Hey there! I am principally a flautist, I have been a non-serious student for six years and a serious one for two. Not to sound egotistical, I have quickly grown to be the best in my band, and I know that the flute is something I was born to do and something that may one day be my profession -- or at the very least, a consistent hobby.

However, I have had an itching lately to learn something new. I want to experiment with jazz, so after months of goading and cajoling I have convinced my band director into loaning me a tenor saxophone for the summer so that I can join a local jazz ensemble to have something to do until school starts again in September and maybe join our school jazz band to have some silly fun in my last year of high school. The sax is great, even though I have yet to produce a real, lasting sound, and I am having a lot of fun with it. This will certainly make for an interesting endeavour.

Before I start taking this seriously, though (I have to admit, for the past few days I've mostly been having a blast just trying to figure out fingerings and notes, as I'm teaching myself), I have a few questions for all of you in fluteland. I have heard that there can be some lasting, adverse affects from doubling. Brass instruments especially ruin the flute embouchure, according to my band director, which dissuaded me from learning the mellophone to march DCI with my friend next summer. I figured that doubling on another woodwind wouldn't be too troublesome, but I want some solid evidence that this shan't hurt me, as I am going to be auditioning for music school this fall and winter and need to keep my lips in pristine shape. In that case, perhaps this isn't the best idea -- but I want to learn, and when I have my mind set on something, it takes a lot to stop me.

If it isn't too awful of an idea, I was wondering if you could pass along any tips you have; what books to learn out of, what sort of technique you find helps you make sound on the reed (it's so much different than the flute!), how you got a good sound out of it, good sites, et cetera.

Thanks guys, you haven't let me down yet and I hope you'll give me some good advice!

Please don't advertise on this forum >_>.

Thanks for the help and the good wishes. It's nice to know that this won't screw up my tone entirely -- I could use a help with my flute tone, given that my flute is so bad and braces mess me up sometimes! I'm glad to hear that it won't kill my tone.

(Also, I did post this over on the sax board, but nobody has responded yet! I guess it's a lot slower than the flute one.)

Describing my recent experience - having played flute off and on for 30+ years, mainly classical, I thought I would try playing some alto sax for a change. So got (rented) myself an decent student alto and starting playing a little bit every day for about 3 weeks. Unfortunately it completely wrecked my flute embouchure! It has taken three weeks of not playing sax to feel like the flute tone and control is starting to come back.

Although sax-flute doubling is a very common combination I suspect that doublers have to put a LOT of time into tone on both (or more) instruments to sound really good. As an amateur player I quickly realised that I don't have the time to put in the necessary tone work. So the sax will be returned unless one of my kids wants to have a go on it.

Still keen to branch out into another instrument, but maybe will try one I can hit next time.

Just my two cents.

Micron:
Yes, I tried it but it yielded no specific results on going from flute to reed so I didn't think it would be a problem to post. :/

DWW:
I think I'm experiencing the same thing, actually, but someone else actually said that it improved her tone. Perhaps it has to do with the amount of time, or just the way that you're playing the instrument? I feel as though my flute tone is declining, so I may not play for much longer, but that could be the braces, too -- they really are a nuisance to be a musician with. At any rate, I hope that your own situation gets figured out. :[

Don't give up saxophone! Its amazing,
I play sax and like it better, but I also play flute and like it very much as well. I have found that with lots of practice, some experimenting, and a good attitude you can manage playing both really well. Learning to play flute made me technically better at saxophone, and saxophone helped me learn control of tone and pitch on flute. I love both instruments though, and hate seeing someone quit one, so just practice and you'll get better!!!!

Pete sake, I can play baritone, French horn, clarnet, piano, Harmonica, flute, and piccolo. The thing about brass instruments is an old wives tale. I have yet to mess up my embouchure. Don't worry about playing another instrument once you've learned it you can never forget it.

Seems like you think alot of yourself, flutefreak. That's nice that you seem to be very musically inclined.

Flute Freak...
you can definately forget an instrument. I had that problem last summer, where I adopted oboe and believed I would not forget flute. However, in reply to the origional post :It (oboe) didn't mess up my embrochure, but the fingerings were so close I completely forgot how to play my flute. Luckily, I was able to learn easily again after dropping oboe, and am better than I was before. However, a word of caution, an instrument with fingerings that do not resemble what you already play is best to double on for the first time (like bassoon), but I wouldn't be concerned about messing up an embrochure unless you're trying to learn picc, alto flute, etc. (I too, learned that lesson the hard way) Then again, I'm no sax player, so I wouldn't rely entirely on my advice. =)

<Added>

Perhaps you can still play everything correctly, Flute Freak, because the fingerings are the same as other instruments you play, or because the fingerings are completely different. If you attempted to learn even more members of the reed family, I am sure you would find yourself stuck.

I've never played a reed instrument but I think as long as you practice on both you would be fine

And I'd also agree that you can forget an instrument. When we went on vacation last summer, I didn't play flute for maybe 2 weeks.. even that short amount of time had a effect on my playing.. it took at least a week to get my tone back and i had a hard time playing high stuff!

And just because you play a lot of instruments, doesn't mean you are good and play with great tone and everything.. sure I can say I know how to play trumpet.. but I have definitely played one enough to say I am any good at it.

But I still say if you practice enough on each/all instruments you could learn to play them very well

I double on oboe, and it has greatly strengthened my flute embouchre.

I can double on the kazoo no problem. I am really good too!

I am a virtuoso at playing the radio...

music man- lol, i can play radio too, and the cd player, a good skill to have i think.

but on a more helpful note, i play clarinet as well as flute (not fanastic at clarinet but getting there) but i notice that ater playing clarinet at first if i tried to pick my flute up staight away i couldn't get a note, but then i had a drink and my flute tone came back and it was better- but just don't get braces too- they have gave me alot more issues (like not being able to practice clarinet for about a week after they get tightend) but if you make sure you spend just as much time (or more) on flute as it is you main instrument you should be fine, but it is differant for everyone(but if it makes it worse you either has to get it better again whist carrying on sax or stop sax altogather). all i can say is it take time to get used to switching between them but if you play with a short break between whilst your stating it will get better from there.
~leigh

It takes a while to get proficient at doubling and even more time to get proficient a switching instruments during the same session. The key is not only to practice each instrument, but to also practice quickly switching back and forth. It really gets interesting when you have to switch from sax to flute to clarinet to piccolo, back to sax, etc.