[Jonathan C.]

I was driving today and thinking about music almost in general. And was wondering when do you know as a muscisian to move on to a new horn? I am NOT talking about stepping up from a begginer to a pro. horn. I am talking about Sax to Clarinet, or Sax to Flute. Or Alto sax to Bari sax. When do you know?
The reason why I ask here is becuase so many people play more than just SAX, and was wondering when you decided to needed to expand.
Seriously wondering.
~Carbs

 

[CountSpatula]

When I found out the Jazz Lab Bands at UNT require Soprano, Clarinet, Flute, and Piccolo

 

[Bernards20040]

I was driving today and thinking about music almost in general. And was wondering when do you know as a muscisian to move on to a new horn? I am NOT talking about stepping up from a begginer to a pro. horn. I am talking about Sax to Clarinet, or Sax to Flute. Or Alto sax to Bari sax. When do you know?
The reason why I ask here is becuase so many people play more than just SAX, and was wondering when you decided to needed to expand.
Seriously wondering.
~Carbs

And so it begins
Again:?

 

[gary]

And so it begins
Again:?

Yeah, really. If this goes on for another several pages it will give a whole new meaning to the term "enabling".

 

[Jonathan C.]

And so it begins
Again:?

OHHH NOOOO NOT AGAIN!!!!

No, this is just a general thing, that I am going to try and stay out of. What I am wondering is as a whole when people decided they needed to learn a new instrument.
For me it was joining a community orchestra and learning that their are really no sax parts . Ok, some sax parts but too many songs to sit out on.

Bernard,
I am done, I need to give my bank account some time to regrow, before I consider taking on any more horns or equipment.

~Carbs

 

[Jonathan C.]

Yeah, really. If this goes on for another several pages it will give a whole new meaning to the term "enabling".

Is every thread I start going to end up people talking about enabling?

 

[ShedShark]

Man, shed one instrument until you can make music with it fluently then it's a semantic/technical difference.

 

[Carl H.]

The reason why I ask here is becuase so many people play more than just SAX, and was wondering when you decided to needed to expand.
Seriously wondering.
~Carbs

When you are good enough to be getting calls for paying gigs and they ask "Do you also play (X) ?" Then you expand you playing horizon. If you still stink, get to work on your main axe and don't even consider taking on another.

 

[ianhart]

I was driving today and thinking about music almost in general. And was wondering when do you know as a muscisian to move on to a new horn? I am NOT talking about stepping up from a begginer to a pro. horn. I am talking about Sax to Clarinet, or Sax to Flute. Or Alto sax to Bari sax. When do you know?
The reason why I ask here is becuase so many people play more than just SAX, and was wondering when you decided to needed to expand.
Seriously wondering.
~Carbs

I wouldn't move to a new horn until I understood all the subtle nuances of the one that I am playing right now. I started on clarinet, moved to sax YEARS later.

In my opinion, I should have waited.

On the flip side, my clarinet playing has improved my sax playing immensely, especially after I started private lessons on clarinet again. The first thing that I noticed was that I wasn't "flailing" my fingers around anymore, they were staying close to the keys, which made faster technical runs possible. Also, the register key helped me with awkward finger jumps in sax.

HOWEVER, learning a new instrument requires a LARGE amount of time, which is precious. I find myself in the practice rooms at 3AM every now and then, after going in at 7PM. In other words, unless you can devote the time and energy to a new instrument, don't do it.

And learning on a horrible instrument doesn't help, either. In other words, be ready to shell out some major cash. The difference between a $500 clarinet and a $1500 clarinet is much clearer than the difference between a "pro" and "intermediate" sax.

 

[steakboy]

"you can play a shoestring if you're sincere" --john coltrane

eom

 

[martysax]

I was driving today and thinking about music almost in general. And was wondering when do you know as a muscisian to move on to a new horn? I am NOT talking about stepping up from a begginer to a pro. horn. I am talking about Sax to Clarinet, or Sax to Flute. Or Alto sax to Bari sax. When do you know?
The reason why I ask here is becuase so many people play more than just SAX, and was wondering when you decided to needed to expand.
Seriously wondering.
~Carbs

Dude, take remedial English. You'll never pass freshman writing.

As a girlfriend in Highschool said to me at a school dance: "Stop screwing around and let's get serious!"

 

[Jonathan C.]

I am working on a solo right now, that I will record and post for opinions probably this weekend.
Ohhh... Thanks Marty.

 

[Carl H.]

I am working on a solo right now, that I will record and post for opinions probably this weekend.

Skip the solo and post some scales. Anybody can tootle a solo on preferred notes, but scales are hard to BS your way through.

We're not trying to bust your chops here, there is work which MUST be done if you want to get any better.

 

[Jonathan C.]

Thanks Carl. I know,
I will probably end up posting both. I want to know what other people besides my PT think of my tone. Which to me is the most important part of playing. If I don't have a good tone, then playing the right notes, just don't mean anything.

I will post some scales on Tenor that I am comfortable on. And a Jazz "etude". Just need to get the book name from my PT, so I know which name to post on it. Should be interesting.

~Carbs

 

[Carl H.]

Thanks Carl. I know,
tone. Which to me is the most important part of playing. If I don't have a good tone, then playing the right notes, just don't mean anything.

Any note at the wrong time is wrong regardless of the tone.

 

[Jonathan C.]

Edited:
Didn't make any sence.

 

[Bernards20040]

Any note at the wrong time is wrong regardless of the tone.

KaaaaaChing

 

[Discreet]

I dont know personally when other people move to new instruments but i can tell you mine.

I took a minor in Jazz Piano in College (Major-ed in Chemical Eng) and thus music for me is just a hobby and a passion. After college and playing for a few months, I got kinda bored playing the piano and i went back to saxophone (used to play it in high school, never touched since for 6 years). I was an alto man, and i went back to play tenor and soprano instead.

Right now, I am moving on to another instrument, Bass Guitar, not because i am bored with the saxophone but rather, the reason why i am diversifying is to improve my jazz musicality and hopefully improve my piano playing.

Everyone has reasons to move on to another reason, and what i mentioned above is the reason. Some do it because they need to pay the bills, others do it because the current instrument has certain problems (cannot play it too well or get bored).

What i advice you is to really work on 1 instrument first (like the saxophone) and make it your primary instrument. Really know it very well and when you move to another instrument, you can take the knowledge of that instrument into the new one. Personally, every new instrument i pick up improves my improv and jazz musicality on my main instrument, piano.

So figure what you want to do.

 

[cann0nba11]

Any note at the wrong time is wrong regardless of the tone.

But you're always a half step away from a 'right' note. ;-)

 

[cann0nba11]

There are lots of new people here, and the search feature of message boards like this generally stink. Cut the poster some slack, it's a fair question. :-|

The decision to move to a new instrument is usually utilitarian. The need to learn flute/clarinet is dictated by the amount of pit orchestra or big band gigs you want/need to play. If you get called for a gig and you fold on the flute part, you'll need to practice. You never truly master any instrument, but some people get really close.