Changing octaves on the flute: a survey of published opinions

ByBret Pimentel

On the flute, there are several notes that have identical fingerings: each note from bottom-line E through third-space C-sharp has exactly the same fingering as the note an octave higher. Obviously, some factor other than fingerings must account for the octaves, but flutists as a group seem to be unclear on what it is.

I got curious and dug through some pedagogical sources to see what flutists have published about it. I have compiled my findings into a chart:

To achieve the upper octaves on the flute

I have started from the baseline of the lowest octave’s tone production methods, and framed the authors’ ideas in terms of what has to be done to move into higher octaves. And I’ve grouped the answers together as best I can, hopefully with reasonable accuracy as to the authors’ intended meanings. For example, “move jaw” and “move jaw forward” obviously overlap, but I separated them to try to maintain the authors’ original levels of specificity. And “jaw” and “chin” may really be the same thing for most flute-playing purposes, but I’ve separated in them in a case where the author seemed to see them as distinct.

Some of the authors address the issue specifically and in detail, while others just mention something in passing, so the chart does not necessarily represent their complete and definitive views. I have provided a bibliography with page numbers so you can read the authors’ words in context, and I highly recommend doing this if you’re interested in the topic. I’ve color-coded things so you can see at a glance which ideas are most popular, though I don’t think this is an issue to be settled by popular vote.

There are some surprising outliers. Most authors who mentioned the size of the aperture indicated that it should get smaller in the upper octaves, but a couple insisted that it should not change. Several authors indicated that the distance from the aperture to the blowing edge decreases for upper registers, but one said it actually increases. There’s significant disagreement on whether blowing harder is part of achieving the higher octaves.

I think some of the differences of opinion shown in the chart may be due to flutists actually doing the same things but describing them differently. It’s also possible that the techniques listed can be combined in different ways to create different tone production “recipes” that produce similar results.

I’m interested in continuing to expand this in the future. If you can point me toward a published source, then send it along (I’m not really interested in anecdotes or private opinions), or let me know if you think I have misread or misinterpreted someone’s views (especially if you’re the author!).

versions:

1.0, November 30, 2012, initial release.

Similar Posts

  • Thumb position for oboe, clarinet, and saxophone

    ByBret Pimentel

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

    Proper position of the right thumb for oboe, clarinet, and saxophone can affect player comfort, ease of technique, and risk of injury. (Thumb position is important for flute and bassoon as well, but I find the issues different enough that I won’t lump them in here.)

    For oboe and clarinet, the right thumb supports the weight of the instrument. There’s a temptation to place the thumbrest near the base of the thumb, since it feels like a stronger, more stable position.

    But this puts the fingers in a cramped and awkward position (upper joints removed for visibility):

    Instead, the thumbrest should be positioned at or near the base of the thumbnail, which allows the right hand to be in a much more open and natural position.

    If this feels too heavy, and especially if it causes pain or tension, the instrument can be supported with a neckstrap. This takes some of the weight off the thumb. Some oboe and clarinet thumbrests have rings for this purpose. There are also neckstraps available that can connect directly to the thumbrest itself, using a small leather tab.

    For the saxophone, the main weight of the instrument is not supported by the thumb, but by a neckstrap. However, the right thumb should exert some forward pressure to help establish the correct angle between the mouthpiece and the embouchure. As with the oboe and the clarinet, the thumbrest should contact the thumb approximately at the base of the thumbnail to encourage a natural, relaxed position for the fingers.

    As always, adaptations should be made as necessary to accommodate hands of varying shapes and sizes, but natural, unstrained position should be a priority.

  • Do it yourself: replace saxophone palm key pads

    ByBret Pimentel

    If you’re interested in learning to do some pad replacements on your instrument(s), saxophone left-hand palm keys are a good place to start. Here’s why:

    • The palm keys don’t have any dependencies—they don’t move any other keys and aren’t moved by any other keys. So replacing a palm key pad won’t set off a chain reaction of adjustments you have to make to the instrument’s mechanism.
    • The palm keys are sprung to sit closed when you’re not pressing them, which means that the spring will help you get the pad seated, instead of getting in your way. It will also press the pad firmly against the tonehole, overcoming small imperfections in your padding technique. With keys that sit open on their own, the padding has to be extra skilled so you can use a feather-light touch when you play.
    • The palm keys are long, so you’re less likely to burn your fingers.
    • When you’re playing, the palm key pads take the brunt of the condensation from your breath, so they need relatively frequent replacement anyway. I bet yours could stand replacing.

    I’ll walk you through this. I perhaps should confess that I am not NAPBIRT certified or anything fancy like that. You undertake this at your own risk, etc.

    First, remove the key by unscrewing the pivot rod and pulling it out.

