Klarinet Archive - Posting 000035.txt from 2005/12
From: Nathan Friedman <nathanfriedman@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: [kl] sax
Date: Thu, 08 Dec 2005 23:07:37 -0500
This could be any one of a number of composers. Vaughan Williams, perhaps?
Nathan Friedman
"Music is life, and like it, inextinguishable."
Carl Nielsen's motto for his Symphony No. 4
----- Original Message -----
From: "Deborah L. Jenkins" <djenkins166@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 3:41 AM
Subject: Re: [kl] sax
I don't play sax (yet), but have sat directly next to them or in front of
them for several years. I play in the local community college. (More like
a community band since there's so much gray hair and usually only a couple
of young students- although we really are all band students. Hadn't played
with any group since college for 16 years when I started with them- pretty
scary- I was sure the conductor would throw me out. Good thing he was
desperate for clarinets. There was only one other clarinet. A poor young
actual college age student who he made sit first chair that night since
she'd at least been in his band before. Didn't help me out any, the second
clarinet part had a short, but very noticeable solo, so I got to make a fool
out of myself anyway (but didn't find myself getting kicked out. Actually,
the beginning of every semester the whole band sounds pretty bad to begin
with- even worse than I remember in high school, but by the end of the
semester it's always amazing how good we sound- not perfect, but I think the
band director is probably the best I've seen. He teaches at a community
college because he likes the area, but could probably teach about anywhere.
Think he was president of the California Music Teachers Assn. or whatever
they call it around here for colleges, etc. All of which is really off
topic except to brag about them (not myself) a little and note that it's
probably not your typical junior/community college band. We play music that
I'm pretty sure would rival any four year college band's.) The first alto
sax player is superb. We now have an entire sax section, but periodically
he's been the entire section, playing alto, soprano, and tenor. One time,
I think all three, in one concert. I guess the point is that from the point
of view of a fellow band member who listens to him, he makes them all sound
like great parts. Although, due to the nature of concert band, he obviously
plays mostly alto. He's played some really excellent solos on both alto and
soprano, especially of the music of the guy who's name I can't remember at
the moment (sorry), but who traveled around Great Britain and the United
Kingdom early in the last century, cataloging, recording, notating, and
composing pieces from the local folksongs he ran across in this quest- which
he wanted to complete before they all died out along with the very few
living memories- the singers- of these songs of love, battle, and other
tales that had been passed along from generation to generation. He's
actually one of my favorite composers. Hmm, maybe I am a student after all.
I might have actually learned something while playing. (At least more than
the fact that my memory for names is terrible- which I already know.
Hopefully, the poor composer wouldn't be too hurt if he's looking down,
since I also forget the names of all his peers. Good thing I'm not a
professional. They seem to remember everything.)
Have fun, whichever you choose. And if you were to join a band like mine,
chances are there'd be a place for you on any of them once you get the hang
of it.
Deb Jenkins
-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Smith <gary622@-----.com>
Sent: Dec 7, 2005 8:25 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] sax
Ted
I'm a doubler myself, and own an alto and a tenor (and enough bari
parts to play if someone will loan me the actual horn :-) )
I'm not sure I totally agree that tenor is a *better* jobbing horn.
Rare is the job that calls for a tenor and *not* an alto. You may be
more *competitive* in a local situation if there is a hot-shot alto in
town who doesn't want to play tenor, but it could work in reverse,
too.
I agree about concert band. I made myself really unpopular in high
school by taking up saxophone and almost instantly becoming better
than 99%, if not all, of the sax players. I attribute that to the fact
that as a concert band clarinetist, I actually had to contend with
relatively difficult parts, whereas tenors sit around playing half
notes most of the time and altos weren't doing much better. There are,
of course, exceptions - difficult concert band parts for saxophone,
but for the most part sax parts in concert band are kind of dull.
On 11/30/05, Ted Casher <tedcasher@-----.net> wrote:
> Ted Casher here. Most people start w/alto---but tenor is the better
> jobbing
> horn, as it gets hired in a good many situations, like swing, bebop,
> r&b----
>
> The concert band parts for tenor are not too interesting, in contemporary
> band writing. Better to stay on clarinet. More action for the
> motivated
> player!!!!!
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Audrey Travis" <clr91nt@-----.ca>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 10:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [kl] sax
>
>
> > Some of the differences are:
> > Range - Tenor is much lower pitched than alto - which sound do you
> > prefer?
> > Size - tenor is larger and heavier - this may be a factor if you are a
> > small person
> >
> > I don't think one is preferable over another to learn on, but their
> > roles
> > may be different in a concert band. Tenor tends to play bass lines,
> > while
> > alto plays an inner, sometimes less heard voice. In jazz, both can
> > shine
> > equally as solo instruments.
> >
> > Mud any clearer?
> >
> > Audrey
> > On 29-Nov-05, at 5:42 AM, rob wrote:
> >
> >> Can anyone tell me whats the difference between tenor and alto
> >> saxophones
> >> and which would be better to start out on to learn sax and why?
> >> Rob
> >
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