hello, i`ve just switched from playing the alto sax to the Bb clarinet. are there any differences in embrochure? is there anything that i should take note of?

thanks for all your help.

Hi titantic.. why did u switch from clarinet to sax? Yes, there is a difference in the embouchure. Are you going to stay on the sax or switch back to the clarinet? If you are going to be on sax, i think you need to stay there b/c u messed up your clarinet embouchure when u switched. I wanted to switch to bari sax also to be in the jazz band at my school, but my director wouldn`t let me b/c it would mess up my embouchure. Are u going to be playing sax and clarinet or just sax?

Playing both clarinet and saxophone will not `mess up` your embouchure on either instrument.

In answer to the original question, the saxophone has a much looser embouchure than that of the clarinet.

Playing both clarinet and saxophone will not `mess up` your embouchure on either instrument, just as using your tongue to talk will not mean you forget how to use it in any other way ie tonguing when playing an instrument, eating etc. The fact that clarinet and saxophone embouchures are quite similar may confuse you for a while but within 6-12 months you`ll forget it was an issue in the first place.

In answer to the original question, the saxophone has a much looser embouchure than that of the clarinet.

I agree that switching between these two will not mess up your emboucher. You will, however, have a tendancy to play flat on clarinet until you develop the strength.

Try playing on just the mouthpiece and reed with no horn. If you can get a concert C out of the mouthpiece, you will be pretty much on pitch with the horn.

As the moderator said, it will NOT mess up your embouchure. Go to www.woodwind.org, and read my thread "playing multiple instruments". There are professional players giving advice there- not schoolchildren. And anyway, you put your mouth into lots of different positions all the time- it is called talking. (Unless you are mute, of course . Even then you still have to eat and brush your teeth.)
The saxophone does have a looser embouchure, which is probably why I can go straight from clarinet to saxophone, but it feels strange when I try to go right from saxophone to clarinet.

Alright, i get the idea now. It wont mess up the embouchure...

I have been playing clarinet for 8 years now and when I was in 8th grade I wanted to join the jazz band so I decided to play alto sax it took me a while to learn but I did get the hang of it. the embrochure for the sax is looser than on the clarinet. It will take some practice but you will eventually get the hang of it.

After teaching woodwind lessons for years, and working with the local school, they are all correct. We switch students around often. We give them the instrument for the summer and then get real serious when school starts. Our bands are so small, that many kids play two instruments, and the piano.

Good luck - HAVE FUN

I have played an alto sax for about 3 years. I just started to play the clarinet. Yes, it takes some adjustment with your embrochure and Yes, you will play flat for awhile, but it`s worth the fun. Stay with it.