  • Woodwind doubling and clarinet problems

    ByBret Pimentel

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

    Here are a few of the common problems woodwind doublers have with the clarinet:

    Flabby/saggy/tubby/airy tone and flat pitch. This is a dead giveaway for a self-“taught” clarinet doubler. The clarinet’s voicing is quite high, higher than any of the other woodwinds, and beginning clarinetists sometimes struggle for years to make that proper voicing a consistent habit. Once it settles in, pitch problems mostly evaporate, tone becomes clear and ringing, and notes respond beautifully and easily in every register. If you’re thinking about buying a shorter barrel because your “clarinet” is so flat all the time, don’t. Work on your voicing instead. Voicing is the #1 crucial technique for successful clarinet doubling, and will solve most of your problems.

    It may also be worth checking your mouthpiece angle—it should be quite steep compared to saxophone or double reed instruments. Keep your head up straight and eyes forward, and aim in the ballpark of keeping the clarinet around 30° from vertical. You can also use the paper trick to make sure you’re taking in the right amount of mouthpiece.

    Reeds can be a contributing factor, too. Often (but not always) saxophonists lean toward a slightly more open mouthpiece and softer reed, while clarinetists lean toward a little more closed mouthpiece and stiffer reed. The strength you prefer on a typical saxophone mouthpiece may not be right strength for a typical clarinet mouthpiece.

    Constricted tone. Bafflingly, there’s a common pedagogical idea that clarinetists should tighten their embouchures to fix various problems. This is nonsense. Keep your jaw open to make space for the reed to vibrate, and let your lips (not your jaw/teeth) close around the mouthpiece, not tight but just airtight. Notes will respond more readily, with a fuller, prettier tone, and you can throw away the tape or paper or dental appliance you have been using to cushion your lower lip from your teeth.

    Squeaks. 95% of the time this is an issue of fingers failing to properly cover toneholes. (And 95% of the time, struggling clarinet doublers blame it on something having vaguely to do with embouchure, reeds, or the clarinet somehow just being a squeaky instrument.) Use the large, fleshy pads of your fingers (not the tippy-tips) to cover the holes. Sometimes a quick check in the mirror can reveal that your fingers aren’t where you think they are.

    Fingering awkwardness. The clarinet’s fingering system and unique overtone series provide tremendous advantages: an expansive range, clean and precise technique, and lots of useful alternate fingerings. (It’s superior to the saxophone’s “easier” system with awkward palm keys and relatively few alternates. Fight me.)

    But if you’re coming from another instrument, you might find the 12th between the lower and clarion registers confounding. That’s because you’re still thinking about the fingerings. Practice your scales, arpeggios, and études until your fingers move on autopilot, like they already do on your primary instrument. It can be done.

    The clarinet’s dreaded “break” as a technique concern is mostly a myth. Keep your support, voicing, and embouchure well-formed and stable, and just move your fingers. Your left index finger should rock or tilt between its tonehole and the A key, not hop (losing contact with the instrument) or slide (dragging along the key). Work toward a tiny, efficient, relaxed movement.

    The clarinet’s clever system of redundant pinky keys enables lightning-fast technique in virtually any key, but it takes real effort to learn to use them well. Remember that for those pinky-finger notes there aren’t really “standard” vs. “alternate” fingerings—you need to know them all well enough to use interchangeably. And if you have beginner habits like using both pinkies for third-line B, you will need to learn to use a single pinky in many cases for the most efficient and flexible approach.

    Ledger line catastrophes. Because of the clarinet’s broad tessitura, clarinetists have to be fluent in ledger lines above the staff (maybe more than you’re used to if you’re an oboist) and below the staff (more than you’re used to on any treble-clef woodwind). Hit the Baermann or Kroepsh books for thorough workouts spanning the clarinet’s range.

    Remember the best money you can spend on your clarinet playing isn’t another mouthpiece or barrel or book—it’s some lessons with an excellent teacher. Learn the instrument on its own terms, and, whatever you do, try not to sound like a doubler.

  • Woodwind Doubler Census 2021 results, part 2: doubling abilities

    ByBret Pimentel

    Thanks to all who participated in my 2021 woodwind doubling survey, and to those who helped spread the word. I’m releasing the results in installments, so be sure to use my social media links, RSS feeds, etc. to keep up.

    I got 284 responses, an improvement over 2011’s 187. The numbers for each of these questions don’t necessarily add up to exactly that number, since not everybody responded to every question.

    Which woodwind instruments do you play, and at what levels?

    Based on feedback from the 2011 survey, this year I added the option “Strong amateur.” I also provided an option for respondents to affirmatively state that they play an instrument “Not at all,” but the “Not at all” data shown here also includes those who didn’t provide an answer for that instrument.

