I bought a hundred dollar clarinet and the sound and key work were actually pretty good. Unfortunately, it was impossible to play it in tune. Intonation should be your top priority because everything else goes out the window if if you’re out of tune.

[@QuickStartClarinet]

That is a really good point! Intonation is definitely something that can really scale up with better instruments.

[@robfleming5588]

I wish I had seen this video before my most recent clarinet purchase on Ebay. I bought a Kessler Custom wood clarinet years ago brand new from the Kessler Music Company in Las Vegas which was a big purchase as an older adult who had played saxophone many years, but never got around to clarinet. Long story short, I thought I was upgrading the instrument when I purchased a refurbished Leblanc Symphonie Model with a Leblanc G barrel and bell from an eBay seller. Both of these clarinets turned out to have similar sound quality, but I found my preference to be the Kessler Custom model. So much for buying a name. I reverted back to the Kessler to use as I work my way through The Next Generation Clarinet Method book.

[@QuickStartClarinet]

This is a good video about the impact of equipment: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKuciYRmeK6GgqM

[@HelloooThere]

I started on a Vito Kazoo clarinet, it was a hoot!

[@nokijanuar]

Great video, after watching this.. definitely want to buy one student grade yamaha or the offbrand that you mention. Thank's for sharing

[@QuickStartClarinet]

I’m glad it helped! If you can afford it, I would definitely recommend the Yamaha. You may be able to find some used ones for a good price as well!

[@nokijanuar]

Thanks again for the reply, okay i'll go with your recommend! Find the used one 🙏🏽

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Good luck! Also, if you are just starting out, I am actually doing a free training series that will be up for the next week at www.quickstartclarinet.com/training I highly recommend checking it out!

[@candylandkm]

My first clarinet was selmers cl300, then I bought a Duo Shine ST2, and now my first wood clarinet is Jupiter JCL1100. I love all my clarinets and they all play very very well.

[@paino190]

Iam also using a second hand cl300 selmer Iam playing clarinet for 6 years but only 4 years of legitimate practice despite of my age which is 14,What clarinet should I buy thanks:)!

[@liamclarinet]

Your recommendation for Yamaha at 6:00 is exactly the same conclusion that I came to with my students (or more often, their parents!). It's such a fraught topic - we want a clarinet that's affordable, available, re-sellable, repairable, etc... not all those categories go together, but something like the Yamaha YCL-255 ticks a lot of those boxes! Great video, as always :)

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Yes! There is a reason it is such a go to amongst music stores and band directors.

[@georgecoll5659]

Greetings, I hope all is well. Thank you for the great info. What options for beginners who want a german system clarinet?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

O that’s a great question! Unfortunately, I have very little knowledge of German system clarinets. My best suggestion would be to figure out what clarinets your favorite people to listen to play on and then find the model from the same manufacturer that is in your price range.

[@PinacoladaMatthew]

Do you have a recommendation for a GOOD plastic clarinet? like an upgrade from Yamaha 250/255?

[@PinacoladaMatthew]

keywork and intonation wise

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Honestly most plastic clarinets will be a side grade from the Yamaha. I believe the Buffet B12 is plastic also the Bakun Alpha may not be plastic but is a great intermediate instrument.

[@AliasgarVirdiwala5253]

Sir which company clarinet do you use? And also tell the model no?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

I play on a Buffet Tradition that was made in 2016 or 2017.

[@AliasgarVirdiwala5253]

@@QuickStartClarinet Model number sir

[@mottahead6464]

I bought myself a Triumph 6402M on Amazon for about 200 bucks. It kinda sounds good. Mostly due to its lackluster player.

[@QuickStartClarinet]

The player is much more important than the instrument for sure!

[@PinacoladaMatthew]

my Yamaha 250 is still going strong....and it has seen some actions....lol plastic, durable, steady and sturdy...

[@judylam83]

I am an adult beginner, should I first buy a plastic one (buffet prodigy) before going into a professional model (buffet R13)? Would it be difficult to start learning on a professional instrument?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

There is not really any added difficulty learning on a professional instrument, so I would say if you have the budget and know you eventually want an R13 then you should just go for it!

[@amychen3863]

What is the difference between 19/6 18/6 17/6 keys on the clarinet? Will there be a difference on the finger? I'm trying to decide between a Buffet RC/ R13 (and R13 greenline)/ Buffet Tradition

[@QuickStartClarinet]

17 keys is standard. The 18th key is usually a left hand Eb key, which is helpful but not necessary. The 19th key is sometimes a low F vent or sometimes a low Eb if it is a full-boehm system, those are even less necessary. The instruments that you mentioned are excellent. I am currently playing a Buffet Tradition!

