Third-Stream Music Education

The Big Instrument Brands

December 22nd, 2009

Here’s a quote from Tom Blodgett, via David Thomas over at The Buzzing Reed. The Buzzing Reed is one of the newest blogs on the Third-Stream blogroll, and we are quite happy that David is bringing us useful, actionable clarinet-specific information.

I personally think the big 3 makers – Buffet, Selmer, and Yamaha cater to different needs – Buffets have the best (sweetest) tone with the best key work (if you don’t get a lemon) and are more for solo work. Selmers are the darkest and heaviest, their key work is different than the Buffet, but in no way negative. They are good for large orchestras. Yamaha has the best consistency instrument – if you’ve played one, you’ve played them all. In my mind, these make the best military and band applications, where there is much more uniformity in tone and intonation.

While this is a generalization, it has valid points. I have used all three of these major brands in my bands, and I would tend to agree with Tom (in as much as it is a generalization). Just a couple of weeks ago I was extolling the consistency of Yamaha instruments to a colleague. And in clarinets, I really push my best students to invest in a personally-owned Buffet by the time they are going for honor band auditions. As an aside: Selmer, under the trademark Bach, also produces what I feel are some of the darkest-sounding beginning and intermediate-level brass instruments, while Yamaha again produces the most consistent instruments - coincidence, or corporate identity?

What clarinets do you purchase for your band? Do you agree with Tom’s conclusions as to the best applications for each maker’s sound?

Entry Filed under: Wind Pedagogy