    2021 Data
    Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Saxophone Any folk, ethnic, or historical woodwind(s) Any woodwind-style electronic instrument(s)
    Not at all 26 (9%) 126 (45%) 14 (5%) 151 (53%) 7 (2%) 149 (53%) 219 (77%)
    Casual dabbler 43 (15%) 47 (17%) 24 (9%) 39 (21%) 8 (3%) 59 (21%) 27 (10%)
    Strong amateur 64 (23%) 45 (16%) 53 (19%) 30 (12%) 53 (19%) 33 (12%) 14 (5%)
    Semi-pro or college music major 79 (28%) 31 (11%) 90 (32%) 29 (10%) 90 (32%) 29 (10%) 14 (5%)
    Professional 70 (25%) 32 (11%) 100 (36%) 34 (9%) 123 (44%) 13 (5%) 9 (3%)

    2011 Data
    Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Saxophone Any folk, ethnic, or historical woodwind(s) Any woodwind-style electronic instrument(s)
    Casual dabbler 42 49 39 28 28 58 16
    Semi-pro or college music major 68 32 68 27 59 11 5
    Professional 48 18 69 22 92 13 16

    Which instruments do you own?

    2021 Data
    piccolo 174 62%
    flute 252 90%
    alto flute 85 30%
    other member(s) of the modern flute family 32 11%
    oboe 126 45%
    English horn 61 22%
    other member(s) of the oboe family 8 3%
    E-flat clarinet 84 30%
    B-flat clarinet 247 88%
    A clarinet 89 32%
    bass clarinet 143 51%
    other member(s) of the clarinet family 44 16%
    bassoon 85 30%
    contrabassoon 7 2%
    soprano saxophone 161 57%
    alto saxophone 240 85%
    tenor saxophone 197 70%
    baritone saxophone 124 44%
    other member(s) of the saxophone family 29 10%
    recorder(s) 169 60%
    pennywhistle(s) 95 34%
    bamboo, wooden, or similar sideblown flute(s) 60 21%
    other folk, ethnic, or historical woodwind(s) 60 21%
    electronic wind instrument(s) 36 13%

    2011 Data
    piccolo 97
    flute 161
    alto flute 35
    other member(s) of the modern flute family 17
    oboe 75
    English horn 24
    other member(s) of the oboe family 4
    E-flat clarinet 47
    B-flat clarinet 171
    A clarinet 61
    bass clarinet 84
    other member(s) of the clarinet family 26
    bassoon 51
    contrabassoon 3
    soprano saxophone 106
    alto saxophone 160
    tenor saxophone 138
    baritone saxophone 81
    other member(s) of the saxophone family 26
    recorder(s) 106
    pennywhistle(s) 75
    bamboo, wooden, or similar sideblown flute(s) 53
    other folk, ethnic, or historical woodwind(s) 32
    electronic wind instrument(s) 24
    other 34

    Which instrument(s) do you consider your “primary” instrument, if any?

    A number or respondents selected, for example, flute and piccolo as primary instruments, or all four major saxophones. I’m guessing that boosts the results here for some auxiliary instruments; there probably aren’t many doublers who would really consider piccolo their (single) primary instrument.

    piccolo 15 6%
    flute 46 16%
    alto flute 8 3%
    other member(s) of the modern flute family 3 1%
    oboe 36 13%
    English horn 12 4%
    other member(s) of the oboe family 1 0%
    E-flat clarinet 15 5%
    B-flat clarinet 95 34%
    A clarinet 28 10%
    bass clarinet 40 14%
    other member(s) of the clarinet family 6 2%
    bassoon 36 13%
    contrabassoon 6 2%
    soprano saxophone 41 15%
    alto saxophone 102 36%
    tenor saxophone 73 26%
    baritone saxophone 49 17%
    other member(s) of the saxophone family 4 1%
    recorder(s) 2 1%
    pennywhistle(s) 0 0%
    bamboo 2 1%
    other folk 1 0%
    electronic wind instrument(s) 3 1%

    Which instruments do you not own, and have had to turn down gigs because of that?

    piccolo 2 2%
    flute 1 1%
    alto flute 2 2%
    other member(s) of the modern flute family 0 0%
    oboe 4 4%
    English horn 6 6%
    other member(s) of the oboe family 1 1%
    E-flat clarinet 0 0%
    B-flat clarinet 1 1%
    A clarinet 0 0%
    bass clarinet 6 6%
    other member(s) of the clarinet family 0 0%
    bassoon 3 3%
    contrabassoon 7 7%
    soprano saxophone 2 2%
    alto saxophone 1 1%
    tenor saxophone 3 3%
    baritone saxophone 7 7%
    other member(s) of the saxophone family 2 2%
    recorder(s) 0 0%
    pennywhistle(s) 0 0%
    bamboo 0 0%
    other folk 0 0%
    electronic wind instrument(s) 0 0%

    How do you primarily identify yourself as a musician?

    For this question, many of you typed your own answers. Some of you wanted to provide more detail, such as which instrument(s) you consider your primary, some wanted to include non-woodwind instruments, and some wanted to use (essentially) some other synonym for woodwind doubler. In these and a few other cases, I felt that those answers did ultimately fit into one of these two categories, so I’ve shoehorned them in. A few others wanted to identify by some other career/hobby choice entirely, or wanted to say something like “it depends,” and I’ve omitted those so as not to muddy the original intent of the question.

