The Dood uses the same mouthpiece and reed system as the Nuvo Clarinéo so there's a clear path for progression. Using the same fingering patterns as a recorder, this is ideally suited for any students who want to move towards single-reed woodwind instruments. It comes with a nice and simple carrycase which has a little pocket for a name badge on the outside – great for group classes – as well as an easily understood fingering chart.
The new 2.0 model features an upgraded mouthpiece, which has an integral ligature that is easily opened with one hand, perfect for young music-makers. This instrument comes packaged with two Nuvo plastic reeds, a 1 and a 1.5, but it is also compatible with the company's 2 reed, as well as the synthetic reed by Légère, Eb clarinet reeds, and soprano saxophone reeds so there are a ton of potentials. The Nuvo reeds are very durable and can be purchased in packs of three quite inexpensively – in keeping with the price range of the Dood itself. I would be very surprised if they needed to be replaced that often and the pack of three may last you as long as the student uses the instrument before moving on. It was remarkably easy to change the reeds, and the ones that are supplied have a little groove in them that helps with the placement – there's even a sort of curved path leading in which means you don't need to line it up perfectly to get it to slot in place. The whole mouthpiece has its own little cap which protects the reed.
Indeed, it's clear that the overall workmanship is exquisite. I was sent the black and blue model which looks gorgeous up close and feels really nice. The silicone has a pleasant texture and the keys are really responsive, requiring very little effort to depress – some have holes in the middle which must be covered to play different notes. It's clearly been designed to be playable for children's hands though I also had no issues so it would be easy enough for an adult to demonstrate good technique. On the lower half of the instrument, there's a rather nifty adjustable thumb rest which has four different place settings, making it suitable for a a range of people as well as having the potential to ‘grow’ alongside its user.
So how does it play? Admittedly, it took me a little bit to get used to the feeling in my mouth but once I'd adjusted to the silicone, I was able to produce a note relatively simply. The sound that comes out of this is quite staggering – I was literally so astonished that I almost dropped the thing. I went into this review quite blind and knew very little about the instrument so if you'd played me a recording, I would never have guessed that it came from a plastic instrument. With both the Toot and the Nuvo flute, I definitely felt that I could hear a ‘plasticness’ to it – which is not a bad thing, just different – but did not have the same impression here. I tried both reeds and did notice a palpable difference between the two so it's good that the instrument allows students to adapt to new reeds while keeping everything else the same.
I can easily see this finding a place in younger music groups, providing a much-needed texture to assembly recitals that I'm sure parents will appreciate. It's tuned to concert pitch and has a range of about an octave – the free Windstars website has all the songs you will need to plan a whole range of lessons, covering a wider range of genres and levels. I feel very confident about recommending this and it would be interesting to hear from any teachers who have tried them in the field, including any tips and tricks that you've found works.
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