NMC Learning at Home: Saxophone vs. Clarinet
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- čas přidán 5. 06. 2024
- Evan the Educator settles things once and for all, which instrument is better: the saxophone or the clarinet (scientifically speaking)?
See how the cone and cylinder shape of each instrument affects timbre and overtones. Learn which one is best for volume, control, and producing notes. Who will come out the winner? Find out in the latest episode of NMC Learning at Home, and follow along using the featured spectrogram at spectrogram.sciencemusic.org/.
Corrections:
-Reeds are made of the plant Ardundo Donax. It is a "cousin" of bamboo, but not in the same family.
-The mouthpiece of the clarinet is connected to the body by the "barrel" not a "neck".
Got questions? Send them to education@nmc.ca. We'll do our best to answer them all-maybe even in a future video!
Special thanks to the Rozsa Foundation and Calgary Foundation for their support of the NMC Learning at Home series.
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0:00 Introduction
0:41 Source of Vibration
1:13 Mouthpiece
2:34 Adding Tubes
4:16 the Body
5:41 Timbre (Spectrogram)
7:22 Cone Vs Cylinder
8:00 Which is Best?
9:00 No Better - Hudba
"I thought the conflict would generate more views" this guy knows how people work
Agreed!!
😂👊
He knows how people work? Errrr NO
@@espr7564r/woosh
The "neck" on the clarinet is called the barrel.
I know lol
ty 😂
Yup, it's funny they call it that.
Thanks. 👍🏼
God bless you
This is the "Bill Nye" of music!
He even looks like him
Thats exactly what i thought!
I wouldn’t give him that credit.
Period
I started with the clarinet because it was cheaper on a student budget. Now I have saxophones. I believe the clarinet is sweeter and is more suitable for classical music and jazz. The open tone holes allow better control in expert hands. The sax is obviously louder and is brassier because of the cone shape as well as the metallic material they are usually constructed from. So I think rock and roll and pop music are a good match for sax. But the sax has less control than the clarinet because of the close tone holes. Importantly, sax gets the chicks !
But the sax is THE jazz melodic instrument...
Guitar get the chicks. Remember that
Both clarinet and saxophone fit into the jazz category. When I think of an instrument for jazz I immediately think of a sax.
@@immunetowesternlies8697 But it didn't work for me!
@@sarastonebell9053 Yes, I agree. There are many very exceptional Jazz bands with equally exceptional Sax and clarinet performers. Sax players are more showy, prancing around the stage.😁
There are a few Jazz bands in New Orleans which I enjoy watching and listening on CZcams. Both sax and clarinet featured prominently and expertly in them. And don't forget the rest of the woodwinds.
The clarinet takes and develops a much more disciplined embracer. The keys work develops a more precise technique and it has a more complex musical design, which takes a bit more thought and discipline (there is that D word again) to play and to improvise on. Both instruments are fun to play. First learn clarinet and the path to the saxophone will be paved for fast progression.
Lol this is what I unintentionally did. I picked clarinet when I was in middle school because they made it seem like I couldn't play sax and then 4 years later I switched to sax.
Btw to me the clarinet and the saxophone are equally as difficult/easy to play on, key-wise
The only thing is typically when people choose sax they want to go for the more jazzy style whereas the clarinet is typically viewed and played as a classical instrument i think that unless they joined a jazz band that would be the one thing that could be taken away from the wonderful experience that is the world of jazz/saxophone (obviously the clarinet is a great jazz instrument and the sax is a great classical instrument) but from what I’ve seen this is what I have noticed
I play sax but I’m just now learning clarinet
Are you good? Clarinet for jazz oh hell nooo
@@narutoespina3605 my dad wanted me to play clarinet in 5th grade because he thinks clarinet should be used more in jazz lol.
clarinet played by a seasoned player and assuming one likes what is being played, can make an absolutely dreamy sound
Classical saxophone is right in there with the dreamy sound. Jazz to me just sounds lazy
Clarinets have basically the same fingering as the recorder. ALMOST (I just started the clarinet)
The clarinet needs a lot and I MEAN ALOT of air. Like ALOT. So yeah
He's crazy and I love it lol
This is like the tiktok challange 'how to say you aren't mentaly stable without saying i am not mentaly stable' 😂😂😂 he is hilarious
The part attached below the mouthpiece of a clarinet is called the barrel, not the neck. On a sax that part is called the neck or gooseneck.
