 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Fred
Date: 2001-03-30 00:39
Somebody slap me . . . I've got this notion that I could pick up a straight soprano sax and turn into a fairly reasonable player without the pains that seem to afflict most sax players who pick up soprano. Could anyone relate their experiences with picking up sax later in life . . . especially the soprano (tenor is next)? I'm a fairly adequate clarinet player . . . not pro like many of you . . . but do pretty well for a chemist.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jeff Forman
Date: 2001-03-30 00:59
Actually, I've wondered about the ease that a clarinetist would have picking up sax. I keep hearing about "doublers" and I keep hearing that the fingering of a sax is similar enough to a clarinet that a clarinetist could pick it up fairly easily. Plus, saxaphones have buttons, so close enough is good enough. Because we have holes to completely cover, I have learned with the clarinet that close enough is a squeak.
Jeff
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-03-30 02:03
Soprano sax is not suitable as the first sax. Ordinarily people take alto sax at first.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2001-03-30 02:13
[(he raises his hand cautiously)... pssst, over here. (pause) Don't spread this around too much but.... I've played saxes - soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass he whispers. Furthermore, I loved every minute of it..! :o[ ]
Not a difficult thing in my opinion if you approach it right. You have to practice any horn to do it well and saxes are no exception. I found that the hardest part was to relax the embouchure enough to get away from a 'clarinet'(pinched) sound. Best way I can describe it and, I really don't know how else to, is - you need to make the sax sound 'fatter' by *slightly* loosening your chops and diaphragm breathing is an absolute *must*. I never got as good at it as folks I admire who are *really* good at it but I had a world of fun trying.
You can figure out the fingering yourself by noodling around but I'd recommend a fingering chart to save time. Then blow, blow, blow.... and, if anybody ever even looks like they're going to slap you they'll have to answer to me ! The only thing I like better than playin' a horn is... well you've already heard about that ]:o
I love a good sax sound. Initially you have to work at it, then it's fun.
- ron b -
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Terry Horlick
Date: 2001-03-30 02:25
Hey guys, I've played sax (alto mostly) about 35 years and clarinet off and on about 36 years. I picked up an inexpensive curved soprano about 3 years ago and a nice straight soprano about 2 years ago. I am still struggling to get to a point where I am happy with my soprano playing.
1) Yes the fingerings will be no problem... the sax has a conical bore so it has the same overtone series a flute does. That is to say you learn the fingerings and then pop on the register key and use the fingerings over for the next octave.
2) It took me about 25 years to be happy with my sax playing, and I am still improving. I expect the soprano to take 5 years or more to make me happy.
3) Like me you may be tempted to grab an inexpensive sax and learn to play. Big mistake. To progress you really will need a good horn. A cheap horn will sound like an out of tune duck. A good horn will sound the same at first and then the fog will lift and it will start sounding better and better. That cheap curved horn of mine is still growing feathers. Look seiously at that Selmer horn.
Just IMHO, Terry
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lindy
Date: 2001-03-30 07:46
A soprano sax is NOT a clarinet, no more than any other member of the sax family.
You will have to start again basically otherwise you will always sound like a clarinettist trying to play a sop.
I went from clarinet to tenor and then to soprano. Atleast with a tenor things are SO different that it makes you stop and think what you're doing.
The loosening your jaw advice above is good but again this will come easier if you've played bigger saxes before. The sop intonation is especially difficult and you get a strange warble in the bottom if you treat it like a clarinet.
However I manage to play clarinet, Eb clar, tenor sax and soprano sax in different ensembles in an average week (plus flute if there's a show going), you just have to learn to treat them differently and PRACTICE just as much as when you first picked up a clarinet.
Enjoy.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mike Irish
Date: 2001-03-30 12:10
Hey.....
good subj......
I played clarinet since.... well..... 5th grade, ( been out of school since 77 )
doubled on oboe in the 10th....
I have one son on clarinet and oboe
and the other is on sax....
the fingering for alto sax is close to that of flute and oboe....
I have learned the flute and the sax and they are real close.... it is just a matter of getting use to it....
we are getting ready to purchase a saprano sax this next summer... so will find out how much trouble it is.... ( I will learn it tooo... )
have fun..... I do...
Mike
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bob gardner
Date: 2001-03-30 13:45
I hope you are not like me. i can't walk and chew gum. I purchased a sax and kept it all of a month. I just didn't want to deal with the chance in fingering. When we pot the register key we go up 12 notes, this is not true with the sax. Anyhow at my old age of 21 (only kidding--65) I didn't want to make the effort.
So what I did was to buy a bass clarinet. Love the bass.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2001-03-30 15:04
FRED--SLAP, SLAP!!!!!! Started on clarinet (4th grade), learned to play alto sax (high school jazz ensemble), bought a Selmer alto sax in college (from a friend who needed the cash), bought a Selmer tenor sax (VI) after college to play a dance gig (nobody would lend me theirs) and then bought a Martin curved sop--liked it but sold it--a Yamaha straight--didn't like it and sold it--and finally purchased my Selmer S-80--a wonderful instrument that is a lot of fun to play. Even if you condider yourself too serious a clarinet player or "too old," don't be afraid to try the saxophone. It is an easy instrument to "learn to blow and play a recognizable tune on" but difficult if you want to sound like Stan Getz or Kenny G. All saxes are fingered the same (later model Selmers have an auxx F# fingering) so--Learn One and Play All!! Clarinetists switching to sax are recommended to try the alto sax first, but soprano should not be considered out of the question. You will have to learn to play with a much more relaxed embouchure and learn to use vibrato. Switching to tenor and bari will require even more embouchure change and breath support issues, but again, the fingering systems are basically the same. I am a symphony-level clarinetist who also "doubles" on all the saxes and flute (and sometimes trumpet) for jazz show gigs. I'm sixty + and am saving learning jazz piano for my old age. Bottom line advice, GO FOR IT AND ENJOY. Good clarineting, and saxing if you so desire!!!!!!!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-03-30 17:40
Well, hmmmmm...........I think you've probably concluded from the above posts that taking on the saxophone is not just a walk in the park.....Very true! On the positive side, although soprano sax certainly has its challenges (mainly intonation), it is probably the saxophone that feels closest to soprano clarinet in terms of embouchure and hand positions. So maybe starting off on soprano (instead of the much more common alto) isn't such a horrible idea....
