Woodwinds and “altissimo” registers

ByBret Pimentel

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I recently had a saxophone student perform a repertoire piece with some altissimo technique in it, and a non-woodwind-playing musician asked me afterward about the instrument’s extended range. This led to further questions about “altissimo” on other instruments. The answers are a little complicated, but here is some information:

The term “altissimo” suggests an extreme high register. The term is widely used by clarinetists and saxophonists, with essentially the same definition: pitches in the instrument’s third register or higher. Basically, this is notes above (written) F-sharp-6 for saxophones or (written) C6 for clarinets. (It’s not really that simple if you factor in alternate fingerings: a clarinetist, for example, might use a trill fingering to produce a D6 in the second register, or a saxophonist might use a “front” fingering to produce E6 or F6 in the third register.) For clarinetists, using some of the altissimo register is a pretty basic technique, part of the instrument’s “standard” range (which extends maybe to G6, depending on who you ask), and accessible to, say, an intermediate-level high school student. For saxophonists, altissimo is viewed as a more advanced technique, outside the “standard” range, perhaps accessible to college-level musicians or motivated high schoolers.

The word “altissimo” isn’t used much in the flute and double reed worlds, though those instruments’ third registers are widely used even by intermediate-level players. (Christopher Redgate does use the term in his writings about oboe extended techniques, but arbitrarily defines it as beginning at G6, well into the instrument’s third register.) The flute’s third register begins (basically) at D6, the oboe’s at C-sharp-6, and the bassoon’s at E-flat-4.

the lowest pitch (written) of each woodwind's third register
the lowest pitch (written) of each woodwind’s third register

In short, all of the woodwinds do have an “altissimo” range in the sense that they have a third register and higher. But not all of them use that terminology, and those that do differ on whether the altissimo range is “standard” or an extended technique.

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  • 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.

  • Some woodwind problems with competition repertoire rules

    ByBret Pimentel

    Here are some repertoire-related problems I’ve encountered trying to get my woodwind students signed up for competitions. These range from significant national/international competitions down to small competitions within my own university music department. Some are competitions designed by woodwind-savvy folks and some aren’t. I mention these problems here in the hope that it will be helpful in designing competitions that are fair and sensitive to the particular repertoire quirks of the woodwind family.

    Style periods. The clarinet’s repertoire really takes off in the Romantic period (with some notable Classical exceptions), and the saxophone’s doesn’t really get going until the 20th century. Competitions that have requirements related to style periods make things difficult for these instruments, especially if there are restrictions on playing transcriptions. It can also be a challenge if rules for determining style period aren’t clear: can I count something like a Saint-Saëns woodwind sonata as Romantic, even though it was likely written in the 1920s?

    Accompaniment. While a pianist, classical guitarist, etc. can play significant repertoire alone, most wind-instrument repertoire is accompanied. This involves extra cost, rehearsal time, and logistics for the woodwind entrant. Concerto repertoire in particular often has unrealistic piano reductions that require a pianist who is both skilled and creative (and therefore expensive and busy). There exists unaccompanied repertoire, to be sure, but pieces of this nature often provide significant challenges to the less-experienced woodwind player. To write convincing unaccompanied works, composers often write for virtuoso players capable of filling up the space with notes. Stamina issues, too, are different for wind players than for pianists and others, and unaccompanied pieces can be especially taxing.

    Timing. Competitions that favor singers tend to have shorter time limits, which circumscribe repertoire options for instrumentalists, particularly if there are restrictions on playing partial pieces or making cuts.

    Cost. Pianists, singers, violinists, and others can buy large collections of public-domain repertoire by great historical composers for relatively little money. More recent works, such as those for the clarinet and saxophone, are much more likely to be under copyright and sold individually at higher prices. For me as a teacher, this means that I have in my file cabinet, for example, only so many unaccompanied-pieces-for-sophomore-level-clarinet-players-that-fit-within-eight-minutes-and-are-flashy-enough-for-competition. Are there more pieces out there? Definitely, but even to look at the scores may require expensive purchases. There probably won’t be IMSLP downloads or many YouTube performances to peruse.

