 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Amy
Date: 2002-12-21 14:43
I am thirteen years old and have been playing the clarinet for four and a half years.After the Christmas holiday I will be learning the saxophone. Has anyone got any hints and tips for me as they would be much appreciated. My teacher said I should be grade 5 standard before making the transition from clarinet to saxophone but I am taking grade 5 in the summer so she is now willing to teach me saxophone at school. I am continuing clarinet in out of school lessons. Also if anyone knows of a good time to start the flute, that would be helpful too.
Many thanks,
Amy
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Author: kenabbott
Date: 2002-12-21 21:59
I started sax at about the same age with about the same amount of clarinet time behind me. Get the Rubank elementary sax book and start on page one. Do every exercise. Twice. Even three times. Do long tones. Develop a good embouchure. Practice every day, if possible. And be patient. It takes time to develop competence. Good luck.
-Ken Abbott
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Author: William
Date: 2002-12-22 00:03
The "right time" to start learning an instrument is "when" you have the interest to do so--and I therefore see no reason not to begine playing the sax and flute concurrently if you are so inclined. What I would recommend, however, is that these "new" instruments do not deter from the continuing study and practice schedule of your "main" instrument, which is the clarinet. If you retain the clarinet as your "core" instrument, devoting additional time for sax and flute, you should develop into a quite competant "doubler" of these instruments one day. You should realize rapid success in early experimentaion with the saxophone due to its similarity to the clarinet (reed, embouchure). The flute, however, may prove to be more challenging as the sound is generated not by a reed, but by blowing across a tone hole with a different "feel" in breath support. The fingerings will all be similar, as is true for all woodwinds--oboe and bassoon included. Get some lessons for proper embouchure technique for each instrument and HAVE FUN--like the "Hokey, Pokey", That's what it's (playing music) all about!!! Good luck and just do it!
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-12-22 12:15
Sax:
1. Don't use a clarinet embouchure, or you will never get control of the pitch of high notes. Bunch the lower lip as narrow (from side to side) as possible before placing the reed on it and closing the lips like a rubber band. It is totally unnecessary to pull the lower lip firmly around and over the teeth. Don't pull your chin down. This is all because the sax, unlike a clarinet, needs a lip cushion that is thick from front to back, with firm pressure over the whole distance from front to back.
2. As you go higher, especially near the top of the second octave and beyond, do not put any more pressure on the reed, or you will go way sharp.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2002-12-22 22:18
Gordon is right on the mark. Remember that a clarinet is a cylindrical stopped pipe and the design of the mouthpiece forces the air across the top of the bore and not straight through like a sax mouthpiece. Saxophones are a conical open bore. The clarinet embouchure tends to have the mouthpiece going up and the clarinet pointing downwards. On the other hand the saxophone goes in horizontally. The first difficulty is getting the low notes and this problem magnifies the bigger the saxophone but most notably on tenor. A more open mouth cavity and flatter tongue position are necessary and the tongueing technique is quite different. There is also the consideration of airflow. There is always more resistance in a clarinet, even harmony instruments, giving you something to blow against and therefore meaning that you cannot or do not exhaust your breath as quickly. The saxophone has far less resistance and requires rationing of air to produce good phrasing, like the flute. Diaphragm support, important on all wind and brass instruments as well as voice, needs to be a little more pronounced. If you intend to double rather than just swapping it is necessary to practise both instruments equally and to do some doubling practise, ie. swap between the 2 in some practise sessions to get used to the change. Playing the saxophone will improve your clarinet projection and the clarinet will improve your overall control on the sax. It is also important to remember that they are complimentary instruments but not the same. The clarinet is more flexible vertically whereas the saxophone prefers the linear. You need to learn vibrato as well which for some unknown reason is shunned by most clarinettists. It should be tasteful and selectively applied to both. If you can master one double you will find that it becomes a little easier subsequently.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-12-23 17:27
The standard advice to clarinetists is to play sax as if you were puffing on a cigar. Loosen your lips, push them forward, drop your jaw and use plenty of low-pressure air.
The hard part is learning to play the low notes under control without jumping up the octave or blasting. It comes with practice.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Malaya
Date: 2002-12-26 05:33
Clarinet to sax is a fun jump... trust me, i've been there. i'm 16, with about 4 years experience on clarinet, about 2 of those on alto and tenor sax. the advice given has been acurate... loosen your embouchure slightly, and be patient with low notes. but also, be patient with the very high notes as well. (anything above high D above the staff.) those require about the same embouchure and air concentration as low notes. i found it was easier to play alto, because the mouthpiece is relative in size to a clarinet... but that does involve changing to an Eb instrument, which may or may not be a challenge for you. i played tenor for a year, and now alto for a year. (i personally prefer alto.) you'll find that you start to improve on clarinet as you improve on sax... but don't frustrate yourself with an extraordinarily rigorous practice regime. take it slow, be patient, and have fun. but don't let your clarinet talents suffer because of a new interest. do you plan on playing jazz? that's what i do, and i love it... best of luck to you!
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