Buying a clarinet: My 7 best recommendations 2024
Here you will find my recommendation of clarinets for beginners, advanced players and kids as well as the answers to frequently asked questions. Only Bb clarinets with German fingering are presented.
This text has been translated into English. Please report spelling mistakes to sebastian@musiksocke.com
What kind of clarinet are you looking for?
Frequently asked questions:
Clarinet for beginners
Especially beginners who have never played the clarinet before should buy a cheap clarinet. This way you can get to know the instrument, make your first experiences and find out whether it is really the right choice for you. The clarinet must have an easy response and lie well in your hand so that you can easily reach all the keys with your fingers. Otherwise, only squeaky sounds will come out of the instrument and you will quickly lose interest in your new hobby.
A good and cheap clarinet for beginners is included in the Thomann GCL-422 MKII Bb-Clarinet Set. The included clarinet is characterised by the use of grenadilla wood and the silver-plated mechanism. The included 2.5 gauge reeds are easy to play, even for beginners, and produce a pleasant tone. The set also includes a stand, tuner with metronome function, bite rubbers, neck strap and a storage bag.
The Classic Cantabile CL-20 offers good value for money. I recommend this clarinet to start with, as it produces a surprisingly full sound and intonates well. The mechanism is cleanly made and works without any problems. For the beginning, this clarinet is sufficient because after a few months, an upgrade with a better mouthpiece is possible. It comes with a case and cleaning cloths.
Clarinet for advanced players
If you have been playing the clarinet for some time and are also sure that you want to stay with this instrument, then it might be time to invest in a better instrument. There are models that are high quality and yet inexpensive.
Very popular with advanced players are the clarinets from Yamaha. A bestseller is the Yamaha YCL450 BB clarinet. It is made of grenadilla wood and produces a warm and rich sound. The straight tone holes with tapered undercuts are designed to reduce squeaking. The set includes a hard case, cleaning accessories and a matching strap.
Schreiber clarinets are also very popular with advanced players. The instruments combine quality with reasonable prices. A very good model in the middle price segment is the Schreiber D-41 Bb clarinet. It responds easily and offers a pleasant sound across the entire spectrum.
Clarinet for kids
Clarinets especially for kids have to be adapted to the smaller hands and fingers. They must be lighter than conventional instruments so that it is not necessary to put the instrument down when playing. The tone holes and keys must be easy to reach and operate. This is important so that the joy of playing does not disappear immediately.
The F.A. Uebel 621KH is a clarinet with a mechanism specially developed for use by a kid. It has ergonomically optimised keys so that everything can be reached with small hands. The response is easy even for little ones with a bit of practice. In my opinion, this is currently the clarinet for kids with the best price-performance ratio.
The “classic” for kids and teenagers is the Schreiber D-12 Bb clarinet. Many music teachers recommend this model to young beginners. This is because this clarinet was modelled on the high-quality Schreiber models. Only the positioning of the keys has changed so that children can reach everything easily. The instrument has a correspondingly high-quality finish and produces a multifaceted and full sound.
Clarinet for crazy people
Whether crazy or not, those who play the clarinet professionally also like to dig deeper into their wallets to own an adequate instrument. There are great instruments in the upper price segment. A dream for every musician is the Oscar Adler & Co. S 25 Bb-Clarinet. Hardly any other clarinet is so easy to play and of such high quality. The mechanism with 25 keys, 5 rings and 4 trills on the upper joint can hardly be found in any other model. This is also reflected in the price. The accessories and the case with hygrometer are of correspondingly high quality.
How do I recognize a good clarinet?
You can recognize a really good clarinet by its high-quality workmanship, among other things. It is worthwhile to go for a well-known manufacturer. Above all, the mechanics must be flawless. The keys must not wobble and all screws must be well-made. Higher-quality models usually have compensating tuners and automatic levers.
The more keys the clarinet has, the easier it is to play and thus to learn. This also means that the joy of playing the instrument comes much more quickly. If the keys are forged and not cast, this is also a sign of quality. Forged keys are more robust and can be bent if necessary. Here again there is the difference between hand-forged and drop-forged models.
Also, traditional wooden clarinets are generally better than new models made of plastic. Of course, here the exception proves the rule because a clarinet from Buffet Crampon’s Green Line is absolutely top quality. In general, however, it can be said that clarinets made of wood have a better sound (with a few exceptions).
