Time required for instrument switches

ByBret Pimentel
Photo, mbshane

I got some questions by email yesterday from Sy Brandon, about the multiple woodwinds piece (Divertissement) he is writing funded by my Co-op Press Commission Assistance Grant. He is considering a movement that involves switching between instruments, and wanted to know about some of the technical details. Here are my answers:

Keeping reeds wet is a minor hassle but quite doable, especially for a movement that’s only a few minutes long.

Time required for switching instruments is an interesting question. Short answer: anything shorter than about five seconds is risky.

A slightly shorter switch might be possible with something like saxophone to flute or clarinet, since you can just let the saxophone hang from its neckstrap. And switches among flute and clarinet and, to a lesser extent, oboe (due to its fragile reed) are reasonably fast because there aren’t any straps to unhook and you can pick one up while you’re setting the other down. Bassoon is more difficult—it uses either a seat strap or a somewhat awkward harness, and definitely requires both hands to pick it up or put it down.

Slower switches (8-10 seconds or more) are safer and even provide a chance to re-wet the reed, etc., but doublers are used to having to shift gears quickly and sort of pride themselves on it. It may be worth taking the visual aspect into consideration—it can become a little bit of a comedy act if the switches are frequent. Not that a little humor is bad, as long as it’s intended.

Like most doublers, I’ll make any reasonable effort to accommodate even the fastest switches, but if some little thing goes wrong (a tangled neckstrap, an instrument stand moving on a slippery stage, etc.) I will sacrifice the entrance to rescue my instruments.

One thing that I didn’t mention in my emailed answer, but that is worth considering as a performer, is whether to sit or stand in performance. The advantages of sitting are that you can use a bassoon seat strap (still my preferred method) and that you’re down closer to your instrument stands. Sitting also becomes a requirement if you are using any instrument supported by a floor peg, such as one of the larger clarinets. Standing, on the other hand, makes for a nicer stage presence and may contribute to better playing posture.

It should also go without saying that good, reliable stands are also a must for quick instrument switches. Don’t skimp!

I’d be interested to hear other doublers’ thoughts or tips—leave a comment below if you have something to contribute.

Similar Posts

  • Q&A: Woodwind doubling

    ByBret Pimentel

    Here are some of the questions readers sent me in celebration of this blog’s 10-year anniversary. I have edited, combined, and otherwise adapted some of them but hopefully there are answers here for those of you who were kind enough to inquire.

    What are the highlights of your career related to doubling thus far?

    Hello, I was wondering about how feel about what you play as a woodwind doubler vs as a single instrumentalist. Do you feel like you’re still able to connect musically with things like pit orchestra as opposed to solo repertoire? Or what other options are there for woodwind doublers to express themselves?

    I’m not a Broadway pit orchestra doubler, or a Los Angeles studio doubler, or even working in a medium-sized market. When the opportunities have arisen I’ve done the usual journeyman doubling work: playing local musical theater, regional orchestras and chamber groups and big bands, church gigs, and rock and blues bands. I enjoy all of these, and in particular I enjoy the variety in my performing career.

    For me the biggest highlights have been connected to my academic career. This includes my attempts at bringing doubling to the recital hall, doing recitals (on my own college campus and others) of concert repertoire on multiple instruments. It also includes my teaching of multiple instruments in a studio setting, as well as woodwind methods courses, plus the textbook I wrote. This blog has been a highlight, too, that has put me in touch with woodwind doublers around the world, including some of my heroes.

    How does someone with a full time job, kids, etc. who does doubling as a hobby effectively split practice time among all of their instruments? I’m usually able to practice 1 hour per day. Should I split my session among instruments, or focus on one a day? What’s a good rotation? Any tips or tricks are appreciated!

    There’s never enough time in a day for a woodwind doubler. The answers to your questions will probably depend on you: what are your goals? do you want to play all your instruments equally, or do you want to have a “primary” instrument? are you practicing for specific performances or with specific goals in mind, or are you just trying to maintain and develop your skills in a general way? I think the answers to these questions will help clarify for you how you should be allocating your time.

    For me personally, an hour is just enough to feel like I’m making some amount of progress on a single instrument, so I suppose if I were in your situation I would mostly practice one instrument per day. Your results may vary. If you’re practicing for general skill development, I do think some kind of pre-planned rotation is valuable, though I don’t think the specifics are important. For me, just having some kind of purposeful rotation makes sure I don’t fall into a rut of, say, grabbing my flute every time because it’s easier than getting a reed wet.

    Thanks for your questions! It’s extra special to me to hear from fellow woodwind doublers.

    More 10-year anniversary Q&A

  • Clarinet/saxophone doubling and “loose” and “tight” embouchures

    ByBret Pimentel

    I have been watching with dismay some recent online message board conversations about clarinetists picking up the saxophone and saxophonists picking up the clarinet. I am of course a big supporter of doubling, but much of the discussion seems to center around embouchure, and the language used is not only misleading but also vaguely pejorative. Clarinetists seem to regard the saxophone embouchure as “loose,” a term I think most saxophonists would take exception to, and saxophonists consider the clarinet embouchure to be “tight,” a concept I would expect clarinetists to shy away from.

