Hey, sorry it took me several months before i can post a reply to this topic again. I had just finished some commitments.
Okey, Mr. Micron said:
..." If you're worried about the air pressure rupturing your hernia, then go to tenor..."
And EllieM give positive response mentioning any of the three, and even include the clarinetBb as one of the choices.

My plan is to practise blowing any of the four instruments,eventhough the hernia not yet treated by a surgeon, then if prepared enough (rested, and if gained strength) then i will go to doctor for surgery.

Yes i'm worried hernia may recurr that's why I'm asking for tips and opinions from musicians.

As I know reeds instruments tends to be easier to blow than brasses. Thats why also earlier I ask for tips about the Bass clarinet ha ha !! ( I feel dizzy, there are so many choices, he he-joke only)

But can we discuss also about the E-flat Clarinet? Maybe it's easy to blow. I will not worry for the fingerings because its a smaller kind of clar., the keys for the little fingers are reachable. Do you play also the Eb clar? Please give your opinions and comments?


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Please compare the Eb clar to the Bbclar., saxes and flute

Sorry but the Eb Clarinet is even more difficult then the Bb. Embouchure is very tight, fingerings are harder than it seems, and it still requires a lot of air.

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Oh right, I forgot to compare. :)

Truthfully, as a saxophone player, I will admit that clarinet is harder than saxophone. Sorry guys, but it just is! But that doesnt go without saying that saxophone has its share of difficulties. Flute is definitely hard, it requires TONS of air, a perfect embouchure, and good technique.

I'd say pick which one sounds the best to you, and play it.
Overall, the air pressure thing won't make much of a difference between the instruments when you think about them rupturing something. So play your favorite!

(and if you choose Eb Clarinet, start on the Bb first.

i play the flute and for me it uses tons of air!:0 my flute teacher says that the only instrument that compares to the flutes usage of air is the tuba..does anyone know if this is true?
i see that some people play both sax and flute.how are the fingers samiler?

sorry for so many questions!i am a person of little knowledge

yes, i played tuba one year and it takes quite a bit of air, but I was smaller than so maybe it was just me. lol

How are the fingerings similar? Well the first octave A,B,C,D,E,F,G and the sharps and flats in between on flute are fingered almost the exact same way. On flute, usually you keep your pinky down on the Eb key(for most notes), while on sax you don't on any note, except Eb. In the extreme high ranges of both instruments, the fingerings differ greatly though, especially since the flute has no palm keys.

Hey, I know this is a long long time after, but oh well. I play alto sax and flute, and of the two, I would recommend flute because sax could get heavy after a while, and if you have a hernia, that could be bad. Then again I'm saying this as the shortest sax player in my school. I also play flute, and the only thing about flute is getting used to it. At first, Your arm might hurt from holding up for a while, but thats normal. Also, another problem on the flute is it doesn't have a mouthpeice, just a headjoint, so it is common at first to get headaches from blowing for so long while using so much air. Flute is one instrument thats uses a lot of air.

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Oh, by the way, the flute has similar fingering until you get to high D on sax and flute. On flute, actually, if you play MOST notes besides e flat with the right pinkey up, the only diff. it makes is MINOR tonation, it doesn't mess up the notes.

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Oh, by the way, the flute has similar fingering until you get to high D on sax and flute. On flute, actually, if you play MOST notes besides e flat with the right pinkey up, the only diff. it makes is MINOR tonation, it doesn't mess up the notes. Hey, have you also considered a string instrument (violin, viola, cello, etc.) or percussion?

I would agrre that flute makes you dizzy when you first learn it,but after some praticing you will be back to normal. I'll say the breath builder things [what do you call them?] get you dizzy!

~string instruments and percussion are a good idea

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well if flute is too heavy for you shoulders you could do piccolo.but you sorta have to learn flute before playing piccolo...

first off, I must say that bass clarinet is actually quite difficult untill you get used to it. As for the instruments, all usually require air. If you are going to choose a sax, choose tenor, becuase once you get good, It has a much more rich timbre than the alto, and it's low notes sound beautiful! In order to find a DECENT tenor, you may have to spend a couple thousand, but It is worth it. If I were you, I would rent and experiment as much as possiblein order to see your abilities on all of them. Also, the bass clarinet doesn't really require too much air, so that is a great option to persue... But again, I play tenor and once you get good, and work up to higher strength reeds (I use Vandoren 3.5 and 4), the low notes sound sweet and proffesional...
To be honest, I feel that the alto is much more free blowing, thats why most begginers choose that, then switch to tenor, also, compare sounds of the instruments and decide based on that as well. I feel the alto has a weak and cheap sound, but thats just me.

Also, think about what style of music you like, Tenor is good at both classical and jazz, and alto is bright... Flute is used in concertos and classical often... You could also find a decent flute for less (if money is an issue)... Have you considered the bassoon? The bassoon is an EXTREMELY expensive instrument though, and you would have to spend 5 grand easily to get a DECENT one from fox... CLarinet shouldn't be an option, becuase they look easy, but require much air!

Good luck, and hope you are happy with you choice!

Get well soon, Ok?

okay so i've never played the trumpet. i started on the flute. i don't suggest it at all. the high notes are difficult to acheive. most instructors want them held parallel to ground and if you switch to another instrument for a little bit, the flute gets harder. i switched to the bari sax for one and a half years playing the flute occansionally. i had to play flute this year and i suck. so unless you have time to practice dont play flute. alto isn't to bad once you get the mouthing right. i'm trying to see if i can play the alto so i can use my friends rather than borrowing her rented bari to play/practice for audtions next year. tenor is great. i recommend it. mouthing isnt as bad as alto b/c there is a bigger mouthpiece. fingerings are simple to get the hang of..well they are on any instrument...so go with tenor if you can handle the weight but i think you can do it!