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What is the octave difference between a clarinet and a alto saxophone?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
The Clarinet has a much larger range than the Saxophone - over three full octaves in the useable range, not including the upper altissimo. That normal range is from written E, an octave below the treble staff, to G an octave above the treble staff. The most common clarinet is the Bb soprano, and the range sounds from concert D in the middle of the bass clef to concert F, an octave above the treble staff.
The alto sax is in Eb with a written range from Bb just below middle C to F or F#, an octave above the treble staff. The range sounds from Db in the middle of the bass clef (one half tone lower than the lowest clarinet note), to Ab or A, one ledger line above the treble staff. That's six notes of the scale below the top of the normal clarinet range.
The same written note sounds a fifth (five scale notes, inclusive) lower on the alto sax. For example, a written middle C sounds a concert Bb on the clarinet and the next lower concert Eb on the alto sax.
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∙ 11y ago
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Is a b flat clarinet the same notes as a tenor saxophone?
Take the upper octave fingerings of the B flat clarinet (D in the staff to a D above the staff) and they produce the same notes on the tenor saxophone. On tenor saxophone, you would use the same fingerings for notes regardless of which octave you are in (for example: a D in the staff is the same fingering as a D below the staff) either adding the octave key to make the note higher or lower. The only inconsistencies with no relation between clarinet and tenor are the fingerings for C (middle key in the left hand on tenor) and C sharp (no keys down on tenor) Notes in the octave above the staff are different from clarinet to tenor as well.
Why do clarinets and saxophones transpose?
Im not sure if you meant 'why' or how' do clarinets and saxophones transpose. For the sake of logic, I will assume "How do clarinets and Saxophones transpose" as the alternative does not make sense to me. Well, quite simply, from a clarinet to a Tenor or Soprano Saxophone, there is NO transposing needed as the Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone and Soprano Saxophone are all Bb (B Flat) instruments (which means that a C on the Clarinet will sound the same as a C on those 2 saxes). However, for the Alto and Baritone saxophones, you will need to transpose, as Alto and Baritone are Eb (E Flat) instruments. One thing to note is that a Clarinet has a Register Key, while a Saxophone has an Octave Key. The register key raises the pitch of a clarinet by a 12th (19 semitones) while the Octave key raises by an octave, or 8th (12 semitones). Just something to consider when making the transition :)
What is the difference between piccolo and clarinet'?
A piccolo is a half sized flute that plays an octave higher then it's full sized cousin. A clarinet is a reed instrument that, while also from the woodwind family, plays at a lower range then the flute and is held vertically rather then horizontally. There are innumerable other differences, but these are the basics.
Are flute and alto saxophone fingerings similar?
The primary difference between the Bb soprano saxophone and the Bb soprano clarinet (to choose equivalent members of their families) comes from the fact that the clarinet has a cylindrical bore and overblows a 12th (octave plus a fifth) while the saxophone overblows by an octave. This means that the saxophone's second octave fingers like the first octave, while the clarinet needs extra keys to get the first four notes of the second octave! There are other differences (for instance, the clarinet has a very large number of little-finger keys used for alternate fingerings, making it possible to play passages more smoothly which otherwise would be viciously hard to play at all.) But this is the fundamental difference between them. ( added on ) i don't know much about clarinets but I'm going to use this as an example. to play the same tone of another instrument you have different notes. For example. concert G would be A natural for saxaphones but a C for a horn
What is the highest key on a saxophone?
As a tenor sax, my highest note is the third octave F.
Is a b flat clarinet the same notes as a tenor saxophone?
Take the upper octave fingerings of the B flat clarinet (D in the staff to a D above the staff) and they produce the same notes on the tenor saxophone. On tenor saxophone, you would use the same fingerings for notes regardless of which octave you are in (for example: a D in the staff is the same fingering as a D below the staff) either adding the octave key to make the note higher or lower. The only inconsistencies with no relation between clarinet and tenor are the fingerings for C (middle key in the left hand on tenor) and C sharp (no keys down on tenor) Notes in the octave above the staff are different from clarinet to tenor as well.
