bout the Clarineo

The Clarineo is a plastic clarinet that is made by Nuvo of the UK. (They also make a plastic chalumeau called the DooD) It is inexpensive, which one would expect from a plastic instrument, and is readily available from many retailors in the USA and abroad. However, unlike some plastic single reed instruments, such as the Yamaha Venova, the Clarineo does not have major intonation issues. The Clarineo is pitched in C, which is higer than a 'regular' B flat clarinet. Its lowest note is the E below middle C, one note lower than the bass recorder. Its highest note is the A in the fifth space above the G clef, giving it a range of more than three octaves.

Being pitched in C is in fact one of the major reasons to purchase the instrument, or not to purchase it. If you want an single reed instrument with the higher range in C, then it is a very good deal for the price, as other higher pitched clarinets are not nearly as inexpensive. I will note that the higher range is ideal to play the bass part in recorder consorts. However, if you want to play in a traditional wind band or orchestra, then you may wish to purchase a regular (B flat) clarinet.

I mentioned that the Clarineo had better intonation than other inexpensive single reed instruments. Unfortunately, this intonation comes at the price of many additional keys. To reduce the cost of the instrument the keys are sprung with plastic tabs, and sealed with what appears to be silicon rubber gaskets. Although I have not had any difficulty with the keys sticking or not sealing, they are not up to the standard of more expensive musical instruments. They are not easily adjusted, and I do not think that they would well suited to advanced music with fast passages. However, for consort use, the instrument is nearly ideal. It is less expensive than a bass recorder, and can cover the range of the bass and tenor parts.

The Clarineo is marketed towards children. In this regard its key spacing is small, so it is easy on your hands, unlike some large recorders. On the subject of being easy on your hands, the instrument is also very light, so you will not tire out your thumb or neck with a large wooden recorder. Another advantage of its marketing, are the instructional materials that come with the instrument. It has an instructional DVD, fingering chart, instruction book, song book, and backing track CD. These materials introduce the instrument, its care, embrachure, breathing, fingerings, and songs. I believe that it is well suited to young children. You are not risking a more expensive instrument with them, and it gives them the opportunity to try a single reed.

All in all I highly recommend the instrument. If you want to have some fun, skip eating out for a month and pick one up.