School is starting soon, and some kids will be picking out the instrument that they will play in the school band. If you know someone in this situation and they are interested in a woodwind instrument—flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, or saxophone—here are some factors that might come under consideration.
Gender. Some outdated attitudes and pedagogical materials suggest, for example, that the flute is particularly suited to girls.
Facial anatomy. Some outdated or ill-informed ideas exist, for example, that certain sizes or shapes of lips are better suited to certain instruments. For woodwinds, this is not an actual issue, except perhaps in cases of significantly unusual morphology.
Physical size or hand/finger size. This is not a significant issue for middle school or larger kids with any of the typical beginning band woodwinds, unless they are very significantly smaller than average, or perhaps significantly larger than an average adult.
Blowing “strength” or “lung capacity.” Anyone with normal respiratory function has the “strength” and “capacity” to play any of the woodwinds.
Success in “aptitude” testing. Some educators like to give some kind of test or trial to see which instruments individual students will be good at. These tests are, at best, mildly entertaining experiments in beginners’ luck.
Previous experience. For someone who is switching to a new instrument (or adding one), there is generally no reason to be concerned about any specific combination of instruments, and perceived similarities are not necessarily an advantage.
A sad-but-true reason to choose an instrument
Expense. Unfortunately, woodwind instruments can be expensive to purchase, equip, and maintain, and some of them more so than others. It’s wise to be aware of the costs up front. (Generally speaking, beginner-model woodwinds go from least to most expensive in this order, assuming equivalent quality: flute or clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon.)
The best reason to choose an instrument
Motivation. A beginner’s interest in playing a certain instrument is the best predictor of enjoyment and success, and, whenever possible, should be the primary deciding factor.
Artist Karen Hatzigeorgiou has posted some charming public domain images of woodwind instruments at her website, like this lovely clarinet. The others are in a similar pen-and-ink (or is it some kind of etching?) style.
I wrote this a few years back for a graduate school course. The professor, not a wind player, raised the question of why I limited the discussion to clarinets in B-flat and A, and ignored, for example, the C clarinet. The reason for this, which may not be obvious to a non-clarinetist, is that the B-flat and A instruments use the same mouthpieces, reeds, and sometimes even barrels. Since other sizes of clarinet require their own mouthpieces and reeds, there is a clearer separation between these instruments.
Photo, Ollie Crafoord
Alert concertgoers will be aware that the orchestral clarinetist is often seen on stage with not one, but two clarinets, which appear to be nearly identical. These are clarinets in the keys of B-flat and A, and, in truth, they very nearly are the same—identical in keywork and playing approach. The difference is one of an inch or so in length, giving the A clarinet a range that is deeper by one semitone.
It seems a redundancy to have two instruments so close in range. The ubiquity of the B-flat and A clarinets is a vestige of the clarinet’s early days, when its simpler keywork made it poorly suited to playing in more than a handful of keys; early clarinetists owned several instruments of different transpositions so that they could play in whatever key was required. But the modern instrument has a more involved mechanism that allows much more chromatic agility. The problem that remains is that the clarinet has accumulated two hundred and fifty years of repertoire, some of which calls for the instrument in B-flat, some of which calls for the instrument in A, and even some that calls for a little of each. Read More “B-flat and A clarinets: redundant?”
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In a recent recital I performed my own arrangement of Ravel’s Boléro for multiple woodwinds soloist using electronics, with piano and snare drum. I used electronics to try to approximate some of Ravel’s harmonies (and timbres), and used what in my mind are three different techniques, which I’ll try to outline here.
In performance, I used the BOSS GT-1000CORE guitar multi-effects unit to do most of the heavy lifting. I did find that it had difficulty tracking my flute playing (though, surprisingly, it did better with piccolo), so I used an Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork + to assist with that instrument in particular. I also used a BOSS SY-200 to try to create some non-woodwind tone colors. There are plenty of other equipment options that can achieve similar effects, but you’re on your own to read the manuals.
All of this was done with a microphone rather than pickups, which was less complicated for quick instrument switches, but did make it difficult to get relatively isolated woodwind sounds into the electronics, which ultimately caused problems with the audibility of some of the electronic sounds.
At rehearsal mark 8 in the score, horn and celeste play the A theme in octaves, with two piccolos playing in parallel a perfect fifth and a major tenth above the celeste’s highest octave, perhaps in imitation of a pipe organ’s mixture stop.
