List of woodwind instruments?

Question

My band program is allowing us to switch instruments. I have a clarinet and have been playing since August, and in that time I have become QUITE good. Before I even started playing, the band director said I had a good mouth for clarinet. But I might be switching. Maybe to oboe because of the scholarship options. But then I heard my friend complaining (she plays oboe) about the limited note range. Should I switch? If so, to what? I have gotten used to the clarinet fingerings. so would that be a problem? Can someone give me a list of woodwind instruments and their pros and cons?

Answer 1

I can't stand the oboe, but you should try the bassoon.

Answer 2

Oboe - It makes a disgusting sound but is also a funny sound. Not many people play it.

Clarinet - It has a nice smooth tone but the fingerings can be complicated, also the higher register may be hard to play in tine and nicely.

Bass Clarinet - Much the same as clarinet except it is better because it is lower and unique. Takes a while to get used to after having played normal clarinet.

Bassoon - Makes a cool noise and is different. Is really big though, although the case is pretty small really. You would need to know/learn bass clef which is a pain in the ***.

Baritone Saxaphone - It's really low and cool sounding but again it is written in bass clef. It's also heavy.

Tenor Saxaphone - I find this instrument to be boring and average. To me it is just the sax between alto and bari. It's pretty cool though.

Alto Sacaphone - I think it is a really cool instrument. It is suited to funky jazz or classical music.

Flute - Really high and hardly ever in tune (sounds horrible when more than one plays in the upper register) but is by far the easiest instrument to set up and pack away. It has no reed and only 3 parts!

Answer 3

If you were going to switch from the clarinet to a woodwind instrument i would personally suggest the oboe. It's of similar size and the fingering is much the same. Although it will be a little different getting used to the reed you have to slot in the top, it will be a damn sight easier than getting used to the postioning of the bassoon, which i think would be too big a change if you are used to the lightweight and lighter sounding clarinet.

Answer 4

A friend of mine played both clarinet and oboe and did quite well at both. I agree with your friend, though, about the limited range of the oboe. Personally, I like the tone quality of an English horn much better. It's also a double reed instrument and might be a viable alternative.

I'm a keyboard player myself so I can't give you a list of pros and cons from personal experience. Sorry!

Answer 5

I play clarinet, its AWESOME! Dont swtich. Oboes are cool but not as cool as the clarinet. Once you get into high school band (if not already) they usually have the melody and a lot more playing time than flutes or what ever. heres some instruments though

Flute
Whistles
Clarinet
Saxophone
Harp
Oboe
Bassoon
Crumhorn
Bagpipes

Answer 6

well the oboe is good if you are interested for a scholarship. Oboes and bassoon are what colleges look for in those. If you are really looking for music as a scholarship, then play the oboe. And if your friend plays the oboe, thats actually good cause then if she knows how to play then she could give you pointers. And so what if it has limited note range, less to learn on fingerings.

Answer 7

I think the director is selecting oboe for you because you have shown patience/talent for moving up to a double reed instrument. I love the oboe and bassoon, and yeah, the scholarship potential is greater for those who study the double reeds.

REAL music schools also want to know how adaptive you are from one instrument to another. That would be a plus too. You can also introduce yourself to a soprano sax, for example.

Answer 8

Musical... bari sax is written in treble clef... ☺

Only you can decide if you want to switch. There are many good reasons to learn another instrument and getting a college scholarship is probably not the best reason. Reality is that colleges give scholarships to really good players no matter what they play. Only to the really good players. They also scholarship good players who are versatile.

I personally play the entire family of woodwinds. My preference is the big clarinets (they're just a lot of fun) but real world is that contralto clarinet gigs are hard to come by. Real world is that sax gigs are pretty easy to get if you also play clarinet and flute well. College seats are easier to get if you can play "doesn't matter doc - whatever you need..."

A list - based on my opinions only which may differ from other people's:

* flute -- not too hard to learn to play reasonable well but there are a lot of fantastic diva flute players out there. Thing is, they tend to only play flute so they don't get the doubler gigs. Good alto and bass players can be hard to come by though and if you have one - there are gigs to be had. They tend to be straight players as well so a jazz reader can get in some over them except in orchestral and chamber gigs (which are going to the diva anyway). Professional quality flutes are really expensive ($5K-10K)

* clarinet -- not as easy to learn as the other w/w's (except double reeds) and there are a lot of outstanding clarinetists out there too (who also don't double). There are plenty of bass clarinet players but not too many that can truly handle a contralto or contrabass. Have to learn to transpose at sight in bass, treble, and tenor clefs to be of best value on the contras. There's a niche for jazz clarinetists and not too many around. If you own a full set (Eb, Bb, A, alto, bass, contra) there are plenty of gigs to be had. Learn to play the basset horn or basset clarinet really well and you can tour.

* Oboe (and English Horn) -- fingerings are easy but the beast requires a lot of practice time. Very few people play this instrument very well so the competition just isn't there against you. There are even fewer who have (and can play) an English Horn or Oboe d'Amour. If you're willing to put in the hours a day (every day) required, this is a wonderful choice for a lot of reasons.

* Bassoon -- fingers similar to the clarinet and isn't as hard as the oboe. There are some people who play it well but not as many as other instruments. Almost every band/orchestra needs another bassoonist. It is in bass and tenor clef (and occasionally in treble) but that's not a difficult process to learn. Someone that can double bassoon, bass clarinet, and bari sax has show pit gig clout. Adding contra bassoon makes one an incredibly valuable commodity.

* Sax family -- learning one makes the entire family available to you though different people tend play one better than the others. Sometimes it seems like everyone plays sax and this is probably because it also often seems that almost every gig in the world is for sax or trumpet. The ability to play sax reasonably well is beneficial to any woodwind player but concentrating on the family without other options may limit opportunities. For woodwind players that want to do jazz and pop, sax is pretty essential. In the pit; alto doubles flute/oboe, tenor doubles clarinet, bari doubles bass clarinet/bassoon. A player that can take any seat has offers.

Bottom line is that any of these requires considerable effort to be a good player. If you want to play in college then being "good" is barely going to cut it.

Answer 9

don't switch, if ur used to the clarinet fingerings don't switch.

learn more higher notes, try out for Honor Band and All-State if ur THAT good...it's fun.

i also play the clarinet and i've been playing for 4 1/2 years...

my advice: Don't switch, practice with the clarinet and be a pro at it, not just QUITE good


here's something to change ur mind about switching.
listen:

GMEA Middle School All-State Band 2007 (last year)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RpAZYQg14k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahLFdnUutNk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2L1KGMTZTc&feature=related

Answer 10

Play bass clarinet, it's the same fingering exept It's lower pitched and looks way cooler! I play one and it's alot of fun, the only thing is you don't get very many cool parts :(

If you've never seen one (which you probably have) here's a random video I found: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFpRVn2GZ7s

Answer 11

the oboe is hard but I like it. but it would take a while to be able to play a full range and do reeds and stuff. I started when I was yound like 5 years ago and now i call myself an oboist because I feel I can actually play. stay with wut your doing. or go to like sax or something cuz it's easy