    Photo, Adrian Midgley
    Photo, Adrian Midgley

    I am not aware of any difference in looseness/tightness between the embouchures of the two instrument families, and can’t think of a reason why there should be one. In both cases, the embouchure—the lips and surrounding facial muscles—need to be “tight” enough to form a non-leaking seal around the mouthpiece and reed, and “loose” enough to allow the reed to vibrate at the desired amplitude (volume). The most common looseness/tightness problem I see in teaching both instruments is excessive tightness, often used in an attempt to compensate for pitch stability problems caused by poor breath support, and resulting in sluggish response, restricted dynamic range, and stuffy tone. Read More “Clarinet/saxophone doubling and “loose” and “tight” embouchures”

  • How to do long tones (and why)

    ByBret Pimentel

    Long tones are at the core of most woodwind warmup routines. The most simple and obvious version is this:

    Long tone whole note with a fermata.

    Simple sustained notes are good for developing consistent breath support, which is required to keep the long tone steady in pitch, volume, and tone color. (Some teachers also suggest them for developing “embouchure strength,” one of the harmful and pervasive myths of woodwind playing.)

    Many players and teachers recommend a version more like this:

    Long tone whole note with a fermata, and with a crescendo and decrescendo.

    This is a worthwhile improvement, as dynamic change requires a flexible and relatively relaxed embouchure on top of steady breath support. Exercises like the Herzberg long tones use this concept.

    But I like this even better:

    Long tone with three tied whole notes. The first crescendos from niente to fortississimo. The third decrescendos to niente. There is a tempo marking of quarter note = 60.

    The first thing to notice is the addition of extreme dynamic markings, from niente (“nothing,” essentially zero volume) to fff (which should be understood here as maximum controlled volume). Achieving a note that starts from 0%, crescendos smoothly and evenly to 100%, and then back to 0%, is much more specific and demanding than just a general “get louder, then softer.” It requires powerful breath support that starts before the note sounds and continues until after it ends, as well as a tuned-in voicing and well-functioning equipment. (And it can serve as a diagnostic to find issues in these areas.) Exercises like the David Weber chromatic exercises use this approach. (At the link, scroll down to “Longtone 1.”

    Less-advanced players should start and end as softly as possible and work toward a true niente. Players at all levels should take the opportunity to discover and then improve their loudest dynamic level.

    The second thing to notice is the addition of a tempo marking. This demands that the dynamic changes happen within a specific timeline, as of course they do in real-world music. Faster or slower tempos than the one marked here may be used; each presents its own challenges.

    A very thorough long tone warmup might involve playing these on every note within the instrument’s range. Each will have slightly (or severely!) different demands. For a more practical approach, consider a rotation: on day one, do these on the instrument’s lowest note, and the note a fifth above that (or some other interval), a fifth above that, and so forth. The next day, start on the second-lowest note, and the next day the note above that, and so forth.

    Happy practicing!

  • Voicing for multiphonics

    ByBret Pimentel

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

    One of my favorite tips for producing woodwind multiphonics comes from J. Michael Leonard’s Extended Technique for the Saxophone. (Mine is an older edition, I think.) The book’s section on multiphonics gives two pages of instruction and and a one-page fingering chart with diagrams like this:

    The “aha” moment I got from this was the small arrows, which the author says “indicate a relative primary focusing of the airstream.” To me this sounds like what I call voicing. The idea is that each of these multiphonics has a sort of key note within its chord, and if you focus/voice to favor that note, the multiphonic will speak.

    Readers of this blog know I don’t like voicing gymnastics, at least for conventional playing technique. It’s better to find the optimal voicing for the instrument and keep it steady. Change it only when the acoustical quirks of the instrument demand, such as for a pitch “tendency” note or a slur that doesn’t respond well. I’m not sure if Mr. Leonard means for this fingering chart to imply that there are different focuses/voicings for different notes on the instrument, but voicing higher or lower to increase the success of certain multiphonic sounds works well for me. And, as a matter of convenience, I do use a similar arrow system to pencil in hints for multiphonics in repertoire that I play.

  • Multiple woodwinds commission, fourth movement (clarinet)

    ByBret Pimentel

    Sy Brandon has posted his work on the fourth movement of Divertissement, the new piece for multiple woodwinds soloist. The movement, “Marche” for clarinet and piano, is energetic and full of humor. You can take a peek at the score and hear a (synthesized) recording [update: link dead].

