Clarinet sticker shock

[frankensooner]

My 6th grader signed up for band this year and expressed interest in the clarinet. I just googled the suggested models and OMG what is the deal? I remember when I was in band, my trumpet was like a hundred and fiddy dollars and we could buy any model we wanted! What is the deal? A grand for a clarinet?

[TopDaugIn2000]

rent 'til you see if your kid is really gonna stick it out. much better than what you'll lose trying to get rid of a used one a year from now (or less)

[BigRedJed]

Dude. That blows.

[TopDaugIn2000]

sure your kid doesn't wanna try the soprano sax? I got one in my closet that's been played like 3 times.

[BigRedJed]

Wow. That was even below my own really, really low standards for joke making.

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

rent 'til you see if your kid is really gonna stick it out. much better than what you'll lose trying to get rid of a used one a year from now (or less)

Wurd.

And you can get a decent Gibson Baldwin at Target for a couple hunnerd bucks. It's plastic but it'll do until you know whether or not this is serious enough for a nice one.

I'm not kidding - TARGET.

[BigRedJed]

So, BSG, how's your embouchure?

[frankensooner]

I told the wife I saw one at Target!

Yeah, but the school urges you to buy the spensive ones. I guess we will rent. She wants to play the sax next year anyway, so keep that soprano sax in the closet and next year we can haggle.

[sooner n houston]

EBAY

[TopDaugIn2000]

I told the wife I saw one at Target!

Yeah, but the school urges you to buy the spensive ones. I guess we will rent. She wants to play the sax next year anyway, so keep that soprano sax in the closet and next year we can haggle.


then why spend a uber amounts of cash on a clarinet for ONE FREAKIN YEAR?!?!?!?! RENT or buy cheap, **** what the school says.

the sax has been there for about 6 years, isn't going anywhere that I can see (although they'll probably discourage playing a soprano, cause it's much more difficult than an alto or tenor)

[TopDaugIn2000]

EBAY

my ONE bad experience on ebay was on a soprano sax. had to send it back and get ebay after the seller. the "silver" was literally spray painted on and was peeling off terribly. It was horrible. after I got the $ back I went to Norman Music whatever and bought a good one.

[frankensooner]

Oh, yeah, that is the Kenny G instrument. I think I might push her to the tenor. ;)

[TopDaugIn2000]

Oh, yeah, that is the Kenny G instrument. I think I might push her to the tenor. ;)
don't blame ya. I played the tenor in band, liked it MUCH better.

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

So, BSG, how's your embouchure?

You ever hear of the 'spittin' watermelon seed' exercises you do to keep your embouchure tight?

I can spit one about a hunnerd feet.

:rcmad:

[SoonerInKCMO]

You ever hear of the 'spittin' watermelon seed' exercises you do to keep your embouchure tight?

I can spit one about a hunnerd feet.

:rcmad:

Talk like that is keepin' more than my embouchure tight. :texan:

[BigRedJed]

You ever hear of the 'spittin' watermelon seed' exercises you do to keep your embouchure tight?

I can spit one about a hunnerd feet.

:rcmad:
How YOU doin?

[12]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Triangle(instrument).png

[Boarder]

Yeah, but the school urges you to buy the spensive ones.


Tell them to urge in one hand and crap in the other to see what fills up first.


My 6th grade sax was like $600 and is still around. It plays great.

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

The Jazzy Dusters?

:D

[Boarder]

We didn't have a fiddle. We had a sax. I played the fiddle parts.

YOU HAVE THE CD...YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS!

I also have a clarinet, btw. It's Yellow.

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

The Dusty Jazzers?

And I'll have you know that your CD is on my iPod.

I'm not kidding. Now if I only knew where to find some 'Dark Stranger'...

[GottaHavePride]

My 6th grader signed up for band this year and expressed interest in the clarinet. I just googled the suggested models and OMG what is the deal? I remember when I was in band, my trumpet was like a hundred and fiddy dollars and we could buy any model we wanted! What is the deal? A grand for a clarinet?
Plastic clarinets suck. They sound like crap and they're hard to play. But if the kid wants to play saxophone later on, rent a cheap one for a year.

