Buffet Crampon USA, North American distributor for Buffet Crampon Group Wind Instruments, announces the launch of the Buffet Crampon Prodige pocket clarinet to the United States and Canada markets. The pocket clarinet is the culmination of three years of acoustic research and development and is an exciting and innovative instrument designed primarily for young pre-band students.
The Prodige pocket clarinet is intended to facilitate young beginners’ introduction to the clarinet and woodwind instruments in general. Utilizing a traditional clarinet mouthpiece and cane reed, the pocket clarinet allows the young student to begin developing a proper woodwind embouchure (how one forms their mouth and lips to produce sound) with a simplified diatonic fingering system (suitable for smaller hands) and lightweight design. Unlike other beginning wind instruments, the pocket clarinet produces a characteristic clarinet sound in the key of D, due to the bore design and use of African blackwood (Grenadilla) for the body and bell. The bore was designed by Buffet Crampon French and German acousticians with the support of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and in association with the LIAMFI joint laboratories in Marseille. The pocket clarinet is a unique collaboration of acousticians, psychologists, and ergonomists, and was tested by Buffet Crampon Clarinet Artists to create the ideal simplified, one-octave clarinet for young musicians.
With beginning players in mind, the pocket clarinet features an African blackwood bell encased in a rubber sleeve, providing an extra layer of durability and protection. The pocket clarinet also has a thumb rest, allowing the beginning student to acclimate to the feeling and weight of the instrument on the right-hand thumb. The Prodige pocket clarinet outfit includes the clarinet body, removable bell, Prodige student clarinet mouthpiece, ligature and reed, cleaning swab, fingering chart, and QR codes linking to a quick start guide and ensemble scores to start playing music right away.
The Buffet Crampon Prodige pocket clarinet is available through any authorized Buffet Crampon USA dealer in the United States and Canada. For more information on the Prodige pocket clarinet, please visit www.buffetcrampon.com.
