Forum: music.stackexchange.com
Tags: <saxophone><clarinet>
Title: Playing Sax and Clarinet
Question: I currently play tenor sax but would like to pick up clarinet in the near future. How difficult would learning to play Clarinet be, given my experience as a tenor and long time piano player? How much will my knowledge of Sax help?

Answers:
sents: text: Disclaimer:
text: I’m a fellow sax player and have more or less never blown into a clarinet.
text: As you probably know a clarinet does not have an octave key (it has a key which makes the clarinet jump to the fifth of the octave/twelfth instead).
text: Because of that, you shouldn’t expect fingerings between saxophone and clarinet to be related at all.
text: Other than that, I’m guessing your embouchure would be useful (at least in the medium — clarinets have a crazy range), as would your general dexterity and, obviously, your knowledge of music.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/8577/Édouard
score: 5
sents: text: My sister in law was playing sax, but needed to switch to clarinet to be accepted in our wind orchestra, since the sax was well covered but we needed clarinets.
text: She used about six months before she felt good enough to start in the orchestra
text: (her instructor felt she was ready sooner).
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/249/awe
score: 4
sents: text: Given that most of the reed players I've worked with bring sax (tenor/alto/soprano) and a clarinet and often a flute, leads me to say it won't be too much of a problem.
text: SOME of the fingering is the same, and the embouchure is similar.
text: Since you have musical knowledge from playing piano as well, it will be quite an enjoyable, straightforward job.
text: I'm often surprised when a sax player does not also play a clarinet.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/2808/Tim
score: 2
sents: text: Practice long tones on just the mouthpiece and barrel with a tuner at first.
text: You should produce a C# (concert).
text: Your embouchure should be firmer, but don't bite.
text: The chin should be stretched flat at all times and the jaw should never move.
text: Basically: corners in, top lip stretched down, chin flat.
text: The "smile" embouchure should be avoided, as should any upward muscle movement.
text: (Think "in" and "down").Once
text: you are able to produce a steady tone consistently, start using the clarinet.
text: When you start working on clarinet, first stay in the low register, without using the register key.
text: Start on open "G" and work your fingers one at a time all the way down the clarinet so you can get a feel for where the holes are.
text: After a few weeks, you might be ready to start using the register key.
text: An easy way to practice your tone here is to practice 12th exercises, fingering the nots in the chalumeau register and simply adding the register key.
text: Try the exercises here: http://www.clarinetcloset.com/upperregister.html
text: There are many other useful resources on this website as well.
text: Good luck!
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/8947/Erika Branch
score: 2
sents: text: I played tenor sax for years in junior high and high school band.
text: I learned several instruments in the interim, one of them being clarinet.
text: It was probably the easiest to transition to from saxophone, as the fingering and the embouchure are both pretty similar.
text: The mouthpiece is smaller, and so your embouchure will need to be a bit firmer/tighter than you're used to.
text: Given your long history with music in general, the learning curve shouldn't be terribly sharp.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/9083/Ozala
score: 1
sents: text: I've only played Alto Sax
text: but I've played clarinet for a while, so
text: I might be able to help.
text: It was really easy to learn saxophone with all my years of clarinet practice, so I figure the other way around is the same, too.
text: You should have no problems making sound because saxophones and clarinets have about the same mouthpiece: very few differences.
text: However the fingerings are COMPLETELY different, and you'll need to adjust.
text: Also, the octave key on clarinet is really a twelfth key.
text: Hope this helped.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/36620/The_CIA
score: 1
sents: text: I played the clarinet first and had a go on the saxophone.
text: I found the saxophone a little more difficult to control because I needed to relax much more.
text: It's all about the embouchure.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/9012/SherwinJTB
score: 0
sents: text: One little quirk is that the lower register of a B flat clarinet plays exactly the same notes as an alto sax with the same fingerings.
text: But the notes have different names!
text: So three fingers down is called G on a sax and C on a B flat clarinet but are actually the same note.
text: So sometimes I play sax parts on a clarinet, needing to think like sax.
text: It works OK until you go above the B/E and open the speaker key, at which point confusion reigns!
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/37302/user37302
score: 0
sents: text: My dad (who passed away a few years ago at age 100) played so-called C=Melody Sax from before I was born till he was 90.
text: At which point he decided to switch to Clarinet.
text: He found the idea of a transposing instrument a bit daunting at first, but otherwise had no difficulties at all.
text: The switch from overblowing at the octave to overblowing at the 12th didn't faze him, nor did adjusting the embouchure.
text: I'm guessing you'll have no problems at all, especially since the Tenor and the clarinet both have the same transposition.
text: (Well, sort of.)
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/36643/L3B
score: 0
sents: text: Clarinet and sax use basically the same playing technique.
text: The 'similar but different' fingerings are a very minor issue, don't get hung up on it.
text: You'll be OK.
text: Go for it, as generations of woodwind players have before you!
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/17003/Laurence Payne
score: 0
sents: text: In my case I've played clarinet for about 6 years and although I'm still playing it.
text: In my jazz class my instructor had me move to tenor sax
text: and I gotta say it is confusing bc eventho the notes are the same and some of the fingerings are in fact the same.
text: The confusion comes when you try to play a note say for example concert B flat.
text: On the Clairnet its six fingers down with a alternative key while on the tenor sax it's only the middle finger down on your left hand.
text: For mouth position wise it is a lot different.
text: On the Clairnet you tight the corners of your mouth to play while on tenor you need to drop your jaw.
text: Without dropping your jaw the notes will play as though you are pressing the octave eventho
text: you are not.
text: It takes a lot of practice and learning a whole different way to play
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/62644/user62644
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
A saxophone player should have little difficulty learning the clarinet as the technique is basically the same. Many reed instrument players play a number of instruments. Moreover, a musician will find learning a new instrument easier than a person with no musical background. 
It is generally agreed that learning the clarinet having already learnt the saxophone shouldn't be much of a problem.