Why do clarinets and saxophones transpose?
Im not sure if you meant 'why' or how' do clarinets and saxophones transpose. For the sake of logic, I will assume "How do clarinets and Saxophones transpose" as the alternative does not make sense to me. Well, quite simply, from a clarinet to a Tenor or Soprano Saxophone, there is NO transposing needed as the Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone and Soprano Saxophone are all Bb (B Flat) instruments (which means that a C on the Clarinet will sound the same as a C on those 2 saxes). However, for the Alto and Baritone saxophones, you will need to transpose, as Alto and Baritone are Eb (E Flat) instruments. One thing to note is that a Clarinet has a Register Key, while a Saxophone has an Octave Key. The register key raises the pitch of a clarinet by a 12th (19 semitones) while the Octave key raises by an octave, or 8th (12 semitones). Just something to consider when making the transition :)
Is the alto sax similar to the clarinet?
There are many similarities. The mouthpiece and reed are similar, as is the embouchure (how you use the small muscles around the mouth), although the clarinet embouchure requires more strength. In the middle octave, from fourth line D to B above the staff, the primary fingerings are the same. There are differences, too. In addition to the obvious different shape and weight of the instruments, the sax overblows at the octave, meaning the middle octave has the same fingerings for each note as in the low octave (except for the addition of the octave key), while the clarinet overblows at the twelfth, meaning the fingering for the low octave is different. For example, the fingering for middle C with the addition of the register key sounds a G in the middle register of the clarinet. The more complicated fingering and the additional embouchure strength required to play clarinet makes it harder for a sax player to learn the clarinet than it is for a clarinet player to learn sax. Many teachers encourage young players who are interested in saxophone to start on clarinet. The young clarinet player doesn't have to deal with the weight of the sax, and learns skills that transfer easily.
Is the b flat clarinet is twice as long as the bass clarinet and sounds an octave lower?
Nope. Other way around. The bass clarinet IS twice as long as the Bb one, and IS an octave lower.
What are some alto-saxophone notes?
A typical alto saxophone can reach a B-flat one octave lower than its natural octave and a high F-natural (sometimes F-sharp) one octave higher than its natural octave. So some notes that can be played are A-flat, B-natural, and G-sharp, which are all in the alto saxophone's natural octave.
How do you play Bb on a clarinet?
hold down the octave key and A
How do you play low notes on the clarinet?
let go of the octave key
What is the difference between piccolo and clarinet'?
A piccolo is a half sized flute that plays an octave higher then it's full sized cousin. A clarinet is a reed instrument that, while also from the woodwind family, plays at a lower range then the flute and is held vertically rather then horizontally. There are innumerable other differences, but these are the basics.
Are flute and alto saxophone fingerings similar?
The primary difference between the Bb soprano saxophone and the Bb soprano clarinet (to choose equivalent members of their families) comes from the fact that the clarinet has a cylindrical bore and overblows a 12th (octave plus a fifth) while the saxophone overblows by an octave. This means that the saxophone's second octave fingers like the first octave, while the clarinet needs extra keys to get the first four notes of the second octave! There are other differences (for instance, the clarinet has a very large number of little-finger keys used for alternate fingerings, making it possible to play passages more smoothly which otherwise would be viciously hard to play at all.) But this is the fundamental difference between them. ( added on ) i don't know much about clarinets but I'm going to use this as an example. to play the same tone of another instrument you have different notes. For example. concert G would be A natural for saxaphones but a C for a horn
How do you play a octave key on the alto saxophone?
press down the octave key, the button where you put your left thumb, and play a note correctly.
What is the highest key on a saxophone?
As a tenor sax, my highest note is the third octave F.
Is the clarinet a good instrument?
