I haven't played it yet but there is a good chance that i will be. I play alto sax. My main problem is the fingering changes and carrying two instruments between two schools all the time. Any ideas on making this easier? thanks everyone!!

The upper range of clarinet is very similar to that of saxophone, fingering wise- C in the staff and up. or thats what I found when I took up saxophone, it probably works the other way too.

Carrying-wise, I have no useful suggestions, but I feel your pain. I have to carry my bass clarinet AND my mellophone sometimes, and its rather difficult. Contra cases are giant- good luck! you may want to invest in a shoulder strap for your sax case, if you don't already have one.

Hey! I know your concerns!!! I am a sax player turned clarinet player, and I play the contrabass frequently as well. My school always let me keep the contrabass there, so if you can do that, that'll help you a lot.

The upper register of the clarinet is exactly like that of the saxophone, except for some minor differences in pinky keys. For the lower register, it's just a matter of learning the keys. XXX-XXX is G, XXX-OOO is C, XXX-OXO is B natural, OOO-OOO is G. For A, hit the key above your left index finger. For Bb, hit that key, and the key above your left thumb. For B natural and C it's added onto the upper register. If you find a fingering chart (any clarinet fingering chart will help) that might help more.

Is your contra in Eb or Bb? If it's Eb, you won't have to worry about learning transposition (you already know on alto sax). If it's Bb, it's like the tenor sax. If the ensemble is playing a concert C, you'd play a D.

Hope I helped, and don't be afraid to ask more questions.