He also called the clarinet bell a cone.
9:44 as a clarinet player, I agree with this fully
As a clarinet beginner, I also agree.
Honestly yeah 😔
As a player of both, agree? It’s hit or miss. One of my good friends is also a player of both😂
Same
as a music teacher for 50 years i loved this video a great teacher!
Ive never noticed how cool and jazzy these instruments sounded outside of concerts lol
came to figure out the difference so I could know which one was playing when I listen to jazz while working. stayed for the THE RAW ENERGY
Hello, excellent explanation on both noble instruments! I definitely believe, given the unstable experience that local saxophonists have had trying to play clarinet after years and years of blasting their saxophones, that learning clarinet first or simultaneously is better than the other way around; because the clarinet discontinues the lower octave (chalomeau) with the upper one (Clarin); because between one and the other there is a twelfth of tonal difference, which is why you have to assimilate in your brain the throat notes that connect both twelfths. In the case of saxophones, fingering is easier, because there is a fair octaba between the low and medium tonality and the positioning of the fingers is exactly the same for the same notes. It seems to me that the clarinet is one of the most complete woodwind instruments. Of course there may be honorable exceptions, as in every rule. Hug from Silverio's Argentine Patagonia.
I'd heard the cylinder vs cone thing before but it was described as "square wave vs sawtooth = fewer vs more harmonics" - your "reflections come straight out isntead of being contained for ages" explanation was much clearer - thank you! (Damn, but I'm Loving Canada these days!)
I love the energy of your presentation. Thank you
A wonderful, informative video of interest to Musicians and Physicists ( especially for those of us interested in both ) complete with funny, geeky humour. Well done !!
wooow very interesting diagram. The whole comparison was engaging and informative. Actually, i've been learning about other woodwinds and speculating about which to try because i wasn't much interested in my alto sax -- haven't practiced in years. But hearing the little snippets he played got me interested in it.
Thank you very much for your demonstration and explanation!
Is it true that all Canadian musicians prefer to play in the key of “eh”?
This guy is a genius. I wanna watch all of his videos.
Reeds are a plant named reed. The pipe attached to the mouthpiece of a clarinet is called a barrel.
Fun learning!
I'm really into steampunk music and I had trouble telling these two apart for a long time, so thanks
This man is my Spirit Animal
You can definitely play rhapsody in blue on a bowed string instrument. I've seen someone do it on a viola. Sounded really good!
The main difference between two is that on a clarinet, most of the time players spends to play the music. On the sax, most of the time the player spends to play in tune. :-) The sax in incredibly hard to play in tune, but that is part of its charm.
Strange.
I never had this problem.
Outstanding video, thank you!
I love your silly video!!
I'm a clarinetist but I've always wanted to learn sax so I FINALLY got one and I'm learning everything I can. In my search I've learned that sax uses a completely different embouchure! And multiple! Also you use your palm??? Whaaaaat?
Also nice mega man tune! Lol
So thank you for the very informative and amusing video!!!
embouchure - as a clarinet major (MANY years ago), I took a semester of saxophone as a secondary instrument...My sax teacher (who also happened to be my clarinet teacher) told me "it's a saxophone (shrug), stick it in your mouth and blow) :-)
If you say alto sax istg
Very weirdly this Entire video was Entertaining as well as Educational. Thank you ❤️
Fun video really enjoy watching this !
Cheers
Love it! Fun, accessible and full of usefull facts and tips.
I've been playing the Alto saxophone for 5 years now but I've just started learning the Bb clarinet for about a month now. I face more challenges with the clarinet than I did with the saxophone.
Wow, really?! I’ve been playing clarinet for around 2 years and I want to try sax someday! Clarinet was suuuper easy for me in the beginning, but the notes and things get harder, especially getting started on the the notes above b flat.
@@chloeartistic I have friends who learned to play sax after learning clarinet and they say they're much the same
@@griftegrd good to know 😁👍
Clarinet has more octaves. Worth two saxophones. Coltrane's first woodwind was clarinet.
