The Sax is NOT a Clarinet! (and vice versa!) Rhett Bender

There are many reasons a One does not learn the language your band. We all know what it clarinetist may want to begin of another instrument until it is sounds like when a clarinetist playing saxophone or vice versa. studied with an expert. plays saxophone for the first time As an educator, you may have a Let us understand why the or a saxophonist fails to cross the jazz band. Very likely you will clarinet and saxophone are so break on a clarinet. With no other encounter music that requires a closely linked. They have in point of reference they play it clarinet double or even more likely common a single reed, mouthpiece, like their native instrument. you’ll have a clarinetist that wants and ligature combination that sets Frequently, I come across poor to learn saxophone so he or she the column of air vibrating; but sounding clarinetists who sound can play in the jazz band. Perhaps that is where the similarities end. bad simply because they are a saxophonist, wanting to play in Yes, they both use a system of playing their clarinets like the orchestra, will wish to learn Boehm fingerings but so do most saxophones (even if they’ve never clarinet. If you can understand the other woodwind instruments. played saxophone before). The similarities and the fundamental In other important aspects such as tip-off is when they struggle to differences between the saxophone air support, the flute go over the break because and clarinet, you will have a and clarinet are more they are using warm air. better sounding saxophone similar and the As a saxophonist, section and clarinetists that saxophone I never want sound like clarinetists. and to sound like a The first mistake is to assume a bassoon saxophonist playing clarinet player can play saxophone are more clarinet. As a woodwind as if it were in the same family of closely doubler, my goal is to sound instruments. It is common to related. like a clarinetist when I play encourage beginning students Because the clarinet and a saxophonist when wanting to play saxophone to single reed and I play saxophone. first learn clarinet in order to later mouthpiece Outlined on the next page is switch them to saxophone. This apparatus are a comparison of the nine most association promotes the view that so similar, it is too distinctive differences between a saxophone and clarinet are the easy for us to approach the saxophone and clarinet. Noting same instruments with different saxophone like our clarinet and the differences and approaching fingerings. It is comparable to vice versa. Many students can each as a unique instrument is learning Spanish by buying a facilitate both instruments but do the key to a good sound. Spanish/English dictionary and not approach them differently. expecting every English word to You don’t want the sound of a have an exact Spanish equivalent. saxophonist playing clarinet in

9 Bandmasters Review • March 2004 Texas Bandmasters Association The Sax is NOT a Clarinet!

SAXOPHONE CLARINET

Air stream Wide airstream Fine, concentrated, high pressure Warm air Cold air High volume Like an aerosol spray

Mouthpiece pitch Not the highest possible pitch Highest comfortable pitch (soprano saxophone concert C, (Bb soprano clarinet concert C) alto saxophone concert A)

Embouchure Round, equal pressure around Pointed chin, shaving position. mouthpiece. Lips like a rubber band. Pressure on reed is caused by “prying” teeth apart with clarinet.

Throat/Tongue Lower to accommodate wider airstream Higher to create fast airstream, position “Heeeeee” Tip used to stop reed Tip used to stop reed

Mouthpiece angle Enters mouth straight Instrument is 45 degrees with body

Hand position Weight of saxophone held by neck R.H. thumb holds entire weight strap. Fingers keep a natural curved of clarinet. Finger tips must be flat position enough to cover holes.

Finger technique No holes to cover with finger tips. Must cover holes, fingers must get Finger tips rest on pearls. away from holes to not interfere Technique is heavier and firmer. with sound. Technique is lighter.

Left hand thumb Always resting on thumb rest with Three different positions: push minimal movement. register key, cover hole, and off entirely.

Vibrato Accepted as part of the saxophone Used more than in the past, but sound. Produced by jaw movement. always added to a note–never part of the sound. May be produced with the jaw but angle with reed is different than the saxophone.

Rhett Bender, DMA, Associate Professor of Music at Southern Oregon University, serves as Director of the Woodwind Area and teaches studio saxophone and clarinet. During the summer he serves as graduate faculty at the American Band College, woodwind coach for the Ashland Chamber Music Workshop, and Director of the Siskiyou Saxophone Workshop. An active soloist and clinician, he has performed as a member of the clarinet section and as a saxophone soloist with many symphony orchestras and has presented master-classes for several associations. Rhett Bender plays the YSS-875 soprano saxophone the YAS-875 alto saxophone, the YTS-875 tenor saxophone, and the YCL -681 Eb Clarinet. He is a Yamaha Performing Artist and Clinician. This article is part of the Yamaha Educator Series, Yamaha Corporation of America, www.yamaha.com.

10 Bandmasters Review • March 2004 Texas Bandmasters Association