 The Doublers BBoard
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Author: MondeLuna
Date: 2006-06-17 04:34
I'm currently a clarinet player that plays sax and flute decently. I'm a music major very interested in doubling and was wondering if you guys could let me know what you think the best inst. combo is for doubling. I'm working on my instrument collection and of course my ability to play different horns as well as I play the clarinet. Thanks
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Author: Bret Pimentel
Date: 2006-06-17 13:51
Hi,
Short answer: If you can play any combination of instruments well, there is probably a niche out there for you.
Long answer:
If by "best" combination, you mean "most marketable" combination, then you probably already have it: flute, clarinet, and saxophone. The fastest and easiest way to improve your hireability at this point is to add (if you haven't already) piccolo, bass and E-flat clarinets, and a full quartet of saxophones.
Oboe and bassoon are also fine choices, but they don't turn up in as many doubling gigs, they are quite expensive, and in many ways have a steeper learning curve.
In Broadway shows, you can play most of the reed books if you are fluent on the flutes, clarinets, and saxophones. Common combinations involving the double reeds are oboe (and often English horn) with clarinet and tenor saxophone, or a "low" book with bassoon, bass clarinet, and baritone saxophone. Tons of examples here. The oboe book is often written with an oboe specialist in mind, so the oboe passages are soloistic while the single reed passages are buried in the ensemble.
Folk and ethnic winds are popular in commercial music lately: recorders and pennywhistles are a relatively easy place to start; also consider wooden and bamboo flutes, end-blown flutes (like the Japanese shakuhachi, Chinese xiao, or South American quena), Native American flutes, or whatever else strikes your fancy...
The BBoard seems to think your ISP is based in Atlanta, GA. I'm in Athens, GA (just an hour or so away!), working on a graduate degree in woodwinds with the outstanding woodwind faculty at the University of Georgia.
Good luck!
Bret
Post Edited (2007-11-20 10:45)
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Author: ClariTone
Date: 2006-06-18 00:40
Katrina
What you've got there is pretty darn good. The double reeds are harder to learn (generally) and their parts are often more exposed, so you can't get away with playing "Marginally" in pro or even semi-pro venues. Most reed books for the musicals I have played included but were not limited to:
Flute
Oboe
English Horn
E-flat Clarinet
B-flat Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Bassoon
By already playing flute, clarinet, and saxophone, I'd say you are VERY marketable. However you said you only played flute and sax "decently". Consider fine tuning your skills on those before attempting to learn more instruments. Better to be skilled at a few instruments than a "Jack-Of-All-Trades-Master-Of-None".
If you are looking to expand, start with learning another saxophone (I would recommend tenor or alto depending on which of the 4 you already play *note you didn't specify which of the saxophones you currently play*), bass clarinet, or E-flat clarinet (note, these instruments within their respective families however similair in respect to fingerings, etc. are different!!!)
Best of Luck!!!
Clayton
Post Edited (2006-06-18 00:47)
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Author: MondeLuna
Date: 2006-06-18 16:06
Thank you both for your reply's they were very helpful. Sorry I wasn't very precise of informing you of what I play. I currently play Bb/Eb/and Bass Clarinet, Flute, Alto Sax. I have also played Soprano and Tenor sax in the past however, I don't own a tenor/soprano so I don't play them anymore. Right now I am doing some work with my Eb Clarinet intonation. I'm playing on a Bundy Eb so the intonation is a problem for me in the upper registers.
I don't know why my ISP is based in Georgia when I live in California. =)
Thanks for all the advice.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-06-19 13:41
MondeLuna, given the list of instruments you already own, you'd be well advised to add tenor and baritone saxes next, in that order.
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Author: rcnelson
Date: 2006-06-19 14:12
I would agree with all of these responses. With clarinet as your primary instrument, you will probably need to spend many hours on the flute to stay sharp with it. As I have not had any demand for my clarinet since April in our church orchestra, but have been playing a lot of flute, tenor and alto. I have concentrated on those 3 and number of practice hours in that order.
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-07-12 02:17
I'd not lose sleep over my Eb clarinet tone and technique as far as your doubling is concerned. Far more important is to add tenor and baritone and bass clarinet to your overall abilities.
I'd guesstimate that over the years, only three of the shows (with many different productions of some of them) have called for Eb in my books. (Often, this rarity is acknowledged by having the Eb part transposed in the book for the Bb horn.)
Bass clarinet parts are often found in "odd" books, not the typical Book 4 or 5 of most shows. Some shows even call for two or three bass doublers (Mame and West Side Story come to mind here).
Flute is a real plus. Far, far too many times I have played with folks that can run rings around others on clarinet and sax, but who fall down on the job flute-wise.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Erik713
Date: 2006-08-20 21:52
I thought I'd just add my two cents here.
I live out in northern NJ, and recently decided to try to get into the Broadway scene. After talking with a handful of guys currently playing in Manhattan, I was told it was best to focus on the instruments of either the upper chairs or the lower chairs, but not both.
In other words, get good at your flute, clarinet, tenor/alto saxes, and oboe/EH if you like upper chairs. If you prefer lower chairs, go for clarinet/bass clarinet, tenor/bari saxes, and bassoon.
The feeling I got from my contacts was basically that if you tell someone that you play every single woodwind, they might wonder how well you actually do that, regardless of your level.
Of course, this is just passed on info. I can't speak from experience...at least not yet!
Erik
==========
~~~~~~~
~Woodwind doubler - sop./alto/tenor saxes, clarinet, oboe, English horn, flute/picc.
~Woodwind Teacher
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2006-08-21 01:07
Hi Erik:
Yes, you're on the right track about concentrating on the "upper" woodwinds, or the "lower", but more importantly, for Broadway, it's about the double reeds.
A good Oboe doubler needs to play good Tenor Sax, Clarinet & Flute, at least.
A good Bassoon doubler needs to play good Bari Sax, Bass & Contra, Clarinet & Flute.
It's also about networking with the guys on the chairs you want to sub on. Taking lesson, or "consultations" with the "big guys" never hurts.
As a famous NYC doubler once told me, "There's always room in this town for another GREAT doubler!"
Practice the horns every day, have them all out on stands ready to go, don't walk past a horn without picking it up "cold" and playing it. You'll have to do that for real someday.
Good luck, Erik, and follow your dreams.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: nickles8189
Date: 2006-09-02 16:30
well, since you've got flute and the single reeds covered, you're left with the double reeds or brass. they're both completely different embrouchure-wise, but i suppose i might say that double reeds at least have the similarity of that - reed(s). out of bassoon and oboe, you'd probably have better luck doubling on oboe. in my opinion, bassoon is not a "doubler" instrument. for me, bassoon is primary and everything else is "doubler." bassoon's just way too complicated to be second to anything. so i guess i'd say you could try oboe. fingering-wise, it's pretty similar to the clarinet. the most annoying difference is the f/f-sharp fingering. cuz on clarinet you use the first finger, but on oboe if you do that, it's an f-sharp. f-natural on oboe is the f-sharp fingering for clarinet. i dunno, i just always found that annoying. then the c fingering is the same as sax, so oboe's kind of a mix between the two fingering-wise. good luck!
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Author: ClariTone
Date: 2006-09-03 03:29
Sorry, but the F-natural fingering on the oboe is not the f-sharp fingering on the clarinet. Similair, but definitely not the same...
Oddly enough, I've never had a problem with mistaking one instrument for another when practicing...Just like wearing a different "instrumental hat". When playing the Oboe, I think Oboe. When playing the Clarinet, I think Clarinet. When playing the Baritone I think Baritone, etc. etc...
Clayton
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