I never understood what people meant when they say this. Both saxophone and clarinet have an infinite range upwards?
@@isaiahd9947 no what he/she means is that a clarinet can play higher than a saxophone (depending on what type of saxophone) an alto sax which is in the key of Eb has the range from low A# to high F I’m not sure on a clarinet to put it simply clarinet can go higher than a sax depending on the saxophone. Does this answer your question?
@@aerogames3300 not exactly. Cause both saxophone and clarinet have an infinite range upwards if you use altissimo?
@@isaiahd9947 yes. But what they meant is that without using altissimo the clarinets have more octaves than the sax.
@@aerogames3300 Whats the point of saying that though? Like nearly every saxophonist who has been playing for a couple years can play altissimo. Same with clarinet
The clarinet is also conical, all woodwind instruments are wider at the mouthpiece than the end
This guy is great! Brilliant video.
Thank you for this video. You explained it. SAX? Half of practice time = intonation & getting a good sound. On Sax you can work anywhere (Rock, Soul, backing Cabaret, Big Band, & in the pit playing Musicals). Fingering is dead easy.
CLT? Unless you are into Trad Jazz, Swing, or Ethnic Folk, you have to play straight & be in an Orchestra.
Which is best? For me?. CLARINET.
I love the sound of it & the discipline makes you realise why we play Music in the 1st place.
Over the yrs Sax paid the rent, but Clt = 1st love.
Thanks again for your work in explaining things. You get us thinking.
If I had to choose one I prefer the saxophone overall. Love its variety of tone, from the classical to the jazzy and rock tone. Unfortunately its harder to get the intonation spot on.
VERY JOLLY YOU ARE AND A AMUSING MAN--YOUR VIDEO IS A LEARNING ONE AND YOUR EXPLANATION IS CLEAR---FROM BANGLADESH ON 21/10/2022
Awesome video, thank you.
Saludos de Guatemala :)
Despite my criticism of the info below this guy makes the science of musical instruments kinda fun. Everybody's gotta have a gimmick. More power to him.
But .... Reeds are made of cane not bamboo. Specifically its species name is Arundo donax and it's a type cane or reed found in marshy or wetlands areas. Most reed cane is grown in France but it grows pretty much anywhere there's a wet marshy area. The state of California even has an eradication program for arundo donax because it grows in our sloughs and marshes and pushes out native species. It's considered an invasive species. There are 1000 species of bamboo but Arundo donax isn't one of them .....and.... a sax has a neck or crook but a clarinet has a barrel.
I LOVE this video, and how you made it :D
I played the sax and now changed to Clarinet. The hardest part is to get used to the different grip when you (for example) read a C that's a completly different grip on the Clarinet (is like the G-grip on sax). I hope i can get used to it…..
You're right! I misnamed the "barrel" of the clarinet. Sorry about that.
Very useful video.
As a sax player the clarinet always looked like it had a million keys..and the when I counted one day the sax had more lol. And I just somehow never noticed
Will it be easy for someone like you who as a saxophone player to learn clarinet??
Well depending on the type of sax you play you might have to change your embouchure drastically like if you played bari sax and then moved to the sort of tiny mouthpiece that a clarinet I think that might be the biggest problem the only other problem I see is that the fingerings for clarinet seem much more complex and you would also need to learn to read Bb (that wouldn’t be too hard tho) so personally I would stick with my saxophone but it would probably be similar to learning sax so idk hope that helps a little
@@aineangeles2648 I can't necessarily answer your question, but I've played clarinet for 7 years, and I just started learning tenor sax this year. The sax actually has less keys than the clarinet, but the general layout of both are very similar. The instruments are fundamentally very similar. The two challenging learning curves when switching are learning how to switch between the clarinet's 12 note key system and the sax's 8 note key system and switching between the embouchures (mouth posture) of the two instruments. While many concepts are the same, learning both instruments can be rather challenging due to muscle memory.
TLDR; It's a relatively easy switch, but there are some challenges.
@@josephcassady450 thank you for the information you've shared. I would want to learn either, I just don't know which one.
Thank you.
Oh, have you considered the oboe, the flute or the bassoon?
