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Re: Clarinet vs sax issues

Author: rcnelson
Date: 2010-05-10 13:54

I think most of us would find the saxophone to be much easier. I say from the perspective of being primarily a saxophonist, the major instrument during my music education major days 30+ years. In terms of what makes the clarinet more difficult, for me it is the fingering system. And the open holes can difficult to deal with unless I am very conscious of finger placement. I started on alto sax in 4th grade, added clarinet in 8th. I was told soon after that for someone who started on sax that I picked up clarinet fairly quickly.

The only aspect of the saxophone that may be more difficult to deal with (and with hours of practice, this is not a real issue for me), is the embouchure difference. The saxophone needs to be looser, while the clarinet is firm. This can lead to more difficulty in playing the saxophone in tune, at least consistently. Having said that, the looser embouchure allows for note-to-note flexibility if your instrument has some notes that are not quite in tune with the rest of the horn

In terms of student to intermediate, back in the '70's I went from a student model Conn alto to a Selmer Mark VII. With clarinet, I continue to play on a Selmer CL210, which is a very good intermediate level instrument. The answer to this question may depend on your goals.

Hope this helps. I'm sure there will be other replies/opinions.

Ron
Selmer Mark VI tenor (1957), Selmer Mark VII alto (1975)
Buescher True Tone soprano (1924), Selmer CL210 Bb Clarinet, Gemeinhardt 3SHB Flute, Pearl PFP105 Piccolo

Post Edited (2010-05-10 16:50)

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