    2021 Data
    as a woodwind doubler 192 69%
    as an instrumentalist on one specific instrument (or family of instruments, such as the saxophones) 85 31%

    2011 Data
    as a woodwind doubler 120 64%
    as an instrumentalist on one specific instrument (or family of instruments, such as the saxophones) 67 36%

    Do you have “primary” and “secondary” instruments?

    2021 Data
    One instrument is a “primary” instrument, and one or more are secondary instruments. For example, you play the flute well, and the clarinet at a noticeably lesser ability level. 113 40%
    Two or more instruments are “primary” instruments, but others are secondary. For example, you play the flute and the clarinet about equally well. 128 45%
    You consider all the instruments you play to be at/near the same level. 41 15%

    2011 Data
    One instrument is a “primary” instrument, and one or more are secondary instruments. For example, you play the flute well, and the clarinet at a noticeably lesser ability level. 85 46%
    Two or more instruments are “primary” instruments, but others are secondary. For example, you play the flute and the clarinet about equally well. 101 54%

    Which of these challenges have significantly affected your success as a woodwind doubler? Define “significantly affected” and “success” as you see fit. You may choose multiple answers.

    A few of you provided additional specifics/details, but I’ve folded those answers into the larger categories. In 2011, this was a free-form answer, and I tried to sort them into categories.

    2021 Data
    Time (such as for practicing) 186 67%
    Money (such as for equipment purchases) 162 58%
    Career development (such as finding gigs, establishing a reputation…) 117 42%
    Logistics (such as storage or transportation of instruments) 36 13%
    Pushback (such as from teachers or others who think you should not double) 48 17%
    Skill/talent/ability (such as particular difficulty with a specific instrument or technique) 86 31%
    None 22 8%

    2011 Data
    Time 49 30%
    Flute 19 12%
    Embouchure 18 11%
    Fast switches 17 10%
    Maintaining high level 16 10%
    Cost 15 9%
    Reeds 13 8%
    Oboe 8 5%
    Clarinet 7 4%
    Instrument maintenance 6 4%
    Establishing reputation 5 3%
    Bassoon 5 3%

    Which of these benefits of woodwind doubling have made a significant difference for you? Define “significant difference” as you see fit. You may choose multiple answers.

    In 2011, this was a free-form answer, and I tried to sort them into categories.

    2021 Data
    More gigs 214 77%
    Greater variety in music-making 226 81%
    Fun/satisfaction 242 87%
    Having more voices/tone colors available 183 66%
    Feeling challenged (in an enjoyable, productive, or otherwise positive way) 227 81%
    Cross-training effect (playing one instrument improves your skills at another) 183 66%
    None 2 1%

    2011 Data
    More gigs 83 52%
    Variety 46 29%
    Fun/satisfaction 32 20%
    Artistic expression 15 9%
    Cross-training 12 7%
    Challenge 8 5%

    What is/are your best woodwind doubling tip(s)?

    These are presented with only very minor edits, in random order. (Inclusion here doesn’t necessarily indicate that I agree, though I mostly do.) See 2011 results here.