[@ramzidjauhari7575]

I’ve played piano for many years, and never had played clarinet before, now I want to buy clarinet, one of the question is which key I have to buy clarinet? B flat, C, or A? I used to read piano music score in C, do I have to transposed everytime I play clarinet music score? If so, then it will be very hard for me. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you in advanced.

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Bb is by far the most standard clarinet. If you are reading a score in C and playing with a C instrument you would have to transpose, but the large majority of clarinet parts are written in Bb.

[@ramzidjauhari7575]

@@QuickStartClarinet So if I play C clarinet along with other C instrument, I need to transpose my score to Bb?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

If you are playing a C clarinet with other C instruments and reading off of a C score, then you don’t have to transpose. However, if you are playing a C clarinet with other C instruments and reading off a clarinet part that is most likely in Bb then you would have to transpose (unless the other C instruments are reading off of the same Bb part/score). If you want to play the clarinet get a Bb clarinet. If you want to play music written in C on clarinet with other C instruments then a C clarinet would be easier. Though it takes some practice it actually isn’t that hard to play C parts on a Bb clarinet and transpose.

[@mrcrowley1992]

Im in between a Yamaha Ycl-20 or the Buffet B12! Would you help me decide? Btw i love your videos!

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Thanks! Both are great! The Buffet is a little more high end probably, but it is up to you if you want that for a started instrument or not.

[@mrcrowley1992]

@@QuickStartClarinet Omg Thank you so much for your Answer! Ill let you know when i buy it! Ive got a lot of saving to do! c:

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Of course! Let me know if you have any other questions!

[@emiliohernandez7214]

Are Eastar Clarinets any good? I'm wanting to learn clarinet and they advertise theirs for $99, which is right in my comfortable price range right now lol

[@QuickStartClarinet]

The short answer is no. However, you can’t really get a good instrument for that price unless you get lucky finding a used one, so for the price they are reasonable! I don’t have any experience with Easter specifically but I have had a couple students be pretty successful with the Mendini instrument that I recommend here but it does look like that is a little pricier now. It works for starting out, but won’t last you long if you start to get more serious about playing. Let me know if you have any other questions!

[@calebhaley4464]

I have played for about 6 months and my mouthpiece broke but i don't know what company it was, my band teach gave me a mouthpiece and ever since braking my first one, I can hear the spittle in my playing. what should I do?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Interesting! I have never heard of mouthpieces affecting spit accumulation. You may want to look into getting your own mouthpiece again. The Vandoren mouthpieces are pretty affordable and have a lot of options. If you aren’t happy with the sound on the mouthpiece your teacher gave you, you may want to try different strengths, but ultimately you may just need to suck the spit out more. Another good trick is to put a clean piece of paper between your reed and mouthpiece then pull it out and that will soak up some of the moisture in there.

[@calebhaley4464]

@@QuickStartClarinet thank you for the advice. I was wondering if you know if there are any mouthpieces specifically for a Selmer CL 300?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Nope. Mouthpieces aren’t really specific to clarinets at all so you can use basically any mouthpiece on any clarinet. This video might be helpful to get a better understanding of reeds and mouthpieces in general! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHOvc5eoe7KDbtE

[@sojcidowndhdjx]

Hi! Should an intermediate just get a professional clarinet for long term use or upgrade step by step? I am currently deciding between a tosca and a vintage.

[@QuickStartClarinet]

It definitely isn’t necessary to go step by step. I usually recommend that if you want a nice instrument to last through high school then intermediate is fine but if you are going to be playing beyond that especially in college then go professional. That being said the R13 vintage and tosca are both professional instruments. Yes their prices are very different, but the R13 vintage is a great instrument that several full time professionals play. When deciding between those two instruments it more comes down to personal preference.

[@sojcidowndhdjx]

@@QuickStartClarinet thank you for your advice!

[@Yourmomma568]

As a musician of many years, if I can make a recommendation, the instrument itself will make very little difference. I know people will assume that more expensive is better, but the difference is very minial. With advances in manufacturing, entry level instrument quality is light years ahead of what it was 30 years ago. The things that effect sound quality, in descending order are, player ability, reed and mouthpeice set up, everything else. and those are wide gaps between them. Don't believe the hype. get something with good build quality that a service tech would be willing to work on and leave it at that. Spend the time practicing. Plus, once you get into the high end, it all comes down to personal preference anyway. Your essentially paying for hand made labor hours, and expensive materials. Not worth it.

[@saricegromlay6765]

ive been playing clarinet for a while, andmy pads are completely broken as well as a crack through my bell. My tone sounds pretty airy and I've been working on getting it better, but I'm at the point in which I'm starting too think its not my fault. Would a new clarinet help or should I keep doing tonal exercises?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Definitely if you have bad pads that is going to be causing issues. The crack in the bell probably isn’t affecting things too much unless it is really big. I would say it is definitely worth either getting that instrument repaired if it is a good quality instrument or looking into getting a new high quality instrument. Good luck!

