Klarinet Archive - Posting 000249.txt from 2004/07
From: Gary Truesdail <gir@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] re: clarinet to saxophone
Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2004 00:39:50 -0400
I probably shouldn't be sticking my neck out here, but oh what the heck,
here is my 1 cents worth.
Sax is a whole different world from clarinet and don't let any one try
to convince you it isn't.
The embochure is totally different even though it looks the same and
seems to have the same formation. What you do with it in conjunction
with what you do in the oral cavity and throat makes a BIG difference on
both alto and tenor. If you use a clarinet embochure on alto you are
going to get a pinched sound. It will not be open, free flowing, and you
will lack the ability to produce the different types of tone required of
sax players in different settings, even in the same piece. Plus, you
will not be able to play the sax in tune with itself let alone with
other players.
Try to use a clarinet embochure on tenor and you will fail miserably in
you attempts to create a tenor sound, either classical or jazz.
You want to find out how a sax should sound? Go hear live bands at Reno,
Las Vegas, Atlantic City, etc. Better hurry, they are slowly
dissapearing in favor of recorded sound tracks. Get a CD of Mel Martin,
Jean-Yves Fourmeau Saxophone Quartet, Bob Florence Band, Don Menza.
Listen to recordings of classical pieces that have tenor sax (others on
this list can tell you of these, I have forgotten).
Personally, I find tenor much easier to play than clarinet or alto.
Buy the way, does anyone know where Bob Stein is working now days. I
loved his alto sound.
GaryT
Fred Jacobowitz wrote:
> Ton,
> There are 3 considerations here:
> 1) While the embouchure is more similar between clarinet and alto, you
> don't have to do any strange transposing with a tenor (that is,
> assuming that you know how to do Bb transposition already). I have
> found that as soon as you get used to it, doing alto transposition
> isn't so bad. And it's good exercise for the brain. That said,
> 2) What style are you going to play? I have found that Tenor sax works
> better in the wedding band circuit. If you are expecting to do
> orchestral and a little teaching and maybe occasional big-band, alto
> is as good a choice as tenor.
> 3) How strong are you. Tenor saxes are HEAVY - both to carry in a case
> and to hold while you are playing.
> Oh, a 4th thing: I have found that tenor is a very strange kind of
> horn to learn. Alto was easier for me. You can 'control' and alto. It
> behaves rather like a clarinet. With tenor, it is more a matter of:
> you blow and what comes out comes out. If you try to get fancy with
> the tone, dynamics, etc. the instrument tends to chirp and crack
> notes. DISCLAIMER: not all players feel this way but
> conservatory-trained clarinetists who have tried to take up sax have
> told me I'm not alone in making this observation.
>
>
> Fred Jacobowitz
> Kol HaRuach Klezmer band (new CD out!)
> Ebony and Ivory Duo (recording due out in December)
>
>
> TON NGUYEN wrote:
>
>
>>> Hi everybody,
>>>
>>> I'm a new member at Klarinet and I play the B flat soprano
>>> clarinet, but now I also want to learn to saxophone. I like both
>>> the tenor and the alto sax, so my question is that is it a better
>>> transition to go from my B flat clarinet to a B flat tenor sax or
>>> from the clarinet to the E flat alto sax, or if it doesn't matter.
>>> Does anyone have any opinions and recommendations for me?
>>> Thank you
>>>
>>> Ton
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
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