The Lyons C Clarinet sounds like a good instrument for my 8-year-old daughter, but I have been told that it?s a waste of money because she will have to buy a B-flat clarinet in a couple of years? time.

The Lyons C Clarinet is a clarinet for children; but it's not a toy. It plays all the notes in the clarinet range and makes a superb sound. For that reason many adults play it. Just think: the soprano saxophone is considerably smaller than the alto or tenor sax but it's still a serious instrument. Size isn't everything!

In its own sphere the Lyons C Clarinet is no more a waste of money than buying a smaller tennis racquet or bicycle for a child ? in fact, far less of a waste for these reasons:

• If your daughter waited until 11, bought a student B-flat clarinet and made progress, her teacher would probably advise her to buy a more expensive clarinet anyway.

• The weight of the B-flat clarinet and the size of its tone holes are still hard to manage for most 11 and 12-year-olds, more especially for girls, since they have thinner fingers. An 8-year-old starting on a Lyons C Clarinet would be four years ahead of a similar child starting when she was old enough to manage the B-flat clarinet comfortably.

• There?s no necessity to change to a B-flat clarinet: choose another instrument. The Lyons C Clarinet is good preparation for any woodwind instrument. Even if she goes on to a stringed instrument the experience will have been a great help.

• There?s no necessity to change instruments at all! It?s a serious musical instrument that can satisfy the musical aspirations of 90% of those who ever take up an instrument

• Say your daughter learns the conventional B-flat clarinet later, there is still a musical and practical role for the Lyons C Clarinet. It is in the key of C and therefore musically compatible with many more instruments than the B-flat clarinet; and because it is light, damage-resistant and waterproof it is an ideal musical companion while traveling or on holiday. It does not become redundant ? and that is where it differs in principle from smaller tennis racquets and bicycles.

• The B-flat clarinet is more awkward to handle and harder to learn, so your daughter is more likely to give up if she starts on one.