Tom Goodrick
06-08-2006, 03:49 PM
For the most part, there is no problem in playing both trumpet and sax. I do it regularly in practice sessions and have done it on the job. But there are a few issues you may want to at least pay some attention to. These are mainly mental issues. And to a sharp young mind they may be nothing. But to this old mind they do cause some problems. If you play tenor and soprano sax as I do, switching to trumpet on occasion is no problem with regard to music. They all use B flat music. Trumpet is even voiced like soprano much of the time. The range of each instrument is almost identical but that "almost" can get you into trouble. The saxes can go up to F3 with no problem at all, even for a beginner. If you start on trumpet, it may be a few years before you will be doing that. But notes above G2 are seldom required on the trumpet unless you make first or solo chair. Still, you may include these high notes regularly in your sax improvizations. With a trumpet in hand you may forget and go for them on the trumpet. Sometimes you will even hit them! That is the advantage of playing different horns. It can stretch your mind. But that can also be embarassing.
Working with an E flat sax can be an issue when trying the trumpet. It is probably best to get familiar with the issue of written music by playing tenor or soprano sax first.
There are also issues on the low end of the spectrum. Where the saxes can only play down to B flat, the trumpet can easily go down to G or even F natural. It is easy for students to play a trumpet low. This can mess with your head when you are doing improvisations. That low G that comes easily on the trumpet won't work on the sax.
Then there are holding and fingering issues. On a trumpet, you will play best when holding the horn with your left hand and fingering with your right. But you can get by for a few measures holding and playing with just your right hand. This lets you turn a page or pick up a mute. The other day I tried that on soprano until awakened by a rude noise. You get C# no matter what your right hand does. Indeed your RIGHT hand can be used sometimes to flip a page playing sax.
You might think there would be no fingering issues because the horns are so drastically different in this respect. But, consider that all fingers up gives C# on a sax and C on a trumpet. That'l get you once or twice! In a hectic sight reading job a little voice says: "That's C. All fingers UP." On the trumpet you play everything with fingers 1, 2 and 3 of the right hand. On both instruments, you play the sequence E, F, F#, G using the right hand 1&2, 1, 2 and open. The only difference is, on the sax your LEFT hand is holding down three keys while your right hand is playing those notes. That same little voice in the back of your mind that gets you in trouble with C and C# can tell your left hand to take a break while playing sax until the resulting off-key C# wakes you up.
But don't let these little things stop you from trying the trumpet. But I think it works far better if you struggle to master the trumpet first and then take up the sax. That will be a breeze after the trumpet. There is one major advantage to playing both. It frees up and expands your mind when doing improv's. I strted playing the sax in my 30's and even then I could not finger the notes in all cases as fast as on the trumpet. Doing fast runs on the trumpet comes easily. Your mind gets to expect the same results on the sax and pushes your body to keep up. It works. Now my soprano fingering is almost as fast as on the trumpet - faster for certain sets of notes.
Working with an E flat sax can be an issue when trying the trumpet. It is probably best to get familiar with the issue of written music by playing tenor or soprano sax first.
There are also issues on the low end of the spectrum. Where the saxes can only play down to B flat, the trumpet can easily go down to G or even F natural. It is easy for students to play a trumpet low. This can mess with your head when you are doing improvisations. That low G that comes easily on the trumpet won't work on the sax.
Then there are holding and fingering issues. On a trumpet, you will play best when holding the horn with your left hand and fingering with your right. But you can get by for a few measures holding and playing with just your right hand. This lets you turn a page or pick up a mute. The other day I tried that on soprano until awakened by a rude noise. You get C# no matter what your right hand does. Indeed your RIGHT hand can be used sometimes to flip a page playing sax.
You might think there would be no fingering issues because the horns are so drastically different in this respect. But, consider that all fingers up gives C# on a sax and C on a trumpet. That'l get you once or twice! In a hectic sight reading job a little voice says: "That's C. All fingers UP." On the trumpet you play everything with fingers 1, 2 and 3 of the right hand. On both instruments, you play the sequence E, F, F#, G using the right hand 1&2, 1, 2 and open. The only difference is, on the sax your LEFT hand is holding down three keys while your right hand is playing those notes. That same little voice in the back of your mind that gets you in trouble with C and C# can tell your left hand to take a break while playing sax until the resulting off-key C# wakes you up.
But don't let these little things stop you from trying the trumpet. But I think it works far better if you struggle to master the trumpet first and then take up the sax. That will be a breeze after the trumpet. There is one major advantage to playing both. It frees up and expands your mind when doing improv's. I strted playing the sax in my 30's and even then I could not finger the notes in all cases as fast as on the trumpet. Doing fast runs on the trumpet comes easily. Your mind gets to expect the same results on the sax and pushes your body to keep up. It works. Now my soprano fingering is almost as fast as on the trumpet - faster for certain sets of notes.