Tips on Switching Between Clarinet and Saxophone

Tips on Switching Between Clarinet and Saxophone

from The Single Reed Doctor Column, CASS Article December 2016

In response to a question posed by a member of the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain I the reply below. I hope it might also be of interest and helpful for Wind Player Advice readers.

Question:

I play both clarinet and saxophone but find it difficult to move between the two. The sax feels very open, requiring a lot of air, while the clarinet feels tight and pressured. I have recently started playing in shows and need to improve my quick changes between the two. Is there anything I could do to my set-up that would make this easier?

My 'Single Reed Doctory' reply:

This is a very good and multifaceted question and one that I am afraid does not have a quick or straight forward answer. Some players never seem to need help with this. They just ‘get it’ and manage to double sax and clarinet seemingly without much effort. Most players need to examine this question in greater detail and the process of examination should prove useful for anyone wishing to play their best.

You will find examples of equipment intended to make switching between clarinet and saxophone easier but in my opinion this route does not help in the long run as it can obscure the issue. It is fair to say that moderate tip openings and standard chamber mouthpieces are likely to make for easier control of both instruments possible - therefore you may wish to avoid extremes - however, leaving equipment aside - a thorough understanding of the requirements for good playing on each instrument is the best way to develop your control and to achieve a rewarding, characteristic tone on both clarinet and saxophone(s).

The clarinet has a cylindrical bore and all saxophones have conical bores. This central difference contributes to not only how each instrument overblows but how it responds. The reason the sax feels so ‘open’, something quite disorienting to many clarinettists, is that the amount of air required to fill the tube is highly variable depending upon the length of tube in use and the register. The clarinet bore, to many saxophonists, feels quite ‘stuffy’ and resistant - or pressured as you suggest. This is largely due to the more consistent taper dimension of the bore (varying significantly only at the bell) and the requirement of a uniformly higher pressure throughout the entire range of the instrument regardless of the fingered length of the tube.

In my teaching I have used the concept of the Two Q’s when trying to explain this and perhaps you might find this helpful.

• The Quality of the air pressure must remain the same for both instruments, at all times and at all dynamics.

• The Quantity of the air used varies depending upon the range, register, dynamics and resistance of the instruments. This is much more obvious on the sax than the clarinet. Understanding and applying these concepts can transform a players experience.

The mouthpiece used must allow a player to be comfortable whilst utilising the best air support they can provide without requiring an excess of embouchure pressure. The appropriate resistance to a well supported air column is not just to be found at the embouchure surrounding the mouthpiece and reed but the airstream is also focused and shaped in the oral cavity via the position of the tongue. In my experience the tongue is uniformly arched higher at the back of the oral cavity on the clarinet and the progressively positioned slightly further forward in the cavity as one moves to saxophones and larger clarinets.

Time spent learning how the ‘flick the switch’ and instantly apply the appropriate blowing techniques to each instrument will mean that a player can more quickly and consistently achieve a more satisfying and convincing performance even when switching in a show environment.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful. 

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Woodwind Instrument Clarinet and Saxophone Mouthpiece Advice - 'Mouthpiece Maniacs'

I refer to this posting series as 'Mouthpiece Maniacs' with some fondness as I have heard this term applied in admiration, frustration, sympathy and dismay to a wide variety of players who share an appreciation of musical performance and a curiosity about their equipment and how the right 'gear' can help their playing. I believe an element of this knowledge is absolutely vital for anyone in the position of advising other players, i.e. teachers, performers, music shop assistants, repairers, etc. In addition I believe that knowing something about the aspects of design, how equipment 'works' and what choices we have as players is both enlightening and empowering when we begin taking responsibility for our own performance. Thomas

Clarinet and Saxophone – why is the mouthpiece so important?

Want to find out why your teacher makes such a fuss about her/his mouthpiece? Tired of working had and getting very little for your efforts? Hear a sound you just can’t get from your own set-up? It is time to examine the basics. 

If you get the right match between your reed and mouthpiece you are at least 70% better off – vibration starts with the mouthpiece and reed set-up and it is by far the biggest single determinant of your success. Your instrument acts like a megaphone to the sound from the mouthpiece – bad mouthpiece fit equals bad tone, good mouthpiece fit equals good tone. The more you have experienced by trying mouthpieces the more important you realise they are to the process of personalising your music making. What others hear from you determines the largest part of what they think of your playing!