For many musicians, the appearance plays a big role and the instrument should be attractive. But the appearance alone says nothing about the quality. High-quality clarinets usually look very boring at first sight. But let the contrast between the dark wood and the highly polished metal of the keys work its magic on you. Then even a very simple clarinet will look absolutely stylish.
What accessories do I need?
The most important thing, of course, are the clarinet reeds. Vandoren is probably the most popular brand on the scene. You can find a 10-pack of high-quality reeds with the Vandoren White Master Traditional with a strength of 1 to 5 for Bb clarinets (German). Initially, you can only find out the right model and the correct strength by trial and error. Unfortunately, there is always some waste, as it is a natural product and deviations are normal. With the Vandoren sets, however, I can use most of the reeds.
The clarinet mouthpiece is also an important part of a clarinet. It is important to find the perfect combination of reed and mouthpiece. If you would like to try a mouthpiece other than the one supplied, I can recommend the Vandoren M30 D. It produces a beautiful deep sound and stands out from standard mouthpieces due to its characteristic range. It produces a beautiful deep sound and stands out from standard mouthpieces because of its characterful range.
A reed screw is also advisable. Many clarinettists have problems with the clarinet reeds and a high-quality reed screw can help. For a German Bb clarinet, the Rovner Dark 1E reed screw is recommended.
A bite rubber to protect the mouthpiece and teeth is also important right from the start. Every clarinettist should try out the different thicknesses of the bite blocks to get the best playing feeling. 0.4 or 0.8 mm is often found to be comfortable. Since the life span is limited, it is not worth spending too much money. The BG A10L have a thickness of 0.8 mm, are tasteless and lie well in the mouth. They are easy to put on and take off and the price is also okay in my opinion.
A good stand during breaks and for storage is a sensible purchase to be able to put the expensive instrument down safely. For me, mobility is also important, so weight and easy assembly play an important role. A practical stand is the K&M 15228. For me, such a plain and simple stand is perfectly adequate. Due to the small and functional design, the price is also more than fair.
A sturdy case or bag is required for transport. When you buy a clarinet, a suitable case is always included. But if you need more space or are looking for an even more stable model, I can recommend the Protec LX307Lux. It is robust and water-resistant and has two compartments for accessories. I can fit all my accessories into one case. You can also expand the case into a backpack with straps.
Another must-have for clarinetists are wipers and brushes for cleaning. To begin with, it is best to buy a set with all the important utensils. The Imelod cleaning set for woodwind instruments is perfectly adequate. With the cork grease, wiper, brush, cleaning paper and polishing cloth, you have everything you need for the regular care of your clarinet.
You will also need a music stand. A music clamp that you can attach directly to your instrument can also be useful. I have the Thomann Orchestra Stand Deluxe and I am satisfied with it. The stand has a solid base and, in my opinion, also looks good.
Then you can start practising diligently. You have to be aware that the clarinet is an instrument in which you have to invest many hours of practice. However, success will quickly compensate you for this.
What are the best clarinet brands?
I conducted a survey among experienced musicians and identified the best brands for clarinets. In recent years, these brands have earned a good reputation for the high-quality workmanship of their instruments.
How much does a good clarinet cost?
A good clarinet costs between 1,000 and 2,000 euros. However, there are also cheaper models for beginners, which are sufficient for a start in the world of clarinets. Clarinets for beginners cost between 700 and 900 euros.
If you practise more intensively and notice that the clarinet is becoming your favourite instrument, you should change to a good instrument for advanced players. The difference lies in the higher-quality workmanship and the more expressive tone.
More information on good clarinets.
What is the best clarinet for beginners?
For beginners, the Thomann GCL-420 MKII Bb-Clarinet Set is suitable as a first clarinet. It contains a good clarinet together with the most important accessories for approx. 940 euros. This way, beginners can start practising right away and don’t need to worry about accessories.
For the next step as an advanced player, I recommend the Yamaha YCL450 BB clarinet. This professional clarinet is priced at around 1,100 euros. In return, the instrument has a very high-quality finish and offers a clean sound that many experienced musicians appreciate.
All beginners can find out more details about the recommended clarinet here.
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The product recommendations made here are based on my experience and conversations with expert musicians. All products presented here meet the criteria of the checklist.
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All prices are incl. VAT plus shipping costs. The amount was estimated by me and may differ from the actual price. As an Amazon partner, I earn on qualified sales. This also applies to Thomann, Kirstein and all other partners.
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