The clarinet is a million times easier than the saxophone in every aspect. First because clarinet is just like piano where the notes are very easy. But on saxophone there are extra flats and sharps, you have to study things that you don't have to on clarinet, you need more air for saxophone, and the saxophone is very heavy! On clarinet you learn how to play all the notes in less than a month. If you play saxophone you learn the notes in more than 5 months! The saxophone is a lot harder! If you play saxophone, you need to layer your fingering more precisely too. Also they are tuned differently too. So if you play in a concert, the notes you play will be very confusing on the saxophone. Also the clarinet is very light. So it will be very easy to play clarinet than saxophone. So for my opinion clarinet is easier. People out there who think sax is easier, you are wrong. Clarinet is a million times easier than the saxophone in every aspect. Also for saxophone you need more air for blowing. You get tired more easily too. I admit clarinet squeaks a lot. But once you get used to it, you will stop squeaking. People out there who think sax is easier, you are wrong. Clarinet is much easier than the saxophone. Also for saxophone you need more air for blowing. You get tired more easily too. I admit clarinet squeaks a lot. But once you get used to it, you will stop squeaking. I play clarinet and saxophone and I can't keep up with saxophone. So please when you consider on choosing your instrument between clarinet and saxophone, choose clarinet. The previous answer has a point, with the fact that it's a very heavy instrument, depending on which one you play, and the tuning is very confusing as well. But in essence, the clarinet and the saxophone are very similar instruments. Both use a single reed mouthpiece, the same grip on the mouthpiece can be used, and the fingerings are actually very similar. The clarinet is much easier to start off with, but it is very hard to become a master of the clarinet. Especially when the vast majority of the classical music out there has the clarinet playing in it's highest register. The Saxophone however, is quite hard to start off with, but to become very good at the instrument, is very easy when compared to the clarinet. The hardest thing with the saxophone are the harmonics. The harmonics of the instrument is the vibration of the reed creating the sound, and depending on the vibration of the reed, created a different tone. With the saxophone's harmonics, it is very hard to play lower than a G when first starting, because the harmonics of the instrument make it very hard to control the pitch. You tighten your grip on the mouthpiece, the note jumps an octave. To play a low C, for example, you must drop your jaw and blow very hard to sound the note. It is also very hard to tongue in this register; I find it easier to use the lower jaw to articulate in this register. I play both Clarinet and Tenor Saxophone, which are both tuned in the of Bb, and Clarinet was my first instrument. Yes, it is very easy to squeak on the Clarinet, but it is not very easy to squeak on the Sax, even if you try. I started the Sax after two and a half years of Clarinet, and I got the hang of the clarinet within a month, playing all the way up the register and down. I got better on saxophone in about 5 months so man468 has a point about that. My point is; it depends on the playing style. If you play alot of concert band material, switching from clarinet to sax is fairly easy. Playing Classical repertoire, with the higher notes, sax will turn out to be very hard and frustrating at first. Plus, the weight isn't really a factor, the whole instrument's weight is held on the neck strap, and if you get a really good padded one, it's great playing the sax. Your lungs quickly get used to the amount of air needed for the sax. It's mostly the amount of pressure you force the air into the instrument, not how much air is needed. Hope this helped alot, and kudos to Man468 for a great answer as well. Cheers :) -KevinV97 They're similar and it's hard to say which is harder, because everyone has a hard time with certain areas where both the instruments demand. For example, the clarinet requires precise tone hole covering while the sax doesn't and the sax requires more air while the clarinet doesn't really need as much air. It's different for everyone, but the norm is that the sax is easier. 3rd Answer: I play clarinet, soprano, alto, and tenor sax. Sax is much easier. The fingerings are the same or similar, but the clarinet has the dreaded bridge between the low and middle register. The sax is designed with a couple of extra keys to make the 'bridge' simple. The upper register of the clarinet uses different fingering: something that you don't need to memorize when playing sax. A beginner should start with the clarinet . . . moving on to sax is dead simple in comparison!