You can help your high notes, even up register response, improve tuning, aid projection or mellow your sound and most importantly enjoy your practice and performance more - all benefitting from a change in the mouthpiece. 

 

Important features explained –

 

Tip Opening 

This is the measure from the plane of the table (the flat surface upon which the reed is positionee and secured with the ligature) to the maximum opening of the curvature measured at the tip of the mouthpiece. A narrow tip opening makes for very easy playing with softer reeds. With harder reeds both response and focus are improved and pitch is very stable. A wider tip opening is not very comfortable to play with reeds which are too hard - softer mid-strength and softer reeds are the order of the day. A wide tip introduces more flexibility and freedom but requires more care from the player to control the result!

 

Facing Length 

This is the measure from the end of the tip rail to the point at which the curvature begins as it leaves the horizontal plane of the facing. A longer facing allows for more freedom of vibration and flex for the reed making soft reeds feel even softer and harder reeds feel comfortable. A shorter facing requires a ‘softer’ reed as a hard reed will not be able to work without lip fatigue, and the shorter facing adds a ‘snap’ or ‘bite’ to the sound as it emphasis the tip vibration of the reed.

 

Tip Rail 

 At the very end of the mouthpiece where the reed tip ‘seats’. This area must be clean and undamaged or the vacuum necessary for the creation of the sound will be inefficient or impossible to obtain. A narrow tip enhances higher harmonic partials in the sound as the reed vibration is less muffled. A wider tip helps to ‘cut-out’ some of the higher partials and brings about a darker ‘warmer’ sound.

 

Side Rails 

The reed seals all along the length of the side rails in the process of vibrating. These rails need to be parallel and undamaged or performance will suffer.

 

Table

This is the point where your ligature holds the reed. It is meant to be either flat (preferred) or slightly scalloped (a minority choice) where an airtight fit, which contributes to successful vibration of the reed, is obtained. If this area is damaged or poorly finished your reeds are likely to play with more difficulty and suffer warp more quickly.

 

Baffle

The baffle is the area just behind the tip rail and it has a very important role in the production of the sound. It is useful to understand the terminology when discussing this area. A ‘high’ baffle is one that restricts the vibrating air column; effectively squeezing it once the air has passed the opening of the reed. It excites the air, disturbing the flow and this adds a bright, 'edgy quality' to the sound – this is what is usually associated with a ‘jazz’ mouthpiece. A ‘low’ baffle does the opposite – it allows for the expansion of the vibrating air column in this critical area and emphasises the lower partials of the sound – creating the qualities associated with ‘classical’ orchestral, wind band or solo playing.

 

Throat 

This is the transition area where the opening beyond the baffle is focused into the straighter bore of the mouthpiece. Here you will see many variations of shape (round, square, tapered, blunt) but each intended by the manufacturer to complement the other areas of the internal flow of air in the mouthpiece.

 

Chamber – Saxophone  

 This is the region found after the baffle and before the throat of the mouthpiece. Most mouthpieces now utilize a fairy standard medium chamber. This is so common that unless specified otherwise you can assume that this is what is in use. A small chamber, when available, adds a further compression to the flow of the vibrating air column boosting the feeling of projection by emphasising ‘edgier’ higher partials in the sound. Conversely a large chamber, when available, ‘rounds out’ the sound by not restricting the airflow and creating a warmer sound. This style of mouthpiece was very popular in the early days of the saxophone and is sometimes referred to as an ‘old boxcar’ style alluding to the large space inside.

 

Bore – Clarinet

 The bore is the area after the throat that begins the internal dimension of the clarinet taper leading into the barrel. Bore sizes have largely been standardised with the popularity of the nominal ‘French’ bore clarinet being now dominant but some types of instruments with unusual, usually larger bores themselves, must be matched with an appropriate larger bore mouthpiece to obtain proper tuning.

Material –

Most student mouthpieces (and even some supplied with much more expensive instruments) are made from modern plastics to keep down costs. Plastic resonates easily and, if well designed and crafted, works well to encourage early playing. Ebonite or rod rubber is the preferred material for most professional range mouthpieces. The inherent vibrational qualities of ebonite are superior and mouthpieces can be crafted by cutting, not moulding as in the case of plastic, allowing for greater finish quality and consistency. Some ‘jazz’ mouthpieces exploit an ebonite/plastic highbred material that adds a ‘brightness’ and liveliness to the feel of the mouthpiece with its distinctive vibration characteristics. Various metals (brass, stainless steel, and alloys) are used in some saxophone mouthpieces largely for manufacture reasons when wishing to create high-baffle ‘jazz’ mouthpieces. The vibrational qualities of metals are different to those of ebonite and plastic both for the player and the audience but I believe are not inherently darker or brighter – that depends much more upon the design.