Thanks again
@@aineangeles2648 I really want to learn oboe, and I'm starting to learn some flute at the moment, but I intend to practice it a lot over the summer when I have more time. I have never been that passionate about bassoon, but if I ever learn oboe, I'll probably try to learn bassoon too. And if you're going to pick between clarinet and sax, it really depends on what kind of music you like to play. If you want to play pop and jazz, sax is definitely for you. If you're more geared toward orchestral music, clarinet might be a better option. At the end of the day, both instruments can play any genre, and I'd recommend learning both; however if you are going to pick just one to start consider the type of music you like playing/listening to.
Great thanks
You are GREAT!! Lovely to see this
Brilliant as ever!!
Really loved this video! Thank you! 😁
Nice video. This man has a quirky Marty Feldman vibe that I enjoyed while I was following his teaching process. Again, nice video.
One thing that is very important, the saxophone overblows an octave, the clarinet overblows a twelth above the fundamental making it much more difficult to play, I know saxophone players who decided to play clarinet as well, some gave up others found it difficult.
This was a good video! If you ever want to rap about the science of Guitars or the amplifiers and stuff that comes with it is be willing to be a part of a project like that!
Merci beaucoup l'Ami !!!
Muito bom o vídeo. Amei!
This makes me want to study clarinet. I love clarinet more, bcuz it sound more melancholic to me.
The oboe is even more otherworldly and sad. But you have to make your own reeds.
I’m a clarinetist and playing sad, slow songs and fast, angry songs rock! I love playing and listening to angry music more though lol. I realllllly want to play a really high angry song.
@@brendareed8412 true?
@@chloeartistic Angry? You might want to look up a better synonym.
@@krane15 why
Very nice. But take a look on Martin Schmidt-Hahn clarinet !!
The part of the clarinet next to the mouthpiece is called the barrel.
I know almost nothing of music (reading it and playing it, I mean). It is the one language above all others I wish my brain could understand. And yet, I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Everything about it.
Thanks
He is the Bill Nye of music
Greate greate greate.... U helped alot to learn new stuff but still cant chose between them cuz i waant to play more of a turkish gypsy muzick like kuchek and jazz as well....still cant chose
You don't have to choose. Play both, and use whichever one sounds best on the particular piece of music you're performing.
Very entertaining and informative!
best music instrumental battle
I recently purchased a used tenor sax with a "like new" vintage A Gigliotti 7G* tenor mouth piece. What would it be worth and as an intermediate player, should I be using it?
I still liked it, but I thought you were going to cover which one is generally easier to learn at home
This makes me want to play my clarinets.
Fun presentation. Extra points for the Dolphy reference :)
Without a doubt, saxophonists have always been cooler than clarinetists. But listen to the great blend with the Glenn Miller sax section, clarinet lead plus two alto and two tenor saxophones. The clarinet really adds a nice sparkle on top.
Amazing video!!
Love it!!
Can you use a clarinet ligature in alto saxophone ?
I’m trying to buy the Vandoren optimal ligature , the clarinet is silver looking the saxophone is gold looking “I want silver one but they don’t make it for alto :(“
U think the alto clarinet ligature will fit on the alto saxophone?
Nice video! Which one is easier to learn?
Love the energy! Would like more stuff like this 🤟
4:05 Actually, you've got a ton of pitch control that can be achieved using your hand. By creating a cone with your hand and putting that at the end of the neck, you can open and close it in various shapes to get much lower notes and even jump to much higher harmonics.
Much love from Cairo, Egypt
This is a great video for seeing their differences! As a 75-year-old debating which, if either, to play, which one is easier to learn to play?
I play clarinet and have dabbled in saxophone and in my opinion clarinet is a lot more difficult to master but there is almost more to go. Ive played for 4 years and there are unique struggles such as the break and fingering to remember, saxophone is much more straightforward. If you want to learn quickly I suggest saxophone, if you’re on a budget maybe clarinet.
I’m a bit late, but as someone who plays both saxophone and clarinet, I’d choose saxophone. Saxophone overall in my opinion is easier but it really depends what you’re looking at.
Love this guy!!! He's like an insane scientist.
