What Color of Clarinet Should I Get My Daughter?

Question

She's going into sixth grade she plays the clarinet. Are check didn't go through to Hoffman's so we are going to just buy her one. Her school colors are White and Purple but when she goes into junoir high the colors are Yellow and Green but when she goes into high school the colors are Purple and Gold so i don't know what color to get her. Her favorite color is pink but we can't find any pink ones. and we don't want white because it doesn't stand out. We do want a color that stands out but it can't be bright as in like neon. So if you know a website or a music store in Idaho that we can get a colored one (preferablly pink) That would be great! Just it cannot be Seidel's that's where we got the rental.

Answer 1

You might get more answers if you post this question on an American Yahoo! Answers. Posting it on an Australian one doesn't do any good because I don't know any music shops in America, and I'm sure most Australians don't. Maybe you should think about how many answers you would get compared to an American server. Then you won't waste a space in the answers so that someone elses question can be popular for longer.

Answer 2

I agree with the previous answer. I have a purple one and I bought it a few years ago and I am kind of bored with it now. Black is good and then it can be decorated to suit your daughters taste and her age.

I bought mine on ebay.

Answer 3

Ask her opinion!!

Some people probably do custom paint jobs, too, for a price.

Answer 4

Well...buying a colored clarinet is the best thing to do if you want your daughter give up on the instrument. Most of the  colored clarinet on the market are junk from china, nice wall hanger, but non-playable. You still may want to buy one to make a lamp of it, but no kidding...a student needs a good instrument to progress. . A pro, well trained on the instrument won't even be able to play accurately on that kind of instrument, so guess what a beginning student will do ?

What a would recommand for a student is a standard plastic clarinet, of any major brand. Here are some good students clarinet :  Jupiter 631, Yamaha YCL25, Buffet Crampon B12, Selmer USA CL301, selmer USA CL1400, Artley director, Buescher BU-2, Armstrong and many more...All in a range of 350$ to 800$.

If you can't afford it brand new, you may still look on the used market, but be careful to don't get fool on ebay or in a pawn shop. Buy it from a woodwinds shop, with a warranty. You know that an overhaul on a clarinet cost at least 250$ ? So, if you buy a student clarinet that needs new pads, the repair will be higher than the price of the clarinet itself...

The most important thing for a student is to have a good student clarinet WELL ADJUSTED to progress, and to keep the motivation. If she can't play in the lower register because the instrument is not well adjustend, she will think that she is dumb, and will give up after a while. On those cheap chineese made colored horn, the metal used for the key is so soft that you gonna have to bring it to the repair shop every 2months or so to get it adjusted. A complete adjustment will cost you about 50$ every time. On those kind of junk, the horn tech will do the job, but most of them won't give you any warranty on the labour, because the metal is so thin (personnaly, i don't). So, try to spend a little bit more than 200$ for the instrument, you will save on repairs and your daughter will still enjoy playing clarinet !

Hope this help

Answer 5

black

She can wear pink jewelry and school colored clothes.  Clarinets are black (or occasionally rosewood).

Unless of course you don't mind buying her another one in a couple years.  While the colors are pretty, they aren't taken seriously because none of the major manufacturers make their instrument in colors.

If she becomes a serious player, that colored clarinet will stand out among her peers as "a toy" and she will want another.  In 6th grade the colors are cute, in HS they're an embarrassment.

Answer 6

get her a black one - black goes w/everything.

don't forget, you can decorate the bell and piece between the mouthpiece & works (barrel?) with ribbons/stickers/whatever in the appropriate colors as she moves to different schools.

Answer 7

Dear Mom,

   You are a very thoughtful parent in trying to make your daughter happy with a cute and designer colored clarinet.  But while making her happy.... you are going to be making the band director very unhappy.  Those colored cheap clarinets, imported from china are pieces of c**p.  They are glorified toys and bad ones at that.

Showing up to band with a colored cheap clarinet is only going to  indicate to the band director that she is there to play around and is not serious about being in music or learning a musical instrument.  

Those instruments spend more time in the case than they do in the hands of students because they are constantly falling apart, not playing in tune, cracking, keys bending.  They are a band director's nightmare from day one.   Your daughter will not be popular with the other students,  she will be made fun of and for sure...... not making any of the top chairs....  ever, as these instruments have a TERRIBLE sound and don't stay in tune with the band.

If you are apprehensive to what I am telling you.... don't take my word for it... but call the school and talk to the band director.    Ask him what color of clarinet he suggests,  but don't expect him to be positive to that question.

Hope you take my advice, for your daughter's sake.