To achieve this harmony with electronics, I played the upper piccolo part “live,” and routed the piccolo’s sound into the GT-1000CORE where I split it into two separate signal paths. One got transposed down using a digital pitch shifter to create the second piccolo part. The other got transposed down to the melody pitch and split into octaves, then routed through the SY-200 to turn the sound into something vaguely celeste-like.
Since the intervals are strictly parallel, this is a pretty straightforward use of pitch shifting: whatever note I play on the piccolo gets transposed to the specified intervals.
Technique 2: smart harmonization
At rehearsal mark 16, a thickly-orchestrated ensemble of woodwinds, brass, and strings plays the A theme in harmony. I opted to play this portion on soprano saxophone, thickened and harmonized with a synthesized string section.
Since the harmony in this section is largely diatonic, I used the GT-1000CORE’s smart harmonizer. I added voices a diatonic fourth and diatonic sixth below in the key of G (like a first-inversion triad), which tracks with the notes in the first part of the theme. But there’s a moment in the first part that uses F-natural instead of F-sharp, and the second part of the melody uses F-naturals exclusively, so I used the unit’s footswitches to change to the key of C major as needed. I routed all of this through the SY-200 to change the three soprano saxophones into a string section sound, with the “live” soprano remaining audible in the room.
For the key switching, I set one footswitch as a “momentary” switch, so it changes the key just while I’m pressing it, and another as a “toggle” switch, so I can press and release it and the key remains changed. This gives me some helpful options for live performance.
Technique 3: smart harmonization with custom scales
The smart harmonizer works well out of the box as long as you want to use notes of a major scale (or mode thereof), but at rehearsal mark 15 Ravel’s harmonization is more complicated than that. Luckily, the GT-1000CORE supports smart harmonization with custom “scales.” What this really means is that I can tell the unit that any time I play a certain pitch, it should add one or more pitches that I can specify arbitrarily. I can add whatever pitches I like to each note of the chromatic scale.
I chose to play this section on clarinet, using the electronics to turn it into a 3-part clarinet section. During the first phrase, the melody pitches are harmonized in a consistent way: every time there’s a melody concert B-flat it’s harmonized with a G and an E, every time there’s a melody C it’s harmonized with an A and an F, every time there’s a melody E it’s harmonized with a C and a G, and so forth. I can just tell the effects unit which harmony notes to add to each melody note.
But things change in the first half of the second phrase: melody B-flat is now harmonized with G and D, and C is now harmonized with A and E. To accommodate this I have to create a second custom “scale,” and use a footswitch to activate it at the right time. To finish the second phrase requires a third scale, engaged with another footswitch.
Because of the flexibility of the custom scale system, I can recreate harmonies that use a variety of intervals. With a little analysis I can figure out where the scale changes need to be (basically anywhere a given melody pitch is harmonized in a new way).
Additional thoughts
There are some limitations to using pitch shifters and harmonizers, depending on your equipment. Each virtual pitch shifter and harmonizer in the GT-1000CORE can only add two voices, though by (virtually) splitting the audio signal into multiple paths and passing each through its own shifter/harmonizer I can build thicker chords.
When trying to reproduce specific harmonies written by a composer, there may be some decisions to make to balance accuracy with practicality. Serendipitously, most of Ravel’s harmony translated fairly easily to the effects unit’s capabilities. But there were a few spots where I decided that certain chord voicings were close enough, and that I didn’t need to complicate things with one more custom scale plus the corresponding onstage footwork.
As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m more interested in electronic effects that give my woodwinds new capabilities, like polyphony, than in just adding some distortion or echo (though those are also fun). Enjoy!
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When learning a new étude or repertoire piece, it’s common to practice at first with focus on the notes, often playing them at a slow tempo and/or divided into chunks. This is a good approach for mastering the needed finger technique, but it may neglect one of the crucial parts of a performance: breathing.
In some music, it’s obvious where to breathe. But in a page of nonstop sixteenth notes, it’s harder to find the right places, and to execute them gracefully. Adding to the problem, I find that when I am nervous or playing under pressure, my breathing is one of the first things that falls apart: I start breathing in unaccustomed places, or skipping breaths that I know I really need.