I just like this guy. This kind live longer, because they take life easy and careless
I think it would be cool to do this whole process but with a tenor or soprano (or an Eb clarinet) and see how alike they really sound in the same register
Wouldn’t be fair with a soprano, the highly unique tone and clarinet-like embouchure
Haha!! So funny. Also helpful for me choosing my band instrument!
Hi! Which one did you choose?
I love the sax
In Texas we call the “the neck” of the clarinet “the barrel.”
Same thing in Utah
Same in Iowa lmbo
🤣🤣🤣🤣WHO USES RICO REEDS🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Fun fact: the neck on the clarinet is actually the barrel, the hole on top of the body is actually smaller than the bottom because the plastic or wood is thinner, and the cone on the bottom is actually the bell
Sincerely: a clarinet player of a long time.
Ps. This video is great🤣🤣🤣
They are actually common for sax players, while clarinetists usually just use vandoren
@@ajla318 yeah it was kind of a joke that I realize in hind sight no one would really get😂 I use rico royals, which are better than regular ricos, and vandorens. Definitely no shade thrown 😁
@@samantha4575 oh okay :) you use rico for clarinet?
I use normal Rico reeds and am probably going to try hardness 3. What hardness do you play with and what’s the best for you?
@@chloeartistic I'm a bass clarinet player mostly, but I will say a three is a good size (at least for me). If you're a beginner, though, I would stick with a 2.5, it takes more air to play with a three, so if you have no issues with your current Reed size I wouldn't recommend going up. Also I wouldn't use Rico, they aren't very good reeds tbh. Use Rico royal or vandoran. Best of luck! :)
Increíble!!
This guy is my all time favourite muppet!
That was awesome! Nice one mate :-)
Hi.
I play tenor sax, and can blow out quite exeptable notes on it from bottom to top....however!!!..... i got a clarinet, with various strength reeds, an can i eck get a descent note from it exept for squeakin and the odd very quiet note, so it goes back in its case for a few months till i try again.
I need to suss it before i give up on it!
Can you help please? Any advice would be awsome.
Cheers
I play oboe but I’ve always wanted to try clarinet
Idk just something about the clarinets smooth sound
this is so brilliant thank you 😂
saxophone players are objectively cooler than clarinetists HAHAHAHHA LOVED IT AND CAN CONFIRM ! Though clarinetists are really cool as well :)
It's really impressive that clarinetists can produce such pretty sounds with a piece of firewood
@@jeannebouwman1970 lol mine is plastic, but I get it swapped out for wood soon
what if i’m both
@@cj_hastings then you’re even cooler
@@chloeartistic yo
You are great.
Actually, there is a piece of music where clarinetists play just the barrel and mouthpiece and adjust the pitch by sticking a pinky up the barrel and moving it to create different notes. If you're curious, check out the end of Maslanka's Symphony no 4. It's supposed to sound like babies crying over the sweet tunes of flutes and harp. (I wish I was kidding)
Doesn't the clarinet get a point for also being used in rock and jazz???
And don't forget orchestra.
This. Is. A. Great. Video ☘️
I play the saxophone but I’ve seen a lot of saxophone players also play clarinet.
It really makes me want to play the clarinet!
Do it. Just don’t use sax embouchure
Sax embrouchure will absolutely kill your clarinet playing💀💀. I am actually kind of taken by storm on how disciplined the clarinet embrouchure is now that I play the flute
@@valkyrie_592 depends on what sax you play
i love this please don’t stop 😂😂😂😂
Clarinet "neck". *barrel*.
This a great video though, I love it!
What saxophone do you recommend as the first sax? Alto or tenor? thanks for the video it was very good
Good Question! I started on a tenor saxophone, which is a terrific instrument, but it's also harder to play (more air, fingers further apart, harder to get good solid tones ). So the tenor takes more time to master, but it makes a really easy transition into the alto (alto to tenor is a more difficult switch). It also depends on the style of music you want to play...At the end of the day, I'd rather play my alto, but I'd rather listen to a tenor. Hope that helps.
A genious! Thank you!
P. S. What was that background beautiful music at the end?
Thanks for watching! I compose/arrange/perform all the music for the series, so the piece from the end doesn't really have a name...but I'm glad you enjoyed it.