Klarinet Archive - Posting 000023.txt from 1995/08

From: James Perone <PERONEJE@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Saxophone Players who St... -Reply
Date: Wed, 2 Aug 1995 10:47:03 -0400

The discussion on clarinet-sax has been very interesting. I have
played clarinet now for 25 years and sax for 22. Having studied with
a variety of teachers and studied the playing of doublers vs. "real"
clarinetists and saxophonists, I'm going to stick my neck out and
suggest that the BEST way to approach the two instruments is as if
each were your ONLY instrument. One of my friends in Buffalo (one of
the top doublers in Western New York) has done this with clarinet,
flute, and sax. He is pretty much constantly on call for all styles
of gigs. A solid classical training in the instruments (I think) is
the only way to avoid the "he/she sounds like a clarinetist playing
sax" syndrome. Embouchure and voicing of the sound are so different
that (let's face it) the saxophone WON'T work if played like a
clarinet and the clarinet certainly won't work if played a sax.

Jim Perone
peroneje@-----.edu