 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: leonardA
Date: 2004-08-23 03:01
I'm thinking of adding flute to my repertoire. I play sax and clarinet. Any comments on the difficulty of this or whether the flute is more or less difficult to learn than the clarinet. I don't want to become a virtuoso, but I would like to play some of the easier flute parts in musical theater.
Thanks.
Leonard
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-08-23 06:25
There are many doublers who go from flute to reeds very successfully, but far fewer doublers who have gone from reeds to flute, with good tone, and control over the pitch and volume, especially of the third octave, where the flute spends so much time.
I once gave a sax player moving to flute (& picc) email correspondence lessons on flute, just answering all his questions as best I could. I since combined this correspondence into a single email, and many saxophone players going to flute have found it very useful. In parts it is quite specific to the problems that are likely to be encountered by a reed player going to flute. Going from clarinet is somewhat different from going from sax, partly because of the different embouchure on clarinet, but there is overlap.
Although I have a fair bit of playing experience on flute (and doubling), and started off around 400 beginners a few decades ago, I am way out of touch with current trends (fashion?) in playing and teaching, and my perspective has been as an experienced player with a very analytical mind, that has applied a fair bit of science background in this email material, which may suit some but not others.
This material is not refined enough for publication with my name associated, even in the web, because I have made no effort to edit it. However if you are interested, I am happy to email it to you. It is 174 KB.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2004-08-23 06:27
For people learning flute, a fairly thorough resource for relevant links is:
http://www.flutes.tk/
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Author: Joel Clifton
Date: 2004-08-23 12:25
I found the flute to be rather easy. I've been playing since the end of May, and right now I can play all scales (up to B, I can't get to high C very well - the gizmo key is hard to get to) at a tempo of around 130 4/4 16th notes, I can get the low B and C out immediately at FF (it took several months to be able to do that) and among other things I can play the first two minutes of the Mozart flute concerto (I haven't learned the rest). I had heard before that clarinetists don't go to flute very well, but I didn't find that to be the case. However, I was very determined to get good, more than I had ever expected before I began. I practiced that thing for several hours a day, and quite often I would practice fingerings when I wasn't able to play out loud.
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"You have to play just right to make dissonant music sound wrong in the right way"
Post Edited (2004-08-23 12:32)
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2004-08-23 14:01
Gordon-
I would very much appreciate your notes on switching to flute. Thank you in advance...
Jerry Zis
saxlite@comcast.net
(I have a high speed link-174KB is no problem...)
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2004-08-23 14:29
I started on flute, then switched to clarinet, then started working on flute again. The fingers on flute are easier (mostly) than the clarinet, but tone production is much more touchy.
Having not played for a while, I can still make a good sound on any given note. However, when trying to play an actual piece of music (which skips around in range and stuff like that), maintaining a consistent tone is very difficult.
I think the key is to work on long tones a lot and make sure you can make a good, consistent tone before you worry about the other stuff. The Trevor Wye books are good and the the Tone one (Book 1, I think) has a lot of useful exercises.
DH
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-08-23 15:04
I still have trouble with flute after messing around with it for over 25 years --- Gordon (NZ) has hit the nail on the head, at least in my case. I can play any clarinet or sax, but still sound like a NASA wind tunnel on the flute. Probably I should take lessons, but I'm too cheap and/or lazy. Anyway, the point is, adding flute is not necessarily a walk in the park, even if you're competent on reed instruments.
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2004-08-24 01:14
There are plenty of perfectly fine doubles who are very self-conscious about their alternate instruments. I know a couple of really find sax players, whose clarinet skills are flawless, who yet aren't confident with their clarinet playing. Sort of like becoming fluent in a foreign language - you learn the vocabulary, pick up the grammer and idioms, and still feel out of place. Nonetheless, if you are game, flute will be a good addition to your playing arsenal.
It may will take (order of magnitude) as much time to learn flute as it did to learn clarinet, except you are older now, and have to fit it into your current regimen(s). The pro's who have done it are usually, for a long period of time, either really careful about what kind of gigs they play their new instruments on, or else keep things under wraps until they are very confident their playing is ready for prime time.
The fingering will come. The breath control and tone production issues are tough, though. After you can work your way through some scales, lessons with someone good will get you pointed in the right direction.
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Author: Pam H.
Date: 2004-08-24 01:39
I've been playing the flute in addition to clarinet for the last 2+ years and just added an alto sax to my lineup about a year ago. Clarinet is my main instrument and I've been playing it again since the end of '99.
Developing a good flute embochure and breathing has taken a while for me. I think it is more difficult to play different dynamic levels on the flute as it takes a ton of breath support. Fingerings are easy. You only have to think in octaves instead of the 12th.
With trying to practice all 3 fairly consistently in addition to working full time doing something else, I found that if I neglected flute practice time - especially in the beginning - that my embouchure has taken a long time to develop. At first I did better to practice the flute before the clarinet in order to have a stronger embochure. Now playing the clarinet first doesn't seem to matter. Switching between sax and flute does create some interesting sounds until your lips adjust. My own experience though is that playing the sax helps my breath support on the flute.
Your own mileage may vary. I think it's fun to play. A few lessons in the beginning would probably be a good idea.
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-08-24 02:22
Gordon ... great link, thanks!!
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: Contra
Date: 2004-08-24 03:56
And a very important piece of advice: don't listen when people say that it is hard to switch from one instrument to another. Positive attidude and all that.
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Author: Tara
Date: 2004-08-24 04:02
Most clarinetists who sound... err... "average" on the flute have not figured out that you have to learn your own resistance on the flute. There is nothing to stop the air as there is with all the other winds, so most reed players waste all their air too quick and have that "NASA wind tunnel" sound. (love that analogy!) Most reed players can't bring their lips forward far enough to have a good flute embouchure, it seems. I find it a much more relaxed feeling than clarinet, and I have to really THINK about creating my own resistance (like budgeting my air supply better) when I play flute.
It obviously helps to have a nice headjoint!
Good luck. Tara
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Author: clarinetdaddy
Date: 2004-08-24 05:10
The most important thing to remember about the flute is "SOUND" you need to work on hours of long tones. Do this before you ever think about moving fast through the flute. The fingers will come later. I was once told by my woodwind private teacher is that each instrument must be worked on each day. Don't we wish the days were 36 hours long instead of 24 hours. (HA!) Just not enough time. Good luck with the flute but don't forget the clarinet and saxophone!
My two cents! Miles
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Author: Ron Jr.
Date: 2004-08-24 20:42
Although I've always been curious to learn another instrument, one great fear keeps me from pursing this possibility. I'm truly frightened to think of the time and cost needed to build up a music library of the flute repertoire.
For now, one instrument suits me just fine.
Ron Jr.
Post Edited (2006-03-06 17:59)
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-08-25 02:22
Ron
funny you should mention the cost of "doing the right thing". I recently sold off a huge amount of music that I've not used and will not use again in the future ... sad as that sounds.
In Sydney there is a wonderful music provodore called Da Capo ... they sell (exclusively almost) second-hand sheet music.
My suggestion ... play the flute, otherwise you'll get to your dotage and regret not having done it. You don't NEED to purchase every piece written and, in fact, if you city has a half decent music library then you can always borrow the music ... until the time you decide you can't live without it.
As to second instruments ... maybe purchasing to "big books" of favourite pieces could be a way forward ... you then end up with a collection of favourties (cheaper than buying individual titles).
my two cents' worth
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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