My advice is try to not go 'mad' chasing the perfect mouthpiece - they all exist for a reason and players are all different. What you prefer will be likely to change not only as our playing needs change but also as time passes and we tend to look for different aspects of performance from the mouthpiece. It is not unusual to own and use several different mouthpieces and enjoy them all for what they do to enhance your playing.


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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Brass Instrument Mouthpiece Advice - 'Mouthpiece Maniacs'

I refer to this posting series as 'Mouthpiece Maniacs' with some fondness as I have heard this term applied in admiration, frustration, sympathy and dismay to a wide variety of players who share an appreciation of musical performance and a curiosity about their equipment and how the right 'gear' can help their playing. I believe an element of this knowledge is absolutely vital for anyone in the position of advising other players, i.e. teachers, performers, music shop assistants, repairers, etc. In addition I believe that knowing something about the aspects of design, how equipment 'works' and what choices we have as players is both enlightening and empowering when we begin taking responsibility for our own performance. Thomas

Brass Mouthpiece Maniacs

Whether you have never tried anything but your original mouthpiece or you have own several already there is always something to learn about, something new to experience and very likely, something to improve your playing.

Brass Players –

Do you know the difference between an ‘all-rounder’, an orchestral cup or a jazz ‘screamer’? Do you want a ‘fat’ dark sound or an ’edgier’ tone to cut through a big band? Do you lips feel better with a wider rim or narrower? These things matter and you deserve the best.

Important features explained –

Cup – The depth and internal size of the cup are critical dimensions in the performance of mouthpieces. This is where the sound ‘develops’ after the lips have created the vibrating air stream. A deep cup will favour the lower range and lower partials in the sound where as a shallower cup will favour the higher range and upper partials. A shallower cup assists in the production of upper range notes with the trade off of reduced freedom in the production of lower tones.

Rim – This is a very important area for player comfort. Some mouthpieces are sharper edged than others though most strive to be comfortable on the ‘chops’. A wider rim will tend to relax the lips and facilitate middle and lower range production whereas a narrower rim tends to facilitate higher notes.

Bore – A narrower bore adds a ‘squeeze’ to the air and increases resistance that helps in the focus of higher notes. A larger bore allows for a greater airflow, demanding better support from the player to achieve the upper register but facilitating tone production in middle and lower registers.

Back-bore – Contributes to the ‘feel’ of the mouthpieces. This is the area of transition into the bore of the trumpet itself and is an extension of the dimensions and taper of the leadpipe. In combination with the leadpipe this area accounts for much of the resistance 'feel' of the set up.

Shank – The outside dimension of the mouthpiece as it is tapered to insert into the leadpipe. Though shanks are now largely standardised in size the fit to some leadpipes, particularly those of trombone and harmony brass instruments, may require use of a large or small shank mouthpiece to obtain an accurate fit.

Density/Mass – Most mouthpieces are of similar weight and mass though they may very tremendously in external shape. The advent of the ‘mega’ mouthpiece has introduced a new consideration for the discerning player. By building in added weight at the mouthpiece end many players feel that their sound and control benefits in both focus and consistency particularly players who might feel that the 'overblow' more conventinal mouthpieces.

Materials – The vast majority of mouthpieces are made of brass, brass alloy or stainless steel that is then plated. Recently some very successful plastic mouthpieces have been introduced which are both inexpensive, very lightweight and a joy to play in cold temperatures. No more aching lips!

Plating – Metal mouthpieces are usually finished in either silver plate or gold plate though some nickel silver mouthpieces are still available. Some individuals have skin or lip tissue that reacts badly to silver plate and for them the choice of gold plating may be necessary. For everyone else the choice is largely cosmetic – go with what you fancy!

It is not uncommon to have several mouthpieces with different internal shapes or designs that will assist in top performance of a wide range of musical styles. It is worth being careful to be sure that you are comfortable with the feel of such different mouthpieces on the lips as changes in rim shape and dimensions could be rather disturbing. 

My advice is try to not go 'mad' chasing the perfect mouthpiece is my advice - they all exist for a reason and players are all different - not only as our needs change but also as time passes and we tend to look for different aspects of performance from the mouthpiece.

The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers