Learning to play an instrument like the clarinet can be great fun and immensely satisfying. But it’s hard to know if you’ve made the right choice until you’ve started playing. Especially for kids. That’s why instrument rental can be such a benefit to parents. It can help your child (or you, if you feel like taking up a new hobby too) to get a feel for an instrument without a significant investment. And you’re free to return, exchange or upgrade if the need should arise.
So, what do you need to know about clarinet rental?
Rent from Home Clarinet Rental Guide
What do you need to know about clarinets?
A woodwind instrument, the clarinet is a great option for children interested in music. The only consideration is that younger children might not be able to cover all the necessary holes to create the full range of musical notes. But if you’re looking for an instrument for a high schooler, that shouldn’t be a problem.
The clarinet is a single reed instrument. And to make a sound, you blow air through the mouthpiece over the reed, pressing the metal keys to determine the note produced. The form of the clarinet means that the player works the keys with both hands, allowing for many different notes to be played at speed.
Which clarinet do you want to play?
There is a whole range of different clarinets available. From the alto to the piccolo. They all produce a different tone, and are completely different sizes. While the piccolo is only one foot long, the octo-contrabass and octo-contra-alto can stand at more than eight feet tall – which obviously isn’t ideal for the school band!
Most new players opt for the B-flat clarinet, which is also known as the harmony clarinet. These are usually around 60cm and have a range of more than three octaves
How to rent a clarinet
Once you’ve decided that you want to rent a clarinet, you simply need to visit the Rent From Home instrument pages to arrange your one month free trial. From there, just follow the prompts to begin your instrument rental journey. You can also call us on 800-578-9724, if you’d rather place your order over the phone.
As soon as you’ve confirmed your order, we’ll arrange the delivery of your instrument to the address of your choice. Alternatively, we can arrange for you to pick it up from one of our partner music stores. We work with more than 400 stores across the country. Returns and exchanges
While we hope that you’re really happy with your choice of instrument, we do understand that it can be hard to make the right decision first time. That’s why we give all of our customers one month’s free instrument rental, just so you can see how things fit before you need to make your first payment. And if you – or your child – decide that the clarinet is not the instrument for you, then we’re happy to offer free exchanges and returns at any point. The Rent From Home rental contract simply rolls on from month to month, so you’re not tied in to any kind of obligation, no matter how long – or short – a time you’ve used one of our instruments.
Rent to own your clarinet
Far from returning a hire instrument after a few weeks of use, many of our customers end up taking advantage of our rent to own program. If you find that you really love your clarinet and can see it being part of your life for the long term, then we can simply switch you on to a purchasing contract. You’ll continue to pay your rental fees, but at the end of your contract, you will own your own clarinet.
Maintenance and repairs
Of course, once you’ve got your clarinet, you need to know how to look after it. And what will happen if you damage it. Everyday maintenance is your responsibility if you want to get the best from your instrument, and we’ll go into that in a little more detail in the next section. But the good news is, that we’re there for you for big stuff.
As part of your Rent From Home rental agreement, you are covered by our Loss Damage Waiver Plus Maintenance Program (LDW). So, if your clarinet is dropped, stood on, cracked or left on a school bus, you don’t need to worry about the expense of repairing or replacing it. Just contact our customer service team, and we’ll talk you through the next steps that will get you playing again in no time. And if you’ve got an important event coming up, we might even be able to supply you with a substitute clarinet while yours is in for repair.
How to care for your clarinet
The first challenge you’ll face when learning to play the clarinet is how to assemble it. If you’re at all unsure, it’s a good idea to ask your teacher for help. But the one thing you should always remember is never to force the pieces together – if they don’t want to go, there’s usually a good reason why.
So, what else do you need to know about basic clarinet care?
· After every use, it’s good practise to clean out the moisture from your instrument with an absorbent cotton swab, wipe your fingerprints from the keys with a cotton cloth, and put the instrument away in its designated case for maximum protection.
· Always remove the reed from the mouthpiece when you are not playing your clarinet. This will increase the lifespan of the reed and prevent the build up of germs.
· Grease your instrument’s corks regularly to prevent cracking.
· Remember not to store anything else in the case with your clarinet, as the keys are delicate and can be easily damaged.
· And never leave your clarinet in direct sunlight for a long period, or in an environment subject to temperature change, like a car, as this could cause the instrument to crack.
The clarinet is a really lovely instrument for children – and adults – to learn. With a gentler tone than many of the other woodwind instruments, it’s less disruptive in the home environment when those bum notes are hit. And when mastered, they are a joy to hear.
Clarinet rental gives you the chance to discover all of this for yourself – without long-term commitment.
Are you ready to rent your clarinet? Click here to get started.