    Sax tone is all about opening the throat and getting an appropriate level of pressure on the mouthpiece
    Make connections between similarities/differences from instrument family to instrument family.
    Start with the flute first in your practice sessions. If you don’t your lips will have no sensitivity after starting on the other instruments.
    Practice any woodwind instrument as if it is your primary. Walk the same path every other Xist (flautist, clarinetist, etc) has.
    Practice daily. Even if it’s just for 15 minutes, practicing my doubles daily has been the best process in my experience.
    Do not limit yourself! Have one primary but also a couple secondary instruments. You will make yourself more marketable!
    Find ways to connect your knowledge to other instruments, but still treat each instrument as its own separate voice (e.g. be a piccolo player, not a clarinetist who is playing piccolo)
    Practice and listen
    Train on each individual instrument on as regular a basis as possible.
    Finding great teachers for each instrument you play
    Consistent practice
    It’s all about tone quality. And reeds.
    Passion and love of the possibilities and not just versatility for gigging is a must. Acquiring equipment that is easy to get back into and consistent has been key for me to be able to for example: not play bass clarinet for 6 months and still be confident that I could say yes to a gig and get myself together in 1 week.
    Learn what the differences in playing styles between different instruments are, and why they come about. Knowing the context helps a lot in code-switching between instruments.
    Let clarinet be the foundation of your doubling
    take lessons with someone who has doubling experience. Practicing and familiarize yourself with all genres of music styles. practice playing multiple instruments back to back.
    Learn what skills are transferable across which woodwinds and apply them appropriately. For example, a lot of dexterity technique applies to many woodwinds, however, not all fingering patterns or standard fingerings are the same. Also, voicing and overtones apply to all woodwinds, but you don’t voice all woodwinds the same way.
    Practice – practice – practice
    Focus on fundamental on all horns
    If a particular instrument is inspiring you right now, use that inspiration and really work to improve on that instrument.
    Practice every instrument regularly
    Focus on each instrument now and then
    Practice sight reading, especially with swing/jazz rhythms. Keep on top of your reed situation. Try to design practice to “even out” your strength on each “family”.
    Practice each instrument as though it is a primary study – learn the known repertoire, study the history and the players, know the etude etc
    Have a goal to play all of the woodwind doubles at a very high level.
    Don’t be afraid to take on a challenge, especially on an instrument that is not your best
    Get a teacher for every instrument if possible- not one teacher for all of them.
    Long tones and scales with a drone/tuner
    Play flute every day, learn to make your double reeds
    Never be reluctant to schlep doubles you might need.
    Practice baby practice!!
    Voicing exactly as you describe.
    Learn on a quality instrument otherwise a lousy one will hold you back.
    Visit each instrument as its own thing when practicing. Use the same musical expression tools on your secondary instruments. Have patients when progress isn’t noticable.
    Find similarities between the instruments you already know how to play, and the instrument you are learning to double on. Ask your musician friends for tips or little known “secrets” that you may not know of a non-primary instrument.
    Open your teeth and jaw as much as possible and practical.
    Let others help you, the pit is a team and if one run is too hard and another person has it and it’s easy on their instrument. Let them do it. The audience may very well not know the difference. Or if you have a solo passage. Don’t overplay. You’re not the soloist the person on stage is. Overall. Let others help you
    Sometimes you have to go back to basics if it isn’t an instrument you’ve playing in a while and run scales or some some practice books.
    Finding similarities between each instrument to begin learning, then going to extremes to find the differences.
    Compare and Contrast each instrument – determine what transfers and what are specific to each instrument
    practice the same things on any instruments.
    Learn clarinets first, then saxophones.
    Common tip: Eb sax (like baritone sax) can read C bass clef (such as tuba, trombone, bassoon, and string bass music) as Eb treble clef without having to transpose.
    Less common tip: Once you’re comfortable with that, you can do the same with Bb clarinets (like bass clarinet) by using saxophone fingerings on the clarinet (exception being above the break, but it’s easy to get once you play it a bit). So using this you can read the bass clef parts of bassoon music on bass clarinet without having to transpose, and if the bassoon music goes into tenor clef you can read it as regular Bb treble because it works the same as reading C bass clef on an Eb sax. Blamo, you’re reading bassoon parts on bass clarinet and didn’t have to transpose or learn any new clefs.
    That they’re not all that different at the end of the day. The concept of blowing into a tube with holes in it is the same across all woodwind instruments.
    Compile a quick (approx. 5 minutes) gig warmup for each instrument type (flute, clarinet, etc.) that you play. You will rarely have time for a thorough warm up on each instrument on doubling gigs so you need something that lets you hit a number of fundamentals in a short amount of time.
    be inspired by great models on each instrument
    Learn your doubles. Get more bread
    Practice, then practice some more
    Really focus and learn the fundamentals for each instrument. I didn’t know I was playing oboe wrong until I took a lesson because I just figured everything would be similar to bassoon when I first picked it up.
    Don’t ever stop practicing. Keep a schedule.
    At different times, each instrument you play becomes your main voice— do so with love and a deep investigation of the traditions of each.
    Be adaptable/flexible and if it works don’t question it. Just because a certain way of doing something is not the standard approach does not mean it is wrong.
    Listening is key!
    Know who to tell what you play. To many people, I am an orchestral clarinetist. Some have no idea that I play jazz saxophone. To some, I am a flutist. Many know I do all three at a high level. But some may judge you.