With that said, I don't know why schools start kids on clarinet to move to saxophone. Sure, the mouthpieces look the same, but what you have to do inside the mouth to get them to sound good is totally opposite what you need to do on a saxophone. why do they insist on teaching kids counter-productive habits for a year that will take them nearly that lon to un-learn? But that's another rant.

Also: almost every school will start the kid on an alto saxophone once you can switch to sax. It's the smallest and the easiest to use when kids are still that size. Later on they'll let you expand to tenor or baritone sax (the only one worth playing, IMO).

something to remember for down the road, depending on what the kid wants to do with music: if it's just for fun, no worries. If the kid starts to take it seriously you should know that a good saxophonist - and more importantly a working saxophonist (one that actually gets called for gigs a lot and therefore makes money) - will know how to play (and probably will own) all four sizes of saxophone, with the possible exception of bari. And if they REALLY want to make any money at it, they have to know how to double on at least one (but the more the better) of clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, bassoon, etc.

but don't freak out yet. That's way down the road. Freak out when they tell you how much reeds cost, and how long they last. ;) That's where brass instrumens totally pwn woodwinds.

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

Plastic clarinets suck. They sound like crap and they're hard to play.

Word. I couldn't believe the difference when I finally got a good one.

But a good wooden one is expensive. Really expensive. My Dad almost shat himself when I showed him the one I wanted.

And then he bought it for me. :D

[BigRedJed]

My first was a rental, and then I owned one that cost about $300 in the early eighties, if I remember right.

[BigRedJed]

I can't believe I just admitted to playing the clarinet.

[BigRedJed]

I DID switch to bass clarinet. Is that more manly?

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

Depends...

How's YOUR embouchure?

[skycat]

I don't know how anyone could get through middle school band practice without a spit valve.

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

Depends...

How's YOUR embouchure?


Don't answer that.

[BigRedJed]

It's... ...rigid.

[BigRedJed]

Doh. Sorry, you said don't answer.

[GottaHavePride]

I DID switch to bass clarinet. Is that more manly?
German orchestras refused to hire any women at all in the wind or brass sections until the mid-1980s when a lady won a blind trombone audition, they refused to hire her, and she sued the hell out of them. But the answer is still no. ;)


Actually, frankensooner should be glad it's just clarinet - professional-level clarinets can be had for $2500 to $3500 depending on brand, model, etc. About the same as a good trombone. Really good violins start at about $20,000 and go up from there. Heck, I know a girl that even in college had a $40,000 cello.

[BigRedJed]

Well, it became obvious that the only way I was going to make first chair was to switch to an instrument with only one chair.

[BigRedJed]

In fact, that was probably the only way I was going to make second chair.

[GottaHavePride]

Heh. That's why so many guys try to get "bass trombone" listed as a separate instrument in programs. they like that better than wearing an "I was worstest!" shirt.

Actually, I like bass trombone - you can play as loud as you want and no one cares. Or, at least, no one can stop you. ;)

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

Actually, frankensooner should be glad it's just clarinet - professional-level clarinets can be had for $2500 to $3500 depending on brand, model, etc. About the same as a good trombone. Really good violins start at about $20,000 and go up from there. Heck, I know a girl that even in college had a $40,000 cello.

Wurd, again.

Mine's a Buffet Crampon R13 (Grenadilla) that was $1400.

In 1982.

:eddie:

[skycat]

Heh. That's why so many guys try to get "bass trombone" listed as a separate instrument in programs. they like that better than wearing an "I was worstest!" shirt.

Actually, I like bass trombone - you can play as loud as you want and no one cares. Or, at least, no one can stop you. ;)
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad::mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[GottaHavePride]

Double heh. ;) Like I said, I actually like playing bass trombone.

Oh, and I just looked one of those up, BSG. those are going for about $2800 new, at least on the website I found.

