Saxophone beginners Fingers down?

[JonTheReeds]

I've put the clarinet on the back burner to concentrate on sax for the rest of the year

Just wondering - do you put right hand fingers down when crossing the break, like the clarinet?

Eg. D major scale, put right fingers down as you play open C# so the transition to the D second octave is smooth?

 

[Nick Wyver]

Doing that with C# would make a note that's notoriously flat even flatter.

 

[Colin the Bear]

I suspect a lot of clarinet fingerings are so you don't drop it. I've never put RH fingers down on either clarinet or sax. The sling and the more substantial thumb rest should keep it under control.

 

[Lesley]

I've put the clarinet on the back burner to concentrate on sax for the rest of the year

Just wondering - do you put right hand fingers down when crossing the break, like the clarinet?

Eg. D major scale, put right fingers down as you play open C# so the transition to the D second octave is smooth?

Please don't give up on clarinet....listen to Acker Bilk🙂

 

[BigMartin]

Please don't give up on clarinet....listen to Acker Bilk🙂

That would put me off forevever, TBH. Try Buddy Defranco or Artie Shaw.

 

[Lesley]

That would put me off forevever, TBH. Try Buddy Defranco or Artie Shaw.

Each to his own...im still learning of other greats...thanks for your advice..

 

[Colin the Bear]

Woody Herman and Benny Goodman too. Off the top of my head. There's loads of great clarinet players

 

[kevgermany]

Acker Bilk's playing was superb. Also his tone. Maybe the music didn't suit everyone. Sydney Bechet was a superb clarinettist as well as sax player.

 

[Shoyu]

It's never crosse my mind to keep RH fingers down on sax and I only do it on clarinet when it actively make the passage easier/smoother. I am not a native of either instrument though.....

 

[BigMartin]

I suspect a lot of clarinet fingerings are so you don't drop it. I've never put RH fingers down on either clarinet or sax.

Putting some RH fingers down can add some resonance to the throat
notes on the clarinet. You have to experiment a bit as it can affect the tuning.

 

[BigMartin]

Acker Bilk's playing was superb. Also his tone.

Not to my ears. Especially the tone.

 

[jbtsax]

If there were a rapid alternation from D to C# and back to D I would keep the RH down since at a faster tempo the pitch of the C# would not be an issue. As for living clarinet players, Eddie Daniels is my favorite.

 

[Lesley]

Acker Bilk's playing was superb. Also his tone. Maybe the music didn't suit everyone. Sydney Bechet was a superb clarinettist as well as sax player.

I'm still getting to know the 'greats'. Whilst I was in the UK in January I purchased Johnny Hodges CD Passion Flower which I enjoy very much. I've also one of Stan Getz and a fair amount of Cds featuring different jazz musos ...Duke Ellington George shearing Coltrane Art Pepper Barber,Ball and Bilk just to name a few. They keep me going.

 

[Alice]

I'm still getting to know the 'greats'. Whilst I was in the UK in January I purchased Johnny Hodges CD Passion Flower which I enjoy very much. I've also one of Stan Getz and a fair amount of Cds featuring different jazz musos ...Duke Ellington George shearing Coltrane Art Pepper Barber,Ball and Bilk just to name a few. They keep me going.

There are some really good but unknown clarinet players in young bands which i've seen springing up in pubs and clubs playing a type of Gypsy Jazz. It's really refreshing to see a rejuvenation of an instrument which can be really fun but is often considered in the same vein as something like pan pipes.

 

[Lesley]

There are some really good but unknown clarinet players in young bands which i've seen springing up in pubs and clubs playing a type of Gypsy Jazz. It's really refreshing to see a rejuvenation of an instrument which can be really fun but is often considered in the same vein as something like pan pipes.

There's very little in SA that is jazz orientated. There are black jazz festivals...once a year but we don't attend them as usually its too far to travel etc...

 

[JonTheReeds]

I guess things are different on the sax. On the clarinet, putting down right hand fingers over the break helps to stabilise the instrument, it makes the notes flow smoothly, makes the dreaded throat notes sound better with resonant fingering and also stops the fingers from flapping too much

However, I totally get that the sax is a lot more stable and doesn't need any help from right hand fingers

Does the sax have the equivalent of throat notes?

And I haven't given up on the clarinet by any means. I've just done my last exam and want to concentrate on the sax for the rest of the year and do something different. The first thing I've noticed is that it's so much easier to improvise on the sax, something I've never really been able to do on the clarinet (unlike guitar which I find a lot easier). Maybe that's because the clarinet breaks at the 12th and makes it harder just to let go and rip?

 

[Lesley]

Well done you! I play clarinet for fun...no exams..i keep my RH fingers close to the holes to be ready .

 

[Alice]

There's very little in SA that is jazz orientated. There are black jazz festivals...once a year but we don't attend them as usually its too far to travel etc...

That's a shame, Lesley..

 

[BigMartin]

Does the sax have the equivalent of throat notes?

In the right circumstances you can use the palm keys at the top of the lower octave instead of crossing the break. Intonation needs to be considered, but it can be useful for fast passages or for consistency of timbre within a phrase. Here's a video demonstration:

 

[Alphorn]

Acker Bilk? Really? 😱

Never listened to him with much attention. Just went onto Youtube. That guy is cheesy. I know he is well respected and loved by many. It's just not my cup of tea.

Right hand down on clarinet I never got into it. Probably down to habit. I set out without it and when I finally got introduced to it it felt strange, so I never picked it up.

Alphorn