I recommend establishing a breathing plan early in the process of learning new music. That way you can practice the breaths just like you practice the notes—they become a part of your muscle memory, and will happen automatically even under pressure.
The first step for a wind player should be to mark in the musical breaths, the ones that demarcate phrases. These are breaths that you will take (or possibly fake) regardless of your need for oxygen, because they serve the music. How exactly to do that is beyond the scope of this post, but here are a few quick tips:
Beware breathing at bar lines. They look like nice stopping points, but often don’t make musical sense. (They are there only for your convenience in counting.)
Background in music theory helps a lot, but you can also use your ears to help you figure out intuitively where a phrase comes to rest, or steal ideas from a good recording.
To go deeper, consider studying phrasing, perhaps from a book like David McGill’s. (Put that one on your wish list if you haven’t read it already!)
Once the breaths required by the music are in place, you may decide you need more, perhaps because you haven’t worked the piece up to its full tempo yet (or because the piece isn’t written with sensitivity to your desire to survive). Mark in-between “survival” breaths as needed, perhaps in parentheses so you remember which ones they are. Put them in the best places you can find, and execute them as musically as you can, but as your tempo increases you may be able to skip them. If so, be sure to erase them so your marked-in plan stays up to date.
Choosing places for survival breaths is a trial-and-error process. Mark some in and give them a try, then adjust as needed. If you feel uncomfortable while playing, this can lead to panicked decisions on stage, so choose breaths for your comfort.
Particularly for the oboe, you may find you need some “breaths” where you can actually exhale stale air. Mark these clearly, too.
Always update your pencil marks if you decide to change the plan at all, so that your plan is 100% clear and you can practice it in a consistent way. You can change your mind later, as long as you change your marks.
To summarize:
Start early in the process of learning a new piece.
Mark in musical breaths, which you will observe even if you’re capable of playing longer without stopping.
Mark in survival breaths, if necessary. Use trial and error to get them right.
Practice the breaths just as diligently as you practice the notes.
As you get closer to the performance, you might alter the breathing plan as your interpretation evolves, or as you no longer need some of the survival breaths.
Be strict about keeping the markings current, and about playing just what is marked.
Well-planned, thoroughly-practiced breaths contribute to a relaxed, musical performance.
If you are practicing and concerned about fatigue during an upcoming performance, here are some (woodwind-centric) things to consider.
Embouchure. The embouchure is a frequent site for fatigue, but it shouldn’t be. Embouchure pain or tiredness in a conventional performance situation is usually a sign of incorrect tone production technique. (Not a matter of needing to “strengthen the muscles” or “build endurance,” neither of which makes sense for a well-formed, properly relaxed embouchure.) Rather than relying on the small, weak muscles of the embouchure, use good…
Breath support. The breath support muscles in your torso can (and do) work all day. If you are feeling fatigue in your embouchure or other small muscles, lean on your breath support more.
Breathing plan. Another frequent cause of fatigue is oxygen deprivation. Reconsider your breathing plan (you have one, right?) and make sure you are getting enough oxygen to your body and brain (and venting carbon dioxide, too).
Practice. Ask yourself how you can practice in a way that will leave you less tired and prepare you for a performance situation. Consider starting your practice with breaks frequent and long enough to let your body and mind rest, and gradually making them shorter and less frequent. When I’m preparing for a recital, I usually do a few rounds of recording the whole program: the first recording might take me half a day with longer breaks, but later recordings happen within a shortening time frame, approaching my intended recital length.
Equipment. I had some pain and fatigue in my back a number of years ago when I was practicing a lot of tenor saxophone. I bought a new neckstrap and the problem went away immediately. There are lots of products and alterations available for various instruments that can reduce strain on your body.
General health. Playing a musical instrument is serious physical activity. Make sure you are getting good rest, nutrition, exercise, life balance, physical and/or mental health care, and whatever else will keep you energized.
I think that as a doubler it’s easy to consider your ability level “good enough” on a secondary instrument. Check your doubles below, and ask yourself what you can do to raise the level of your playing. I’ve given just a few examples of “next level” techniques on each instrument.
Flute
Can I play up to the highest notes (4th octave C, C-sharp, and D, for example) with delicacy?
Can I play the lowest notes with power and confidence?
Can I double and triple tongue fluently and without having to think about it?
Oboe
Has my tone progressed past the “duck” phase? Is it rich, dark, and flexible? Even in the high register?