[skycat]

[uber-geeky high school band bragging]Junior year in H.S. I had the choice to sit either first chair state orchestra, or play bass bone in the Jazz band. I picked the bass bone. Didn't even send in an audition tape for anything but Jazz band as a Senior.[/uber-geeky high school band bragging]

[BlondeSoonerGirl]

Double heh. ;) Like I said, I actually like playing bass trombone.

Oh, and I just looked one of those up, BSG. those are going for about $2800 new, at least on the website I found.

I had it totally overhauled a while back. It was at my Mom's for about 15 years. I dug it out and all the pads and corks were gone. The mites like sweet cork grease. Heh.

Now I have it and I started playing again. I haven't in a few months...I need to again.

Waittaminnit...$2800 hunnerd bucks?

:les: eBay!!!

[BigRedJed]

[uber-geeky high school band bragging]Junior year in H.S. I had the choice to sit either first chair state orchestra, or play bass bone in the Jazz band. I picked the bass bone. Didn't even send in an audition tape for anything but Jazz band as a Senior.[/uber-geeky high school band bragging]
Uh huh. As soon as I switched to bass clarinet I was in high demand. I got to join the orchestra (hotter chicks than in band, BTW), which got me out of an extra class, and I got to travel all over to competitions with the clarinet trio. While I was in the clarinet trio, we won all sorts of contests.

I went from fifth- or sixth-best clarinet player in the band to being the guy in the trio that was winning all of the clarinet competitions statewide. Yep, all it took was two other people who actually knew how to play the damn thing, and I was instantly awesome.

[SoonerInKCMO]

Freak out when they tell you how much reeds cost, and how long they last. ;) That's where brass instrumens totally pwn woodwinds.

Heh. In three years of band, all I spent on maintenance of my trombone was the cost of a bottle of slide oil. Stooopid woodwinders. :)

[LilSooner]

I was in band up till we started marching, and it ****ed me off that the director had the audacity to make me march during half time [stuck up snob bitch]I was a cheerleader dammit![/stuck up snob bitch].

So I just cheered after that.

[LilSooner]

Oh and BTW I played flute and never got higher than second chair. I sucked.

[tulsaoilerfan]

Damn i'm sure glad my kid doesn't have any interest in the band; freaking baseball is expensive enough.

[TopDaugIn2000]

I was in band up till we started marching, and it ****ed me off that the director had the audacity to make me march during half time [stuck up snob bitch]I was a cheerleader dammit![/stuck up snob bitch].

So I just cheered after that.

had a similar situation, but I was the mascot. the band director INSISTED that I marched, so I went to the dressing room and took off the bulldog suit, grabbed my horn, and went out onto the field in my Mickey Mouse & hearts boxer shorts and tank top, all sweaty and stinky and everything. She never asked me to do that again. I quit after that year anyway.

[SoonerBorn68]

My 10 yo daughter wants to play the hammered dulcimer. I've been looking for about a year & one of my friends (who plays and will teach my daughter) finally found one she liked. $300. I feel so lucky to get out of it for that after reading this thread.

[PrideTrombone]

I'm a band director.

DO NOT BUY AN INSTRUMENT FROM ANYPLACE OTHER THAN A MUSIC STORE.

I (and most band directors) have no financial interest in music stores, but they carry proven brands that we know can be repaired reliably and will give your student a reasonable chance at success. Retailers who don't specialize in musical instruments usually carry instruments made of inferior metals/other materials and are assembled very haphazardly. Learning an instrument is hard enough without trying to use a POS.

That said, $1000 does seem steep for a beginner clarinet. This is the clarinet we suggest for our beginners...
http://www.wwbw.com/Buffet-BC2540-5-0--B12-Bb-Clarinet-i70399.music
It shouldn't run you much more than that quoted price (around $500) at a music store, or you could buy it from that company, they're a very reputable dealer in Indiana that I've done business with before, and they ship quickly. It's definitely less than $1000, at least.

Edit: Apusooner makes a good point about repair costs being absorbed by the store for a certain amount of time. Most beginners will need at least one minor repair in the first year of playing.