[@saricegromlay6765]

@@QuickStartClarinet aaaahhh thanks! i think im going to look into a new one. your videos have saved my life 💛💛

[@annachilders8444]

I am thinking about getting a clarinet. I have never played the clarinet before. But I know how to play the penny whistle. The brand of clarinet I was thinking about getting is the Vangoa 17 key B flat for beginners. Would that be a good clarinet? Thanks

[@QuickStartClarinet]

It’s definitely not a good clarinet, and would fall into the category similar to the Mendini that I mention in the video. Whenever they specify how many keys or if it comes with white gloves those are always red flags. I don’t think I mention this in the video, but renting from a local music store is usually a better way to get started. That being said if that is all you can afford and you really want to have a clarinet that you own then go for it! A bad clarinet is better than no clarinet 😄

[@annachilders8444]

@@QuickStartClarinet What clarinet would you recommend? I can afford clarinets up $230.

[@QuickStartClarinet]

I would suggest going to a local store and asking about rentals, which should be no more than $50 a month. Or searching for a used instrument like a Yamaha YCL-20. Yamaha, Jupiter, Selmer, or Buffet are good quality brands.

[@raywen6939]

Should I buy a used clarinet (it’s a buffet e11)

[@QuickStartClarinet]

E11’s are a really great intermediate instrument. If you are looking for an intermediate level instruments, it is the right price, and it has been kept in good repair, go for it! The best way to know though is for you to play it yourself and see how you like it, if that is possible.

[@benjamindiones4104]

what is the difference between buffet e11 and e12f?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

The e12f is a little fancier. A little higher quality keys, springs, and pads otherwise they are more or less identical.

[@sondersighs]

How should someone who is starting out try clarinets before they buy them?

[@QuickStartClarinet]

That’s a great question! If it is your first instrument you won’t really need to or be able to try them out since you don’t know how to play. In that case, renting from a music store can be an affordable way to get started playing and see how you like it before you invest in your own instrument, or you can just go for a really trusted student instrument like a Yamaha. Used instruments can also be great, but if you get a used instrument that isn’t in great shape you may get really frustrated thinking you aren’t doing things correctly when actually the instrument isn’t working properly.

[@sondersighs]

@@QuickStartClarinet Thank you for the answer!! :)

[@jorgearreguin8896]

So what should I get if I’m 12 years old

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Probably a beginner instrument, but it is up to you whether you go name brand or off brand. Let me know if you need more help!

[@cynax7757]

My first clarinet cost me $80 or $90. I played Bass Clarinet before.

[@patelthakorbhai1121]

I want this lecture in hindi

[@QuickStartClarinet]

That would be cool! Maybe some day my stuff will be translated into other languages!

[@randomboi346]

648 for beginners what the fuck my 1st that I got was 150 my newest one is 450 and I’m doing fine in concert season

[@QuickStartClarinet]

Did you buy them used? What brand and model of instruments do you have? Later in the video I mention a $70 instrument that is good for beginners who just want to try it out, but in general I do think you get what you pay for. Even in your case, there must have been some reason that you upgraded from the $150 clarinet to the $450 one. At that point you have spent $600 anyways so you perhaps could have spent $600 on the Yamaha in the first place and had a better instrument from the beginning and maybe an instrument that would even outlast the $450 clarinet you are on now. In general, if you are serious about playing, I think it is good to go for a bit higher end equipment because it will last you longer before you feel the need to upgrade, and you get to play on the nicer equipment much longer. That’s just some food for thought. I could definitely see a situation where it really is too much money to spend $600 all at once so it is totally fine to go all the way down to even the $70 clarinet depending on budget. I also didn’t mention used clarinets much, but I bet one could find the $600 Yamaha in good shape for a good bit less. I hope you are enjoying playing the clarinet!

[@V081WLBlue]

Go on Amazon and get a Lade or Eastar for £80; paying stupid money like thousands for an instrument is pure snobishness unless you are a professional player getting paid lots for your playing. Nearly as bad as womens handbags!!!!!

[@elissahunt]

How well the instrument functions is a primary consideration. Cheaper instruments do not play as easily as better made, more expensive models. For a beginner, this can mean the difference between enjoying music and quitting. So often I've seen players with cheap instruments who think they're just poor players, when the problem is the instrument they bought simply doesn't function properly. There is nothing "snobbish" about wanting an instrument that plays as it should. Beginners who can't afford a reasonable quality new instrument can usually rent one from a music shop. There is also the option of buying used instruments. My clarinet is a Selmer 10G which I bought used (many years ago) for only $200. Though I have played with professional groups, I am not a professional myself. Amateurs like myself are still deserving of decent, nice-sounding instruments.