  • Preparing for a multiple woodwinds recital

    ByBret Pimentel

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

    For over a decade, all of my solo recital performances have been on multiple woodwind instruments. Last month I performed (twice) a recital program with pieces played on flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and three saxophones. Here are some of the things I do to prepare.

    multiple-woodwinds-recital_mini

    • Practice the physical changes. I opened my program with an oboe piece, and followed that with a flute piece with a delicate entrance. As the recital approached, I made sure to follow each oboe practice session by practicing that flute entrance, to be sure I could do it under those conditions. Something that didn’t work very well: after the oboe, flute, and bassoon pieces, my hands and jaw tended to be a little tense for clarinet playing. If I were preparing this recital again, I would bump the clarinet to the end of my practice sessions to work on playing relaxed even when fatigued.
    • Practice the mental changes. If I can put myself into the right place mentally for the instrument I’m about to play, my physical technique seems to fall into place. Sometimes I will do some rotating warmups—play, for instance, some scales on one instrument, and then immediately play them on another, and another. That gives me a chance to practice shifting mental gears. Once I have my program order set, I also make liberal use of Post-it Notes to give myself reminders between pieces: “take a moment to relax embouchure,” “keep breath support strong in low register,” “clear moisture from octave vent.”
    • Make thorough checklists. With seven instruments on my most recent recital, I surely would have forgotten something—a bassoon seat strap, a case of clarinet reeds, a piece of sheet music. I made a detailed list and used it to set up for a dress rehearsal. Sure enough, there were a few things that hadn’t made it onto the list, and I was able to retrieve those items and add them to the list before the first public performance. When I traveled a few hours for another performance, I was confident that I had everything I needed.
    • Use good stands. Good ones are sturdy and make it easy to set down or pick up an instrument without fuss. Since I played flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon on the first half without leaving the stage, having some good stands kept things moving smoothly and let me stay focused.
    • Do thorough warmups. As the performance approaches, it’s tempting to practice in panic mode, and skip over things like warmups. I always play much better if I do my warmups faithfully all the way up to the day of the performance. I find that if I warm up slowly and thoroughly on each instrument before the performance (this might take a few hours with multiple instruments! I usually do it in the morning), then I’m able to switch between them more easily.

    Break a leg!

9 Comments

  1. As long as we’re considering just the time to switch instruments, I think to/from bass clarinet is the slowest switch for me. My Hercules bass clarinet stand holds the instrument securely – perhaps a little too securely. The Hercules stand works best for me if it is more beside the chair than in front of it, which at least results in the music stand not interfering with the switch. The second slowest switch for me is to/from tenor sax. Getting it under the music stand and into its stand without bumping anything is sometimes challenging.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jim,

      I’ve done quick bass clarinet changes by not even removing the instrument from the stand—situating it so that I can just tilt the instrument to me with the peg still in the stand’s base. (Mine is a similar design to the Hercules.) I usually try to keep the tenor at my right hand—as close to playing position as possible. If I slouch for a second, I can just hook up the neckstrap, sit up, and be ready to go. Or, of course, you can plan ahead for a quick switch and keep the tenor in your lap, neckstrap attached, while playing flute or even (awkwardly) clarinet.

      Reply

  2. I have to switch from bari sax to bass clarinet all the time. I just let the bari sit on my lap with the strap still on and play the bass clarinet out front of that with a peg. Still 8 second or less to swap drive me crazy.

    Reply

  3. There is not only the time to change instruments in the hands, but getting the mouth ready too. Any sax or clarinet to flute or piccolo, especially if it has been a number of minutes since the flute or picc has been played is difficult. Five seconds is not long. 8 to 10 if better.

    Reply

    1. Hi Ron,

      For me the biggest part of getting the mouth ready is getting the brain ready. If I can successfully make the mental shift, I can mostly count on the body to follow.

      Granted, flute and piccolo are something of a special case because of the particular demands on the embouchure. If I do a good, thorough warm-up on flute before the gig, I find that my embouchure stays in better shape even if I’m doing a lot of reed playing in between.

      Reply

      1. You hit it on the head, Bret. The key to the whole thing is the warmups. That’s the reason why my standard is 5 minutes warmup time on each instrument. SO…if I have all 6 of mine (soprano, alto, tenor, clarinet, flute, piccolo) on a gig (and I did that for 1 show), then I need 30 minutes. And the flute and picc may get steal an extra minute from 1 of the reeds.

  4. The slowest change for me is baritone saxophone to / from bassoon because the both hang over on the right side of the lap when being played. For shows that call for bari sax, bass clarinet, and bassoon, I have the bari on the right on a Hercules stand and I can play it while still on the stand, the bass clarinet tilts over from front-left with the peg still on the stand to play from there and the bassoon rests, still attached to the seat strap, on the neck of the bassoon stand which is next to the bass clarinet stand. Every thing is precariously positioned but makes the under 2 seconds switches possible. So short time is possible, but stressful. I would be very grateful for 5+ seconds for a switch.

    Reply

  5. I’m a jazz player doubling on clarinet and sax. My biggest challenge in switching is that the instrument I’ve just picked up has invariably cooled off a bit, and will play somewhat flat. Since I live in Canada, this can sometimes be a real challenge during the winter. No kidding! So even if I’ve warmed everything up completely prior to a gig, I hope for a furtive moment or two of blowing hot air through my horn before wailing away.

    Reply

    1. I hear you! I play a show with the air conditioning blowing right on my doubles. I tune cold. Most times on this particular show I don’t play enough for the double to warm up. Plus most of the brass players play a little sharp. So it works out! Short clarinet barrels help too.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments that take a negative or confrontational tone are subject to email and name verification before being approved. In other words: no anonymous trolls allowed—take responsibility for your words.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.