[apusooner]

If the kid starts to take it seriously you should know that a good saxophonist - and more importantly a working saxophonist (one that actually gets called for gigs a lot and therefore makes money) - will know how to play (and probably will own) all four sizes of saxophone, with the possible exception of bari. And if they REALLY want to make any money at it, they have to know how to double on at least one (but the more the better) of clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, bassoon, etc.

.


Actually, if you really want to work as a saxophonist, you must be able to play bari, and all other reed instruments. and paly them well. bari is no exception. that is, if you want to work in LA. doublers get paid more. a lot more.

save some trouble, don't buy from the internet--that's dumb. if you want to talk expensive---wait until the kid breaks the damn thing. the repairs will be out of this world, especially if the repairman you take it to knows you got it off the net, and they will. For instance, if you rent from Norman Music, you get free repair for a year, if not the duration of the rental period, i cant remember. i know if you buy outright, the repair is free for a year. that is long enough for the kid to figure out how to take care of it.

[OCUDad]

Oh and BTW I played flute and never got higher than second chair. I sucked.Well, there's the problem right there. You're supposed to blow.

[Mongo]

Well, there's the problem right there. You're supposed to blow.

Thats how she got second chair:D

[whatsername]

I rented a trumpet for my son the first year, I wanted to make sure this was something he'd stick with before we bought one that we'd have to get rid of. Turns out he loves it, so we bought one for him this summer.

[Okla-homey]

I'm a band director.

DO NOT BUY AN INSTRUMENT FROM ANYPLACE OTHER THAN A MUSIC STORE.

I (and most band directors) have no financial interest in music stores, but they carry proven brands that we know can be repaired reliably and will give your student a reasonable chance at success. Retailers who don't specialize in musical instruments usually carry instruments made of inferior metals/other materials and are assembled very haphazardly. Learning an instrument is hard enough without trying to use a POS.

That said, $1000 does seem steep for a beginner clarinet. This is the clarinet we suggest for our beginners...
http://www.wwbw.com/Buffet-BC2540-5-0--B12-Bb-Clarinet-i70399.music
It shouldn't run you much more than that quoted price (around $500) at a music store, or you could buy it from that company, they're a very reputable dealer in Indiana that I've done business with before, and they ship quickly. It's definitely less than $1000, at least.

Edit: Apusooner makes a good point about repair costs being absorbed by the store for a certain amount of time. Most beginners will need at least one minor repair in the first year of playing.

why do you hate eBay?

[Skysooner]

Flute can be fun.

http://img.timeinc.net/ew/img/daily/608/pie_l.jpg

[frankensooner]

Thanks for all the advice.

I think we will go get the one at Target, since that is what Trombone recommends. ;)

I actually played trumpet, french horn and mellophone back in the day, and the only instrument I ever had to buy was the trumpet. (I was never higher than second chair, but I was always second chair. Freakin' virtuosos were always ahead of me, cept when it came to marching, and then I always played my mellophone the bestest and loudest ;) )

[LoyalFan]

FRANKENSOONER!!!!

DO NOT! Repeat, do not, buy that crap from Target.
Many kids are lost from Band because of shoddy and embarassing instruments. If you want your child to have a fair chance at success PLEASE get a good student grade instrument from a reputable source.
Go to http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=tulsa+band+instrument+company&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D4 0046c4d4723461f%26clickedItemRank%3D1%26userQuery% 3Dtulsa%2Bband%2Binstrument%2Bcompany%26clickedIte mURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.tulsaband.com%252FWe bStore%252Fsearch.php%253Fmode%253Dsearch%26invoca tionType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPToolbarNS%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tulsaband.com%2FWebSto re%2Fsearch.php%253Fmode%253Dsearch
and speak with one of their salespersons, asking for a woodwind specialist. Though I'm a trumpet/cornet/flugelhorn dude, I can tell you that my granddaughter is doing well in her second year as a clarinetist 'cause my son and D-I-L did their research and bought her a student grade Yamaha rather than a made in Baboonsassholistan POS from a discount store or E-Bay.
PLEASE! Don't waste money and don't handicap your child!

PM me if you want me to take some time and do some research and "shopping" for you. MJCPR and his family can attest to my sincerity in these matters.

SEE your PM file.

LoyalFan