Curious if there are any sax players out there. I’ve started and learned quite quickly – for me – that playing sax makes my flute emoubouchre sux. It’ll come back after 5-10 minutes, and playing whistle accelerates it. I found that fascinating and wonder if there are any others out there who can speak to this. Thanks for any wisdom.
John
North Carolina USA
I play trumpet as well as my dearly beloved Irish flute and I find that the time period is probably more like 20 - 30 minutes before I’m back to “normal” on the flute.
I know there’s a past thread or three on the topic somewhere, but too lazy to find it. But, I tried to double on sax and flute as a young aspiring jazz player back in the day. Once I decided that flute was my main instrument, gave up the sax, because i didn’t want to lose that “pure” tone on the flute. I know there are some great jazz flute players who don’t double for that reason. but I guess it depends on the individual because I have seen players go from one to the other in one tune and still sound good on both. However, IMHO, if you want a really strong flute embouchure, and resulting “pure” sound, stick to the flute, but that’s just me.
Russ
I agree. I started messing with clarinet a few years ago, and quickly put it down for the very same reason.
I saw Fathead Newman play a few years ago and he switched back and forth without problem. I think a person can do what they want if they are willing to practice and put their minds to it. I have played Irish flute and Klezmer clarinet with little personal harm (to myself).
it will get better the more you do it.
I’ve always been impressed by the fact that most jazz players that double on sax and flute play alot more sax than flute, yet when they switch off, play beautifully. I’ve never had any interest at all in sax, but if I did, I wouldn’t let the notion of it interfering with my flute embouchure stop me for a nano second.
I’ve had the same experience with my flute embouchure needing a little recovery time after playing sax, but the real problem for me is the shift in the feel of the music. Both swing in jazz and lilt in Irish music are undefinable, variable, and and essential to the feel of the music, but they are very different. In an ideal world the transition from sax to flute would make me sound like Niall Keegan, but the reality is that I sound like third-rate studio musician playing a smooth-jazz version of “Danny Boy”.
ah, not schizophrenic, eh!
oddly I never had that problem…
In non-trad circles, sax players often, if not usually, double as flute players - many times, it’s considered a real detriment if you can’t cover the other instrument. An embouchure shouldn’t decline because you use your lips a bit differently; it takes getting used to, that’s all, and practice on both. I was told by several ITM flute players that whistle will ruin an embouchure; that’s clearly not true, although these folks believed it, and - if you’re not spending adequate time on both, it seems true at first. Again, I think it’s a matter of too much time off on one instrument over the other, or not enough time (on flute) in the first place, and not the playing of two different (or more) instruments in general.
Here’s a jazzman that doubled as good as any http://youtu.be/TL__KIO7aXE , Tim Eyerman.
Yes! Dolphy was brilliant on a few instruments including flute and sax as well as the cool Bass clarinet stuff he did while playing with Coltrane’s group.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Y1tZG0KH0
Start at 2:49:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_OEJ0wqt2g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv2Q2ivSA1A
He’s someone who’s consistently captivated me as (IMHO) one of the most creative and exciting musicians to grace any genre, and perhaps as much for that distinctive bass clarinet work (not just with Coltrane) as anything!
Certainly not only with Coltrane I’m just a big Coltrane fan and have a lot more of his stuff than of Dolphy’s and I love the way the bass clarinet sounds as an addition to the ‘classic’ Coltrane quartet (I mean the McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones line-up.) Coltrane also played a bit of flute towards the end of his life, supposedly he was given Dolphy’s flute after he [Dolphy] passed away.
Josie McDermott played sax as well as flute. Also you might want to check out the band At the Racket which has Seamus O’Donnell playing (Irish) flute and sax in a 1920s inspired trad context.
I played both in college and my flute playing never suffered. My sax playing, on the other hand … 
Then again, it was truly awful to begin with.
Lew Tabakin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0L63z1YFdA
That said, I think only the most talented and dedicated players can pull it off. I find I have difficulty even switching from whistle to flute, and from Boehm flute to Irish flute. I think it also depends what your goals/standards are. I pretty much have to just play flute. When I teach clarinet in the elementary schools, it kills my flute playing.
I used to play both quite regularly in a band, never found that one affected the other. I learnt the flute first, I’m wondering if order of learning affects it at all? Any ideas anyone?
I’m sax first, no problems
