...i`ve been playing for 5-6 years now (i`m a sophmore, 15) ...i own a buffet E-11 with a vandoren M13 mouthpiece using vandoren V12 3.5 reeds... and... well...i do like the clarinet, and since i`ve played it for a while now, it just gets boring after a while...i still love playing it, don`t get me wrong, but sometimes you just want to play something else... i`m first chair in my band, and i`m actually going to an all-state during april vacation... so yeah, i guess i do love it..

That`s great that yu get to practice so much. I in 7th grade and I can barely squeeze in 20 min. a day. It`s partially my fault since i play violin and piano too, but hey, it`s working. I`m the Principal (1st chair) clarinet in my band, and principal clarinet in jazz band too (which isn`t saying much being as therre`s only 2 clarinets in jazz band :D).

Newayz, my setup is as follows. It`s not that great, or that professional, but hey the tool is 1% of your playing, the skill is the other 99 right? And I sincerely believe that. anyways the setup and price:

Buffet Crampton e45 (it`s old, made in west germany, but it`s basically the equivilant to a juiced up sweeter version of the e12)
$200.00 (I got a good deal)

Rovner lig (standard)
$14.95
Hite Premier mouthpiece
$20.05

That`s it. But I`m excited cause I`m about to get some new parts including an accubore bell.

Good luck with your playing! Keep up the practicing!

Your lucky, your school lets clarinets join Jazz band, I had to start playing saxaphone to get in Jazz band

AWEE I hate you people who play the Buffet R-13s *just kidding* I have a yamaha hehehehe.. I`m 15, 10th grade I`m 1st chair.. sounds great right.. but i`m in the dang symphonic band (non-varsity)I hate that but its all good cuz i`m the best one out of the band. OH man i called my first clarinet my baby and I decided to give my second one a bunch of nicknames hehe... ok I can`t practice as long as you guys, an hour is the most! But i also play piano..and gonna learn violin so i`m so full of different instruments that they all need my attention! I just luv music so much!! I love them all!! .. If only my clari sound would be a wittle better.. its the dang reeds that give me probs.

Thanks for the info! I went and practiced for like 3 hours and i guess i was better then lol!!!

Oh ya and thanks for the other information!!!! It will most likely help me so I`ll start doing that!!
Thanks A Bunch!!

remember if you practice, aim to accomplish something, such as perfecting a passage, smootheneing out a hard run, getting a high note in tune, learning a new scale, inproving breathing, expiramenting with reeds, or whatever. If you practice for 30min, but do it smart and with an aim at accomplishing something, it would be better for you than if you practice 5 hours and not getting anything done.

Think of it this way. If you are practicing a 5 page solo, the smart practicer would spend his/her hour (lets say you have an hour) going through that person`s trouble spots, or maybe perfecting only one trouble spot. The bad practicer will play all 5 pages, making mistakes as he/she goes along, discarding the mistakes, then start over from the beginning. This won`t get anything done!

I guess the moral of this story is: aim at getting something done during a short practice session, and you will benefit even more than if you spend a long time doing whatever.

If you practice a long time and get things done, and accomplish your goals for that practice session, that`s even better!

Hey guys I play the flute and i know im obsessed. It`s all I ever talk about. When i saw that yall were obsessed to i got excited. ive been playing for 2 years 5 months 17 days thats what you call obsessed. ive only had 2 flutes. I call them my babys but one got stolen (the good one of course). I love my fllute teach she is awesome and just as obsessed. I am a pan in the renasaunce fair. I play my flute there. well i g2g sorry so sloppy in a hurry in 3rd hour. b/t/w right now im 2nd chair bound to be 1st

Hey! I just want to let you know, I refer to my clarinet as my baby, too. Whenever I send it in to be cleaned, I`m always saying things like "I miss my baby". I practice as much as I can, the clarinet is my biggest passion and without it I would be lost! I had no idea others loved playing so much.

Hi! Now, see if this is wierd... I decided to get a new clarinet, you know get out of the beginner one, and I like my new clari and all. But I wast thinking of selling my old one but its like.. I dunno I look at it and its like I DON`T WANNA SELL IT.. like Its still a part of me? Has anyone ever done this?? Please speek if u have hehehe Should I sell it??

This is just my opinion but I think you should keep it for a memory

i love playin the clarinet to i am hardest working clarinest in all the band class my i am the firs chair out of like 12 other clarinet`s but th funny part is when we film are perfomance i hademy on personal close up i wanna be like kenny g he is the best clarnetest in the world im only 13 but i wanna be a perfesional clarinetest our play in the long beach symphony my teacher is so fun to her name is mrs.fishman

I LOVE MY CLARINET,I even have pictures of my clarinet and different flavored reeds for it.I even clean it like 3 times a week.I also get teased for being in the band,but who cares what other people think?I also believe my career will be in music,and I am only 14.

hi you all,i like you love my clarinet,its as if we are one when we play together .what more can i say,you know what i mean dont you.keep playing it sound great.

Hey,

I`m a freshman and I play oboe. I play on it as much as humanly possible, for me at least. I love practicing too!!! And I talk about my oboe WAY to much!!! But hey, I love the instrument, it`s great!!! And just think, the more you practice, the more you learn. And you just keep getting better from it!!! I`ve been playing the oboe for 3 years and I have high hopes and wishes for when I get out of school as well!!! Keep pluggin` away!!!
~Corinne