    Whatever you are playing at the moment is, at least for the moment, your primary instrument. Treat it as such, with your full attention and consideration.
    Be an excellent sight reader. Know your scales. Work on sound production.
    Do what is comfortable for you.
    Aim for consistent mouthpiece styles. ie: a consistent ratio of sizing (small tip, long facing, etc)… don’t try to sound like David Sanborn and Harold Wright at the same time.
    Choose instruments that you like to play so that you’ll want to practice and improve on them!
    breath support
    Play everything you enjoy playing
    Treat each one as your main one while you practice.
    Get good stands, get to know the instruments you’re playing quickly
    seek teachers for each specific instrument
    Start with clarinet and maintain your skill on it.
    Take things slow! Now even slower. Be mindful.
    Listen to many. Develop your own sound.
    Practise changing from one instrument to another as well as just practising the individual horns
    Practice all at the same time.
    Good instrument stands are essential! Also a stand shelf has been really helpful for me to hold reeds and a water cup, other equipment and accessories.
    Sax and oboe have a ton in common in terms of using the reed or mouthpiece alone to train ways to avoid tension, and clarinet feels like the opposite in many ways, but at least it’s different enough that differentiation is straightforward.
    It`s okay to start each instrument as a beginner.
    Always be flexible
    Just play and have fun, and the instruments will learn themselves
    Use synthetic reeds for gigs you need to double on. Little to no warm-up/Reed wetting required when one instrument sits for a while before use.
    Treat each instrument as a new primary and get a proper teacher for each new primary. Play in ensembles on your doublers.
    They’re not the same
    Long tones and scales are key
    Everything comes back to air
    Sound is everything. Learn flexibility on every instrument. Every instrument deserves individual attention, even harmony instruments amongst families.
    Identify the connections between each instrument (fingerings, technique, etc.) and use that to help you succeed.
    Use a calendar, try your hardest to view other woodwind doublers in the area as friends instead of competition. Play duets with them and try to learn as much as you can from other doublers and single woodwind musicians as well. Classical musicians, listen to jazz saxophonists and really try to replicate their tone and inflection even if you claim it’s not for you. Jazz musicians, listen to classical woodwind players as most rep for doublers requires classical tone and technique. Have fun!
    consider the side range you enjoy the most and stick more on that end (high or low reeds)
    Take lessons with teachers who only play the one instrument, but also study with some doublers who have a good understanding of the similarities & differences between instruments. Record yourself often, and listen to recordings of top performers on your doubles to form a good sound concept. Time, intonation, interpretive choices, and ensemble balance are all-important no matter what instrument is in/on your face.
    If you’re struggling with switching to another instrument, find someone who is extremely proficient on it and pick their brains as much as possible, or even take lessons if you can. It helps if they’re a doubler too.
    1) Study to have a classical foundation for every double. It’s the best way to have solid tone and technique.
    2) Be kind to those you work with and low-maintenance for those you work for.
    3) Don’t seriously study secondary instruments until you are competent on your primary instrument. Once you hit a semi-professional or pro level on one instrument, you will have a bar to reach for with your secondaries.
    Try to draw connections where possible.
    I think one should only double if they are genuinely interested in it and enjoy challenges. I’ve met too many people who double primarily with the goal of making more money, and it almost never worked out as well for them in the long run as it did for the ones who actually loved playing all of the instruments.
    Flute is nothing like single reeds – not even the fingerings.
    Turn all instruments into your “primary”. Each instrument deserves its proper respect and diligence. If saxophone is so easy, why do so many clarinetists sound so bad? Attitude in approach to a secondary instrument goes a long way.
    it’s fine to make mistakes
    Play with people who are better than you as much as possible.
    Visualize and really hear the sound you want as you double, in whatever way works for you. Sometimes you can get caught up in the differences between the doubles, but visualizing and not overthinking allowed me to get by on many doubling gigs, and work through the parts more efficiently
    If not preparing for a specific gig or show, have an instrument of the week rotation. Focus on that one.
    Flute loses playing proficiency at a significantly faster rate than other woodwinds thanks to the extremely delicate embouchure – when a professional flutist misses 2 or more consecutive days of practice, it takes minimum 4-5 days to correct their embouchure again. So those that wish to maintain their flute fitness must make sure to set aside time for it at least every few days
    Practice, practice and practice!
    Think of each additional instrument you learn as an extension of musical mechanics— you’ve already learned the fundamentals of reading music, now you’re just learning a different pathway to create those sounds you read. Treat a new instrument, even one of the same family, as a whole new instrument with its own requirements and set points for pitch, resonance, and response.
    Always be ready to play clarinet
    Stick with one instrument per gig, if possible. Be careful of having a reputation as a doubler, as it may have negative connotations (jack of all trades, master of none).
    Take each instrument seriously
    Be proficient on clarinet first, then branch out.
    Play secondary instruments in ensembles (band, orchestra, chamber music, etc).
    Slow practice on all the instruments, don’t rush it on a “secondary” instrument because you can play it on a “primary” instrument
    Practice all your axes and always learn from everyone.
    Find an order of operations for your practice. I start my day on the flute and then move to the clarinet. When I get to tenor I am moving plenty of air and feel warmed up.