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Fred
Date: 2001-03-30 20:13
David, that's what I was thinking. I confess that I have no interest in alto whatsoever . . . tenor would be OK. Intonation problems? What clarinet player worth his salt isn't used to adjusting for the problem notes on his/her horn? It kind of goes with the territory. Hand position, body position, and yes . . . even embouchure similarities between clarinet and soprano sax create a compelling temptation to take the ss challenge. Conversely, I can see why soprano sax - especially a straight one - would feel strange to a tenor/alto player. One problem that I know I would face is $$. There is no beast known to man as impossible to tame as a cheap soprano sax. I've seen that tried with a Belmonte . . . very ugly indeed.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: deejay
Date: 2001-03-30 21:47
I have played sax longer than I have clarinet, but I am better at clarinet. Tenor sax is cool. Most of the time the part are same as baritones, you always have a solo in the part. I always have one when I play, but my band director gives the part to all the baritones to play, which is stupid!!!!! I like playing it.
deejay
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jim W.
Date: 2001-03-31 05:26
If you do try soprano, be careful to remember that IT'S NOT A CLARINET! It's close enough to make it easy, but also close enough to drive you crazy. I've played clarinet for 35 years, tenor sax for 32, and soprano for 25. Still, every once in a while when I double, my brain will misfire and I'll start using clarinet fingerings on the soprano (especially on the high C - I'll try to play it like a clarinet and it comes out a C#, both useful notes, but hardly interchangable)
Also, keep in mind that you have to approach the mouthpiece differently. If you picture how a tenor or alto in blown into - almost straight into it - you'll have a pretty good idea of how to blow into a soprano.
Hope this helps.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-03-31 13:24
That C/C# fingering thing was an early bother for me.
I can see nothing wrong with going from clarinet to sop, and agree with others who said the same thing.
Re intonation. If you don't pay attention to intonation you will always play ALL wind badly. The soprano is not a problem if you have a good ear because compared with a clarinet it is extremely easy to adjust intonation by the way you play.
I consider modern Selmer/Yamaha/Yanagisawa sops to have astonishingly good, stable intonation. Some old horns are really wild.
The main things, to me, are the different embouchure (more bunched up lip), resulting in a longer area (in & out-wise) of lip in contact with reed, and do not tighten embouchure as you go higher or it will go very sharp.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Willie
Date: 2001-03-31 19:53
Once you've played each one for a while, you don't have to worry about fingerings as your brain will automaticly click to sax mode when you pick up a sax as its heavier and feels different. Last night I got a chance to see the Air Force Winds of the West jazz band play out at the college. The saxes were all doubling between different saxs, clarinet and also flute. Very well too I might add.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Fred
Date: 2001-03-31 22:08
Ok, so here's what I did today. I found a 1962 Conn 10M tenor in a pawn shop with great pads and no problems except a few pad heights to deal with . Bought it really cheap because it's pretty ugly . . . original finish is finished. Sometimes the i-deal (soprano) must give way to the great deal (tenor). But as soon as I can get that soprano, I'm going for it. I've enjoyed all the comments, suggestions, and encouragement.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Corey
Date: 2001-04-01 00:31
has anyone been told it's easier to play saxophone after learning clarinet then sax then clarinet?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Terry Horlick
Date: 2001-04-01 09:54
My mother played sax in HS and then couuldn't learn clarinet. So she wouldn't let me fiddle with the sax until I could play clarinet.
Don't tell her, but I really don't think it is impossible to learn clarinet after saxophone. There very well may be another factor in there. (Read that if you are reasonalbly good at sax, you should have the dexterity and aptitude to double oon Clarinet.
(^:
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lionel Mrocki
Date: 2001-04-01 14:44
I started on Clarinet, which is still my primary and passionate instrument of 28 years. I love that you got your sax at a pawn shop cos I've done very well there. I play a Selmer S10 and a buffet R13 (bargained them down to $145.00 Australian cos it needed some pads!) Unfortunately, now they see me coming and check their prices more carefully.
I started alto sax 25 years ago and now have a Yanigasawa alto and sop and a Buffet tenor (rarely played), also didgeridoo and others. (You want embouchure and diaphragm challenges, try didge!)
I saw many other sax players have great difficulty trying to learn clarinet, but rarely did I see the problem the other way round. Sax fingering is fairly intuitive for the clarinettist, but then maybe it depends on how long you've been "hardwiring" your brain on clarinet.
Intonation on sop can be surprisingly wild, and I agree with others that alto and tenor prepare you well for the embouchure and blowing adjustments whilst not leaving you feeling too disenchanted with your overall sound.
The roles for sop are also a little limited. Its a very sweet instrument. Alto crosses more boundries, but mouthpiece and reed selection can make huge differences in all saxes, more so than clarinet.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