    Multiple instruments. There is significant clarinet repertoire for clarinets in B-flat and for clarinets in A. Saxophone repertoire favors mostly the alto and the soprano saxophones, but also exists for tenor and baritone instruments. Competitions with too-tight restrictions on playing “more than one instrument” limit options for these entrants. It’s a nice courtesy if there is time and patience for entrants needing to bring a second instrument up to temperature before starting, or to wet a second reed.

    Many of these concerns dissipate at least somewhat at high levels of competition. But smaller competitions are often geared more toward participation opportunities than toward crowning victors, and a little care in designing the rules can help achieve this goal.

  • Fact and fiction in woodwind teaching

    ByBret Pimentel

    A former teacher, who, I hasten to point out, I respect and admire greatly, once asked me in a lesson to “spin the air.”

    I hadn’t the foggiest idea what he meant.

    I tried a few things that I thought maybe the teacher had in mind, but none of them was right. I asked for clarification.

    He said, “It’s like this,” and he blew a puff of air while twirling his finger around (presumably to indicate spinning).

    Surely he didn’t mean literally to cause the air, somehow, to leave my lips in some kind of spiral. I confessed my confusion and asked if he would be kind enough to demonstrate spinning the air versus not spinning the air. He obliged.

    I couldn’t detect any difference. Read More “Fact and fiction in woodwind teaching”

  • |

    Doubling fees under fire in Denver

    ByBret Pimentel
    oboe and English horn
    Photo, quack.a.duck

    The Colorado Symphony Orchestra, like so many others, is facing a financial crisis that threatens its ability to continue making music. An opinion piece in Sunday’s Denver Post criticizes the Denver Musicians’ Association (AFM Local 20-623) for its unwillingness to budge on certain elements of its agreement with the orchestra.

    The issues here are complex, and I hope that the DMA and the CSO will be able to come to a solution that is fair to all involved and that keeps the music alive. But this point in the authors’ list of complaints caught my eye:

    Musicians performing on more than one instrument receive “doubling pay.”

    I don’t have the full details of the doubling pay currently available to CSO members (though the amount doesn’t appear to be the issue here—it’s the fact that any doubling pay is offered that seems to offend). But a slightly-outdated agreement between the DMA and the Boulder Philharmonic, summarized below, shows a typical doubling pay structure, and it’s a reasonable guess that the CSO’s is identical or very similar:

    • 25% bonus for first double
    • 10% for each additional double
    • B-flat and A clarinets count as one instrument
    • Alto and tenor saxophones count as one instrument
    • Alto and bass clarinets count as one instrument
    • Piccolo, larger flutes, English horn, E-flat clarinet, contrabassoon, soprano saxophone, and saxophones larger than tenor each count as a double, even when used in common combinations (like flute plus piccolo)
    Though I am not currently a union member (due to a dearth of union gigs in my area), I frequently ask for doubling fees when negotiating my pay for gigs. Here’s why doubling fees make sense to me as a woodwind player: Read More “Doubling fees under fire in Denver”

  • 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!

  • Conrad Asklund on finding woodwind doublers

    ByBret Pimentel
    Photo, davekellam

    From a blog post by musical director Conrad Asklund back in 2006:

    How do you find woodwind players that can each double on 4-5 instruments?

    You can’t—assuming you do not have a budget to hire session players (which really, only session or union players are going to be able to pull off all those doubles professionally) and are not near a major city with access to players like this.

    Hey Conrad, call me!

    Read the whole thing

10 Comments

  1. The clarinet being lucky to have a 19-note first register (from E3 to Bb4), why doesn’t the third register start another 19 notes beyond this, that is, at E6? Same might be said about the bassoon too, after exhausting the second register, the third register should technically start at F#4.

    Reply

    1. I’m not sure in what sense you mean that the registers “should” start at certain notes. They do start at those notes because using fingerings based on those particular overtones are thought to have the best combination of pitch, tone, and response. For example, it’s possible to play B-natural4 on clarinet using a side-key fingering, but that’s generally used only for special circumstances because it just doesn’t work as well as the second-register fingering.