    Scale practice on flute will help saxophone playing
    Treat every instrument as a unique instrument of it’s own kind with similarities but unique.
    Lessons, performing, recording, great equipment
    Study each instrument you play with a non-doubler: major symphony/studio player.
    Practice so you concepts can benefit across all instruments.
    Take it slow
    Be very intentional when learning technique. I learned how to play saxophone with a clarinet embouchure, which is not correct. Work with a professional teacher to ensure you have the fundamentals of new instruments and check in with them regularly to ensure you are maintaining key distinctions between the instruments.
    Be cognizant of your body and the techniques you employ as you play (don’t go on autopilot); try to find complimentary mouthpiece/reed setups (if everything has a similar resistance level, switching will be easier)
    Choreograph the switches and after getting comfortable with a new double practice the switch to get faster at creating a good sound on the instrument as soon as possible.
    The goal of woodwind doubling is to be good enough on each instrument for people to think whatever instrument you are playing right now is your primary instrument, and not a double.
    Practice, listen, and be patient
    Never look for the “doubler way” to approach an instrument. Approach it as a serious study, as if you intend to make it your primary.
    Treat each instrument as if it is your primary instrument.
    Practice and take lessons. Continue to get better.
    Play the flute every day, studying with a specialist when possible
    If you have good air and support, you can play through the woodwinds without having to worry about their differences. Also, get good reeds!!!
    Put in the practice hours
    Practice. And then practice some more.
    Learn and practice the basics
    Get a teacher. You can’t learn all of these on your own.
    It’s ok to make a mistake, just keep going.
    I’ve found that taking the time to develop a woodwind practice routine has been super helpful! I’ve also found that I practice better when I start with my least proficient instrument, and work to my most proficient one. This helps me feel a bit better mentally when I practice.
    Practice lol. The sooner you learn “Work SLOWLY on what you’re bad at,” the easier your musical life will be. It’s rough, especially if you’re pretty accomplished on one instrument/family, but the slower you practice, the faster you’ll learn! Trust me, I know the feeling. I’ve got two masters degrees…but I’ve still gotta practice fairly easy flute stuff like I’m one of my 7th graders. I feel your pain! Oh and scales are your friends…all of them :)
    No matter what instrument you’re playing, no matter how much time you’ve had to switch, your goal should always be your best professional sound.
    Moderate setups for all instruments make transitioning between them less onerous
    Plastic reeds for the pit to avoid breakages
    To make sure that if this is something you choose to brand yourself as, go with it 100%
    Pick up each instrument with a new mindset as if it is your primary instrument. When I play flute, I’m a flutist. When I play oboe, I’m an oboist. Etc.
    Find a professional teacher as soon as possible instead of trying to teach yourself and (potentially) develop bad habits.
    Approach each instrument as if it is your major instrument
    Practice each a little every day and practice switching back and forth at home, not just at the gig.
    Stay w/someone who’s major instrument is your double.
    High quality tuition from specialists in each instrument, excellent sight-reading, good fundamentals, good air support across the board (!), familiarity with as many styles as possible
    While there are some universal fundamentals, each instrument (even within an instrument family) has unique characteristics that at the very least need their own mindset. Once you figure out the key differences, the things that are the same take care of themselves.
    Treat each instrument as if it is your major instrument.
    – Take regular (weekly/bi-weekly) lessons with excellent teachers on each instrument that you wish to play at a high level
    – Focus on improving one instrument at a time (ex. for three months taking flute lessons and primarily practicing flute, while lighter practicing + preparing for gigs on clarinet and saxophone)
    – Own high quality equipment and keep it in good repair
    Learn to be a performer on all of your instruments, not just a person who dabbles on the others!
    Learn each instrument as if you know nothing about how to play and learn to play it correctly from the beginning
    Play whatever instrument you enjoy the most. For example, don’t double on flute as a sax player just because you feel you have to. Play the recorder and contrabassoon, or celeste and guitar. Do what makes you happy.
    Listen to professionals to develop your best sound and practice your secondaries similarly to your primaries. Don’t be afraid to ask others for advice to improve your playing. Scales are good for everyone.
    Learn to play cross genre music on each doubling instrument. This will increase your career viability tenfold.
    “Book yourself on gigs you’re not quite ready for” – Don’t take the piss and lie in such a way that you’ll be unable to give a good show. But do book gigs where you are almost good enough but not quite yet. This gives you the motivation to reach that next step in your practice, and forces you to get better. Nothing to make you practice like an upcoming show!
    Don’t stop practicing.
    I would say treating your double as your primary horn (using the same techniques you used on your primary to learn). If you did scales, arpeggios, tone exercises, do the same on your double.
    Say “Yes!”
    Don’t have your instrument just be a work colleague. Noodle around and get to know them sometimes without a particular goal.
    I always say, “view playing each instrument like speaking a different language. They have similar qualities as Winds, but each one requires a different mindset and physical setup.”
    Think of each instrument separately, don’t try to transfer technique from one to another.
    Compartmentalize your brain. (eg. When I hold a saxophone, I can’t easily tell you much pedagogically about anything else)
    Take lessons on your secondary instruments with established teachers. Practice all of the music before the first rehearsal (especially for your secondary instruments).
    Try not to sound like a saxophonist playing a clarinet. Try to sound as much as a clarinetist as possible.
    The principles of tone production on single reed instruments are all the same, and that is more important to stress than the particulars of what will happen to achieve that on each instrument. e.g. the saxophone and clarinet embouchure will look different but for either all you need to do is make a seal with no unnecessary pressure or biting that minimally dampens the vibration of the reed
    Don’t get too bogged down in the beginning/intermediate stages with perfecting any technique or piece of music. It’s probably more important to read a variety of music so that you are reinforcing a bunch of different techniques in a bunch of different scenarios. It makes it more real world, forces you to discover and engage with more of the instruments strengths/weaknesses, and I think it makes you learn faster too because you see things in more different places
    Get a good teacher
    Off the top of my head: STYLE; maintain your instruments well; be good with your finances and set aside a little money each month for new instruments, upgrades, accessories, reeds, repairs, etc.
    Legere reeds are great for doublers!
    Study instruments with teachers on that primary instrument (flute with a flutist, etc)
    Show up confidently prepared!
    Treat every instrument as it’s own when you start. Just cause you play saxophone doesn’t mean it’s a golden ticket for you being good at anything else.
    Practice!
    Spend a reasonable amount of time on rudiments for your weakest, or non-native, instrument. Then spend an equal amount of time goofing around on the same instrument.
    Synthetic reeds help with quick instrument changes, especially when the new instrument hasn’t been played for several minutes.
    Which ever instrument is in your hand, practice/play it like it is your primary/only instrument
    Master the basics of all your doubles.
    You have to really want to do it. Nothing is wrong with not woodwind doubling ie. focussing on just one instrument. The opposite can also be true.
    Study with a specialist on that instrument
    Good instruments help a lot.
    Study each instrument privately with someone who is highly accomplished.
    Never neglect the basics when learning a new instrument. Long tones and scales are universally important for learning tone and technique, and those don’t usually cross over between instruments
    Take lessons/listen/get the tone, intonation and musicality right and let the fingers work themselves out.
    Don’t allow the mentality of being a doubler lessen your goals toward sounding you are a specialist on the horn in your hands.

