When you are thinking about learning to play a musical instrument, the clarinet is probably one of the first instruments that come to mind.
It is a popular choice for many beginners because it is relatively easy to learn how to play and it doesn’t take up a lot of space.
But before you jump in and buy your first clarinet, it’s important to know how much they cost.
Clarinets range from $500 – $5,000 depending on skill level, brand, and overall quality.
In this blog post, we will take a look at the different price points for clarinets and what you can expect to pay for each one.
We will also discuss some of the factors that can affect the cost of a clarinet.
So if you are curious about how much clarinets cost, read on!
Table of Contents
- Average Price Of a Clarinet
- How much does a Yamaha clarinet cost?
- Renting a Clarinet
- Buying a Used Clarinet
- Why are clarinets so expensive?
Average Price Of a Clarinet
When you are wondering about getting a clarinet, it is certainly realistic and natural for you to consider how much do clarinets cost.
Clarinets that are designed for those who are noted as being beginner players of clarinet music tend to possess a price point that starts at $500 – $1,000.
Clarinets that are classified as being designed for players with intermediate-level skills when it comes to playing clarinet music are considered to commence at a price point of $1,000 -$3,000.
Clarinets that are crafted for professionals can start at a price range of $2,000 – $5,000+.
How much does a Yamaha clarinet cost?
Yamaha clarinets costs around $1,000 – $2,000+.
This is because Yamaha is recognized for producing top-quality models of professional clarinets.
Yamaha clarinets are considered as producing a tone that is consistent during all phases of playing various pieces of clarinet music, which does indeed contribute to the price factor of clarinets that are made by Yamaha being somewhat expensive.
Moreover, many of the bodies of the clarinets that are made by Yamaha tend to be constructed of grenadilla wood, which contributes to spiking the price point of these clarinets.
Renting a Clarinet
If you have been considering renting a clarinet, because you would like to see if you like playing the clarinet before you invest a lot of money in purchasing your clarinet, then the good news is that the rental fees on a monthly basis for a clarinet tend to be pretty reasonable.
Renting a clarinet will cost around $20 – $50 per month.
So, it is evident that renting a clarinet is pretty affordable.
The price range will depend on whether the type of clarinet is for beginner players or if the clarinet happens to be a more advanced model.
Also, it is realized that there are some other elements that can contribute to making an impact in terms of the cost of the rental fee for the clarinet on a monthly basis.
The type of material impacts the price, as most clarinets that are designed for students are crafted of resin for the body and are noted as possessing keys that are made of nickel.
But then bodies of clarinets that are regarded as being more advanced instruments tend to be crafted of grenadilla wood, which is a prestigious wood black wood that hails from Africa.
The keys of the more advanced clarinets tend to be fabricated with the usage of an alloy of combined silver and nickel and then they are noted as being plated with the usage of either silver or nickel.
Buying a Used Clarinet
The cost of a used clarinet will vary. This is based on the condition of the clarinet.
The type of clarinet, such as whether the clarinet is made of resin or plastic for beginner players and wood for more advanced models of the instrument, will indeed also impact the price of used clarinets.
In addition, the brand of the clarinet will be an important factor that will contribute to the price of a used clarinet.
Therefore, when considering the price of used clarinets, it is realized that beginner clarinets can start at around 0 – 0.
Then more advanced clarinets can start at four hundred and thirty dollars and go for as high of a price as six hundred and twenty-five dollars.
When you do not have money for the full price of a new clarinet, you can have the option to buy a used one.
Likely if you do your research with careful diligence, you will be able to find a good quality clarinet that functions relatively well to produce the kind of quality clarinet music that you enjoy.
Why are clarinets so expensive?
You may wonder why clarinets are so costly. The reality is that student clarinets will still cost quite a bit, but they are indeed cheaper than the more advanced models of clarinets.
This is due to the fact that student clarinets are usually made of resin.
But the more advanced and pro-level clarinets tend to be crafted of fine quality wood. The particular type of wood that is frequently used in regard to the contribution of these types of models of clarinets tends to be grenadilla wood.
This wood is an exotic and expensive type of black wood that comes from the continent of Africa.
It is noted that when exotic material is used in the construction of instruments, like this type of wood is used in the creation of clarinets, these more advanced clarinets will be more expensive than student-level clarinets.
Then it is noted that the condition of the clarinet will certainly impact the price.
If you are buying a new instrument, then the price will certainly be far more costly than a used clarinet. However, it is to be realized that used clarinets also do cost a fair bit of money.
They can even go for as much as six hundred and twenty-five dollars if you are seeking a top-quality one that is pretty much at the pro level.
Then new ones can go for over two thousand dollars and upwards. The keys are also crafted of nickel and silver.
Thus, these expensive metals also drive up the price point for clarinets, whether they are a beginner or more advanced models and whether they are used or new.
Moreover, the clarity of the tone and the durability of the instruments further contribute to the price of the instrument.
Then, undeniably, the brand that manufactures the instrument also does impact the price, as some brands are notorious for providing quality instruments that are notably superior to many other ones on the market.
