currently working on ‘Harlem Nocturne’ – i can just about play it on the Alto, but it’s taking me longer on the clarinet. When i can play it on the clarinet, then i’ll record both instruments separately.
the clarinet has 19 alternative finger positions, so on ‘harlem nocturne’ i’ve been working out where to use or not use alternative fingers in terms of making it easier to play. I’ve only been playing the clarinet in less than a year, struggling with remembering how to play the alternative keys.
The clarinet definitely plays keys a lot more in tune than the sax, however fingering the keys on the clarinet you have to be far more accurate and hold your fingers closer to the clarinet (you have to cover holes with your fingers and not covering them properly is the equivalent of a leaking pad on the sax resulting in horrible high pitch squeaks). I can understand someone starting out on a clarinet and then switching to a sax would have a head start on accurately fingering the keys on the sax.
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