    Even if you never sound like Tim McAllister (or whoever), be proud of your versatility: doubling has opened doors for me that specializing on a single instrument would have never done.

    You may never arrive at what your musical ear wants to hear from your own playing, but enjoy the never-ending growth, exploration and discovery that comes along with chasing that ideal.
    Practice your instrument switches!
    Treat each instrument as if it is your primary, learning all of its specifics. Take good lessons to sure up lesser instruments, no matter how old you are. Practice!
    have fun
    Master one instrument before adding more.

    Thanks again for your participation and stay tuned for more survey results.

  • Abe Weiss on practicing

    ByBret Pimentel

    I mentioned in a post yesterday how impressed I was by Abe Weiss‘s presentation at the IDRS conference. Mr. Weiss is principal bassoonist of the Rochester Philharmonic.

    Here are a few points from his talk that stood out to me. Read More “Abe Weiss on practicing”

  • Playing modern vs. “vintage”

    ByBret Pimentel

    Most of the time, an average car shopper should consider buying a recent model. Newer cars (ostensibly) have better safety features, better fuel efficiency, and the latest conveniences. Service and parts are likely available and inexpensive.

    Someone in the market for a “classic” car should know what they are getting into. Some older models might be cheaper than newer ones, but a good appraisal requires expertise. Or, some might have prices inflated by cachet, rarity, or “cool” factor. (Those are better suited for collectors or hobbyists than everyday drivers.) Older cars often lack desirable modern features, or need expensive parts.

    6079549609_cf01007244_z_mini
    photo, DonJinTX

    Musicians face similar choices when buying instruments. For most players, there are significant advantages to modern instruments. They have (again: ostensibly) improved ergonomics, intonation, and evenness of tone.

    There are “vintage” instruments with outstanding qualities. But often there are tradeoffs with features, condition, and “collector” pricing. That’s not to say that a vintage instrument is necessarily a bad choice, but (like a classic car buyer) you shouldn’t make that choice uninformed. “Cool factor” wears off quickly when you have to stop every few miles to add oil—or when you are wearing yourself out trying to match pitch in the saxophone section.

    If you aren’t sure what you’re doing, a recent-model instrument is usually a smarter bet.

3 Comments

  1. For me, by far the biggest thing I do is move my jaw forward for high notes and back for low notes. The secondary controller is the position in my mouth of the tongue. And yes, my aperture probably gets bigger on lower notes.

    Reply

  2. An interesting problem! I know that for me, all I can really tell you I do when choosing the octave I’ll play is, umm…., choose the octave to play. :-)

    Reply

  3. Bret, I think you have hit it exactly on the head: you can make the air vibrate twice as fast (the definition of an octave) several ways or by changing each of the factors a small amount.
    —Blowing harder works, but then you are always sharp in the high notes.
    —Moving the lower lip forward and shortening the distance the air has to travel works, but may flatten the pitch or change the tone color so that you have to raise the angle of the air to compensate.
    —The low notes respond better when the air is directed to the lower part of the wall of the riser and the higher notes respond better when the air strikes the top of the wall, but the low notes may be flatter.
    —Making the aperture smaller works because this increases the speed of the air reaching the flute, but lets less air out and so the tone is softer.

    Each of these methods has an effect on the intensity and timbre of the flute tone’ and using varying combinations of them in a personal “recipe” is what makes the flute tone so individualistic…and so endlessly interesting.

    I am surprised than none of the authors cited discuss the effect of raising the position of the tongue in the mouth and bringing it forward.

    Reply

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