Is the sax always the right tool for the job?

[bobbydazler]

I posted a new thread the other day, and it’s the old ‘beginner wants to know what instrument to choose’ kind of thing, but after taking in all your the good advice…I’ve a problem.

Been thinking about playing the saxophone for some time and am now getting ready to start learning. But I’ve found that the music that I (rather stupidly) assumed was a sax, was in fact a clarinet (thanks johnsax). The particular piece in question was Stardust by Brubeck and Bill Smith on the Time Signatures collection (Columbia records).

My question – as a complete novice/idiot is this. Can I get a jazzy feel and mood on a standard clarinet? i.e are the musicians I’ve been listening too extra good at making it sound that way, or is it just the music their playing?

I’ve been baffled by all the information thrown at me on the web and after reading on the subject – but what struck me most has been that, now I listen to the music I’ve listened too for years I’ve become more confused as to what I want. I know that the sax and the clarinet are similar in layout and so on, often the latter is used for progression toward a sax. The thing is, I don’t want to get caught up buying/renting a saxophone just because it has a ‘better image’ than a clarinet. It’s the sound I’m after, something soft, but that can get raspy when it needs to.

I want to play quite mellow jazz and blues – is the alto sax the best for the job (bearing in mind my position). I appreciate this is highly subjective, its just that I really want to pick the right tool for the job, and this site seems to be the place to come for advice…. thanks a lot for your time.

bobbydazler

[tubbycub]

Yes, you can get the jazz feel on the clarinet too, it's just the feel of the music that makes it sound that way, not to forget that jazz clarinet playing is very different from conventional classical playing in terms of tone and technique. Try listening to Benny Goodman and Eddie Daniels, as well as Phil Woods, Benny Carter and Paquito D'rivera on clarinet.

Mellow jazz/blues can be achieved on any instrument. If you dig high pitch sounds, go for the alto. Else, settle for the tenor.

[girl]

If its the sound of the clarinet that you love, then learn that. You can always pick up sax latter - it is generally acknowleged that it is easier to go from clarinet to sax than the other way round.

There is of course the added advatage that beginner's clarinets are less expensive too!

[Lyle]

I started on clarinet because I liked the sound. I played clarinet for 25 years (hobby) and enjoyed it for every year. I now play the tenor sax, and enjoy playing it as much as I did the clarinet. IMO either one would be a good choice. I thought clarinet was easier but perhaps after so many years I have forgotten the difficulities of learning.

Bottom line-both sax and clarinet are great fun.

[Draconistarum]

Beginner clarinets are a lot cheaper than beginner saxophones. When we were choosing our instruments, the clarinet was about $150 while the saxophone was near $500.

[modre]

while clarinet and sax may appear to be "interchangable", in reality clarinet is like brain surgery, while sax is like hangin' out on the corner with the boys..

...basicly, here's the difference...
sax is layed out as a C scale (octave) bottom to top, (C to C)
whereas clarinet is layed out as an F scale plus a 4th (F to Bb)...then becomes a C scale in the mid-range (like sax)...momentarily.

if you want an E on sax, there's one fingering.

if you want E on clarinet...low is all closed...middle E is T+1...while the next E is the sax L3+R2...and yet another fingering awaits you in the next octave. nothing repeats...it's all different.

finger low C on clarinet, then add the octave key and you get a high G (Octave+5th)...and that octave + a 5th thing... it never takes a vacation.

Finger low G on sax and hit the octave key produces a predictable high G...and that simplicity allows a certain proficiency years before the clarinet will let you off the hook.

The reason they invented saxophone is clarinet was impossible to play...which is why Benny Goodman, Eddie Daniels, ect...deserve more respect than they get from folks who don't appreaciate just exactly what they're hearing.

in comparison, the clarinet is the archaic orchestrial instrument it was designed to be, while sax is the modern solution to the question...
"how can I get laid without getting a real job and working for a living?"

I know 100 top notch sax players personally.
I only know one blind clarinet player that'll scare ya.