Klarinet Archive - Posting 000768.txt from 1995/03

From: 1992 Fox Video Incorporated <malaga@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Soprano Saxophone
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 10:39:54 -0500

On Wed, 29 Mar 1995, Tom Ascher wrote:
>
> I've been listening to an old CD I have of Branford Marsalis playing various
> classical pieces on a soprano saxophone and impressed by the warm,
> rich tone he gets reminiscent of a French horn. I don't know much about
> the soprano sax (except that its expensive). So any clarinetists from
> this group have experience with the soprano sax? What is the exact RANGE?
> How difficult is it to play, as compared with a Bb clarinet? Is it common
> for a clarinetist to double on the soprano sax?
>
I'll agree with Mr. Brewer that soprano is easy to blow, but fairly
difficult to keep in tune, even with a good instrument (I've played
several and own one). However, finding a mouthpiece that you get along
with affects the intonation just as much as the horn itself does, at
least in my experience. About doubling, I've never seen a clarinet part
double on soprano, but I've seen scores of alto saxophone parts that do.
Then again, I'm not nearly as experienced as most on this list, and I'm
curious to hear what everyone else has to say.

Adam Smith
malaga@-----.edu