Am I thoroughly comfortable with the various F fingerings—right, left, and forked—and prepared to choose the right ones even while sightreading? How about E-flat fingerings?
My only caveat regarding facial anatomy would be those students with a tear-drop or cupid’s bow in their upper lip. While you CAN learn to play the flute with this anatomy (by forming an asymmetrical embouchure), it is far more difficult, and not for the faint of heart. It’s also something not likely to be addressed successfully by the average band teacher. I know because I am one—there just isn’t enough time in the day to differentiate that much, unfortunately, and it’s a rare student who is self-motivated and thoughtful enough to do it alone. It’s also rare to have an experienced flutist as a band director who can offer the right advice to get a student with this anatomy started on the right track. I don’t think college woodwind courses address it, and people are generally taught that an asymmetrical flute embouchure is bad. As a private instructor, I’ve attempted to rescue a few kids with cupid’s bows. They usually try to get around them by tucking their lower jaws way back and blowing down into the flute, creating a very airy sound with no hope for an upper register. They come to me for lessons once their band teacher wants them to play above an E-flat, and they can’t do it. I do what I can to teach them to form a new embouchure off to the side, but unless a kid is extremely determined and responsive to feedback, it’s really frustrating, and a reed instrument is definitely a better choice.
Thanks for this perspective. My experience is that many college woodwind methods courses do address the so-called “Cupid’s bow,” and in fact overemphasize it to the point that well-meaning band directors are turning determined students away from the flute without giving them a chance to succeed. (In the rare cases where the problem really is extreme enough to cause a genuine problem, it’s especially vital to get a private teacher involved.)
I think this page can be instructive to band directors and others who may tend toward being overly concerned about lip shape and beginning flutists.
I have a grand daughter who will go into the ‘testing’ band class next year, which is really to see if they can offer something interesting to this girl. She wants to play the guitar in band, meaning, mouth not busy! She is not interested at all in anything that requires blowing or lips. Where can I find a good list of all of the choices: not just the typical choices? I noticed at a Christmas performance of the school band, that they did have an immense variation of instruments and a great, great teacher..(it seemed to me). Any info or links much appreciated, thanks, Gloria
I had an excellent reason for choosing bassoon: I figured it would be easy to get into orchestras on it. Good choice, teenage self. Good choice.
Short, simple and absolutely correct! Thank you!
My only caveat regarding facial anatomy would be those students with a tear-drop or cupid’s bow in their upper lip. While you CAN learn to play the flute with this anatomy (by forming an asymmetrical embouchure), it is far more difficult, and not for the faint of heart. It’s also something not likely to be addressed successfully by the average band teacher. I know because I am one—there just isn’t enough time in the day to differentiate that much, unfortunately, and it’s a rare student who is self-motivated and thoughtful enough to do it alone. It’s also rare to have an experienced flutist as a band director who can offer the right advice to get a student with this anatomy started on the right track. I don’t think college woodwind courses address it, and people are generally taught that an asymmetrical flute embouchure is bad. As a private instructor, I’ve attempted to rescue a few kids with cupid’s bows. They usually try to get around them by tucking their lower jaws way back and blowing down into the flute, creating a very airy sound with no hope for an upper register. They come to me for lessons once their band teacher wants them to play above an E-flat, and they can’t do it. I do what I can to teach them to form a new embouchure off to the side, but unless a kid is extremely determined and responsive to feedback, it’s really frustrating, and a reed instrument is definitely a better choice.
Thanks for this perspective. My experience is that many college woodwind methods courses do address the so-called “Cupid’s bow,” and in fact overemphasize it to the point that well-meaning band directors are turning determined students away from the flute without giving them a chance to succeed. (In the rare cases where the problem really is extreme enough to cause a genuine problem, it’s especially vital to get a private teacher involved.)
I think this page can be instructive to band directors and others who may tend toward being overly concerned about lip shape and beginning flutists.
I have a grand daughter who will go into the ‘testing’ band class next year, which is really to see if they can offer something interesting to this girl. She wants to play the guitar in band, meaning, mouth not busy! She is not interested at all in anything that requires blowing or lips. Where can I find a good list of all of the choices: not just the typical choices? I noticed at a Christmas performance of the school band, that they did have an immense variation of instruments and a great, great teacher..(it seemed to me). Any info or links much appreciated, thanks, Gloria