Switching to sax from clarinet

Nov 22, 2007
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answers from an experienced sax player
by: Chris

I will start off by saying that about four years ago I was in a similar situation. I had always wanted to play the alto sax. My older brother was a bass clarinet player and he took lessons from an all around woodwind musician. My mom signed me up for lessons, but the teacher said that I would become a better saxophonist in the long run if I learned the clarinet first. After almost a year of clarinet lessons, he said that I was finally ready to pick up an alto sax. Learning to play the clarinet first is very helpful experience to have in the long run of playing the alto sax.

I will go over some of the pros and cons really quickly.

Pros, the sax is an instrument that you can have a lot of fun with in the long run. There is some fun opportunities with playing it in high school.

Cons, The sax recieves a lot of criticism from brass musicians, the sax is highly competitive in high school, and professionally. The sax can't normally be played in symphony orchestras.

My first word of advise is to learn the high notes on the clarinet. The fingerings are almost identical if not exactly the same as saxophone fingerings. It will be much easier to learn the fingerings on an instrument you already know how to play.

The first question I will answer is what about the sax is easier. The sax is hands down one of the easiest instruments to learn how to play, however it is a harder instrument to master. It might take a clarinet player three years to learn how to play well, but after that it doesn't take very long for them to become great. A sax player could take 1.5 years to learn how to play, but 6 years after that to become great. Reason for this is how the music is written, playing in tune, and style. advanced Sax music demands a lot technically from musicians.

Your second question is what kind of music is good on the sax. The sax is best suited to jazz, (and I would definitely recommend that you give jazz a shot because it's lots of fun) but it is one of the more versitile instruments in the band. I would say that the only thing the sax is limited to is playing in orchestras. I have played in marching bands, symphonic bands, and many jazz ensembles, and the sax is great in them. Solo music for the sax is written in almost every genre.

That brings me to your last question. Is the sax better suited for solos? YES! the sax is probably the best solo instrument there is, because it can be played with a certain sound that makes it interesting and fun to listen to that other instruments don't have. The clarinet is definately not a very interesting instrument to listen to solo, except for at certain kinds of classical and European folk music.

I hope that this advise helps you, and if you decide to play the sax, good luck, and have a lot of fun!

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Nov 22, 2007
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Submitted by: Chris

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I will start off by saying that about four years ago I was in a similar situation. I had always wanted to play the alto sax. My older brother was a bass clarinet player and he took lessons from an all around woodwind musician. My mom signed me up for lessons, but the teacher said that I would become a better saxophonist in the long run if I learned the clarinet first. After almost a year of clarinet lessons, he said that I was finally ready to pick up an alto sax. Learning to play the clarinet first is very helpful experience to have in the long run of playing the alto sax. I will go over some of the pros and cons really quickly. Pros, the sax is an instrument that you can have a lot of fun with in the long run. There is some fun opportunities with playing it in high school. Cons, The sax recieves a lot of criticism from brass musicians, the sax is highly competitive in high school, and professionally. The sax can't normally be played in symphony orchestras. My first word of advise is to learn the high notes on the clarinet. The fingerings are almost identical if not exactly the same as saxophone fingerings. It will be much easier to learn the fingerings on an instrument you already know how to play. The first question I will answer is what about the sax is easier. The sax is hands down one of the easiest instruments to learn how to play, however it is a harder instrument to master. It might take a clarinet player three years to learn how to play well, but after that it doesn't take very long for them to become great. A sax player could take 1.5 years to learn how to play, but 6 years after that to become great. Reason for this is how the music is written, playing in tune, and style. advanced Sax music demands a lot technically from musicians. Your second question is what kind of music is good on the sax. The sax is best suited to jazz, (and I would definitely recommend that you give jazz a shot because it's lots of fun) but it is one of the more versitile instruments in the band. I would say that the only thing the sax is limited to is playing in orchestras. I have played in marching bands, symphonic bands, and many jazz ensembles, and the sax is great in them. Solo music for the sax is written in almost every genre. That brings me to your last question. Is the sax better suited for solos? YES! the sax is probably the best solo instrument there is, because it can be played with a certain sound that makes it interesting and fun to listen to that other instruments don't have. The clarinet is definately not a very interesting instrument to listen to solo, except for at certain kinds of classical and European folk music. I hope that this advise helps you, and if you decide to play the sax, good luck, and have a lot of fun!

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Switching to sax from clarinet

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