Buffet Protege Pocket Clarinet

Buffet has threaded the needle in the beginner clarinet world! The Pocket Clarinet is a beginner instrument intended for young people just starting out on the clarinet (to be clear, young people = 4-104 years old).

Ideally the instrument would be used in a lesson setting, much like Suzuki violin pedagogy, to teach the absolute fundamentals of clarinet playing: sound production and embochure, air support and basic fingering concepts, without the added complexity of keys. It’s like a recorder with a clarinet mouthpiece. (A Bb clarinet mouthpiece, ligature and reed is included in the package.)

Katherine and I both agree that this is a terrific tool to start beginners off on the right foot, with the right habits, right away.

Made from the same aged Grenadilla wood as Buffet’s professional clarinet, this Pocket Clarinet plays exactly 9 notes — no more, no less. It’s very easy to get a sound out of, and is very hard to make a mistake with. It’s just so intuitive.

Is it a clarinet for those past the beginning stages? No. It’s really for the first 12-18 months of study, after which you or your student can move up to an Eb clarinet or even a Bb clarinet if that’s appropriate for the student’s size.

I didn’t expect to love this clarinet — in fact I bought it as a bit of a joke — but I underestimated Buffet. This is a winner.

Comes with everything you see in the photos:

• Mouthpiece, ligature and reed
• Cork grease Swab
• Fingering Chart
• Pencil
• Durable nylon soft case