      Reply

  2. I guess what I’m getting at is, there is some overlap between the second and third registers. Excluding the trill keys you mentioned (there to bridge the gap over the break) and only including the notes of the core octave (E3-Bb4), the second register technically goes a twelfth higher (B4-F6), and the third register 2 octaves and a major third higher (G#5-D7). So the notes in the G#5-F6 interval have technically 2 possible realizations, but somehow the third register is said to start at C#6?
    Does the end of the second register sound that bad on the clarinet? Same with the bassoon that switches to the third register before the end of its regular second register (I even found a resource that qualified E4 at the top of this register a “fake”/”false”/”invented” fingering, when it’s just the regular overblown E of the fundamental octave).
    On the other hand, the saxophone makes full use of its second register (and even adds a couple more notes to it, as you mentioned) and there doesn’t seem to be a need to switch to the third register halfway through it.
    I was just wondering ;)
    Thx

    Reply

    1. Which register you are in depends on which natural harmonic you are currently using. If that doesn’t suit your way of thinking, your dispute is with the laws of physics, not with me or with woodwind pedagogy.

      When there is overlap between the registers, we have choices about fingerings, and can select the best ones for the situation.

      Reply

      1. I’m not trying to dispute anything or push whatever way of thinking, sorry if I’m sounding like that. It definite is more a physics / acoustics related question. I was just surprised at the difference between the saxophone in the one hand and the clarinet/bassoon in the other.

  3. I am curious to learn more about the choice of the bassoon altissimo beginning on Eb4. The transitions into altissimo on the other woodwinds makes sense to me as their finger combinations begin anew (from no tone holes closed to at least one closed when entering this range) but with this, for me, does not constitute the bassoon’s altissimo range to transition from Eb4 to E4. Would it not make more sense for it to begin at the transition from D5 to Eb5 given the drastic shift in open tone holes and ventilation in the left thumb as forked fingerings are commonplace for both modern and historic bassoons? For example, the patterns for most third octave ranges and higher on all woodwinds is based on manipulations of the harmonic series. I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

    Reply

    1. Which register you are in depends on which natural harmonic you are currently using, not your fingerings. In some cases the fingerings appear to follow logically, and in some cases they may not.

      Reply

    2. Altissimo is when you start using 3rd or higher partial notes, that is, the notes above the fundamental octave (1st partial) and the overblown octave (2nd partial).
      On the bassoon, the fundamental octave goes from F2 to F3, the overblown octave goes from F#3 to D4. Note that D#4-F4 could also be overblown but the sound is weak.
      So the altissimo range starts with D#4, which is a 3rd partial G2. Note that higher partials on the bassoon are sharper and sharper, so that the expected 3rd partial of G2, D4, sounds like D#4. The fingering for this note (xxo|xxx) with an open LH3 hole is the sign of a 3rd partial fingering, since it opens a vent on a third of the tube’s length. The overblown 2nd partial G3 opens the vent halfway (/xx|xxx). The 4th partial is technically G5, but sounding as G#5, venting on both half and quarter of the tube’s length (/xx|oxx). The 5th partial is technically B5, but sounding as C#6, venting on 1/5 and 2/5 along the tube’s length (x/x|x/x) or (d xox|xox venting another 1/5-length point with the high D key). The 6th partial is technically D5, but sounding as E5 (also called “harmonic E”), venting on half and third of the tube’s length (/xx C#|xxx).

      Note also that the lowest altissimo note is not D#4 but C#4. This note has a short fingering belonging to the overblown octave (2nd partial), while the long fingering is a 3rd partial of F2 (technically C4, but sounding as C#4).

      Reply

    3. After re-reading your comment, I have the impression that it might just be a misunderstanding in the octave naming convention. Altissimo starts at D# above middle C (xxo|xxx) after which the pattern of forking and ventilation in the thumb changes drastically, as you said.

      Reply

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