Neither one is easier across the board. Each is hard in a different place. On the flute, the hard part is the first sound. On the clarinet, the hard parts are squeaks, reeds, and the jump to the high notes. The best choice is the one your child wants to play and can get a sound from at a tryout.
The differences at a glance
| Flute | Clarinet | |
|---|---|---|
| How the sound starts | Air blown across a hole | Air blown against one reed |
| Held | Out to the right side | Straight down in front |
| Made of | Metal | Plastic or black wood |
| Reeds to buy | None | Yes |
| Finger holes | Covered by padded keys on a student flute | Several are open and need a fingertip seal |
| First hurdle | Getting any sound | Squeaks |
| Later hurdle | Breath for long phrases | The jump to the upper notes |
| Sound | Bright and airy | Smooth and dark |
What is hard about the flute
The first sound. A flute player blows across a hole, the way you blow across the top of a bottle. Finding the angle takes patience. A beginner often practices on the top section alone for the first week.
Breath. Much of the air goes over the hole and not into the flute. A new player can run out of breath fast.
The hold. The flute goes out to the right side. A child needs arms long enough to hold it there and reach the keys. For smaller children, some flutes have a curved top section that brings the keys closer.
What is easy. No reeds to buy or break. The fingers press keys, so there are no open holes to seal. Most fingerings are the same in the low and middle notes.
What is hard about the clarinet
Squeaks. A clarinet squeaks when a finger leaves a hole a little open, or when the mouth pinches the reed. Beginners squeak, and it passes.
Open holes. A child needs fingers big enough to cover the open holes.
Reeds. A reed is a thin strip of cane. Reeds chip, wear out, and need to be replaced. A box of reeds is part of the cost.
The jump to the upper notes. On a clarinet, the fingering that gives a low note gives a different note name in the upper range. Players call the place where the two ranges meet “the break.” Crossing it takes practice, and teachers plan for it.
What is easy. A first sound often comes sooner on a reed than on a flute. The clarinet is held in front, which suits a small child’s arms.
Body fit
- Arms. Short arms suit the clarinet, or a flute with a curved top section.
- Fingers. Small fingers may not seal a clarinet’s open holes yet.
- Teeth. A clarinet player needs front teeth that have grown in, since the top teeth rest on the mouthpiece.
- Braces. Both can be played with braces. Read playing a band instrument with braces. For a second pair that people mix up, read oboe vs clarinet.
Cost to keep
This page gives no prices. Ask your music shop for current ones.
- Flute: no reeds. It needs a cleaning rod and cloth.
- Clarinet: reeds, cork grease, and a swab. Beginners often use a plastic clarinet, which is light and sturdy.
Read renting vs buying an instrument.
Where each one leads
- From the flute: the piccolo, a flute half the size that plays an octave higher.
- From the clarinet: the bass clarinet and the saxophone. Both use a single reed, and much of the fingering is alike.
A concert band has a large clarinet section, which often plays the part the violins play in an orchestra.
How to help a child choose
- Listen first. Play the bird and the cat from Peter and the Wolf. The flute is the bird, and the clarinet is the cat. Ask which sound your child likes.
- Go to a tryout. Some schools and music shops hold tryout days. A child who gets a sound in a few minutes has a good start.
- Ask the band teacher. The teacher knows which seats the band needs.
- Let the child decide. A child who chose the instrument has a reason to practice it.
Try the instrument picker quiz for more ideas.
Pieces to hear
Flute: the bird in Peter and the Wolf, by Prokofiev. “Dance of the Reed Flutes” from The Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky. “Morning Mood,” by Grieg.
Clarinet: the cat in Peter and the Wolf. The slide that opens Rhapsody in Blue, by Gershwin. The slow movement of the Clarinet Concerto, by Mozart.
See Peter and the Wolf: the instruments and the characters they play.
Read more
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.