When I was young, I played sax, clarinet, and flute at the same time, also, and that never occurred to me. However, granted, altissimo fingerings on flute, clarinet and sax were all confusing, because you so seldom encountered them in music. I never learned many of the altissimo fingerings on sax, and yet heard Sigurd Rascher in a recital hitting all kinds of notes I didn't even know existed or were humanly possible. On flute, the first good fingering chart I ordered had notes to F (above high C), although I admit, I hit an E only once. Any kids out there considering auditioning for a very top music school (like Juilliard or Curtis anyway) on a wind instrument, you should play your scales into the altissimo, so for flutists, that would mean a three-octave D scale.
Or if they have the same embouchoure... Let's just make it super easy for people to master musical instruments. Forget all that. Hard work and dedication stuff... You could just learn to play the EWI and have a good sound bank.
As I recall, Paul Harvey’s book on the saxophone has a photo of an oboe with saxophone fingerings. Edit: the oboe with saxophone fingers photo is actually in Joppig's "The Oboe and the Bassoon", p. 85. The instrument is made by "Louis Musical Instrument Company, London" around 1930. The photo shows the instrument with a single reed mouthpiece.
I would love to get my hands on one of these instruments! I love the sound of clarinet, but I have never quite mastered the differences in the Boehm system, but as saxophone is my primary woodwind instrument (my primary instrument is tuba) this instrument solves the problems I have run into with clarinet.
I enjoyed this video very much. I've never played sax (although I have an old Conn "New Wonder" alto that was my mother's instrument in high school 80 years ago, but needs new pads even to be playable). I started out on clarinet, but have many other instruments now (although mostly brass), with one being an Albert system clarinet I bought used off eBay. It also came saying it "needs some work" but it plays about as well as you saxophone-fingered clarinet.
That’s a great saxophone, especially if it’s actually a NWII. you should give sax a shot, it’s dead simple as an instrument, especially compared to clarinet
@@AFN2750 Thanks! Yes, I hope to do so. However, looking at the keys, they appear less "intuitive" than those on a clarinet, as the sax seems to have so much more "hardware" on it, while the clarinet has holes and open rings, making it obvious as to where the fingers go. I'll have to see if I come to the same conclusion after studying the saxophone. BTW, my mother's sax was made in 1917 based upon the serial number.
Interesting. But I suggest you missed out the most important reason for that clarinet. One of the biggest challenges for any sax player doubling on clarinet (especially if its occasional) is that the sax does not require precision finger placement. But the clarinet does, and how! Any slight deviation in finger placement will cause a tone hole or pad to open and often cause the clarinet not to speak at all. This is especially true of the 'sliver' keys between the rings on both left and right hand holes. Its ultra easy to touch these with the side of a finger, and open its pad slightly. If this happens either nothing will come out or the clarinet will squeak. And if the Sax is the main instrument being played and the clarinet picked up for a double for a short passage, say, its only too easy for disaster to strike. This covered hole instrument would go a long way to relieve that anxiety and chance of that happening, and its aligned as far as possible to Sax fingerings. I'd never seen one like that before, Albert and Oehler or extended Boehm and even metal in Albert or Boehm but not a covered hole. I wish they had caught on! Have you sold it yet?
I forgot about this since I'm a clarinet player who doubles on saxophone. I've been playing for a few years so the precise finger movements are second nature to me and didn't think about the saxophonist's troubles with clarinet finger placement.
That's right. On some of his later recordings you can hear the plateau keys clicking when they're picked up by the microphone! I tried one of these Buisson clarinets but didn't like it...I prefer a straight-forward Albert system.
Sid Phillips used the traditional Albert , Simple system clarinet, as played by the early clarinet players from New Orleans, including Sidney Bechet and Omer Simeon and Johnny Dodds, not the plateau one by Buisson
Just out of curiosity, is there a functional altissimo range? Its such a big part of clarinet repertoire (and not especially uncommon in sax repertoire) that it seems super strange to fully lack it. If so, is the fingering system akin to clarinet, sax, or some Frankenstein of the two?
Altissimo is roughly the same fingerings as any other clarinet. D (oxx|xoo) surprisingly comes right out. E is a bit strained and the short F fingering is as well. Long F and everything above seems fine. It’s definitely a Frankenstein of the two haha.
You'd think at first glance that any clarinet aiming to ease the transition for saxophone players would have an articulated C/G-sharp mechanism. Maybe the mechanism wasn't universal even on saxophones at the time this clarinet was made.
Found it from a seller in Britain. I actually plan on fixing it up and selling it. If you’re interested feel free to reach out to me at octocontrabass@gmail.com
You would have to search eBay. It's tricky though as they are often mislabeled, I remember seeing one the other day but I can't find the listing unfortunately.
Jared do you have a beginner's fingering for soprano sax I went to Dawkes in UK but no tutorial for the soprano sax even searched on the net no luck I wonder if you could help.
That clarinet is usually called a “plateau” clarinet , usually made by the French manufacturing company called LEBLANC. PLATEAU means “ cover “ in ENGLISH , it has metal keys covering the tone holes. I think your description is a misnomer !
Nope the difference between this and a standard plateau clarinet is the fingering system. They both have covered holes but the fingering of this instrument is different from a Boehm system instrument like the Leblanc.
@benjaminmiller5649 people are typically taught to play B flat with both first fingers (both index fingers) but playing that note whether ur in tune or not will 90% of the time be either too sharp or flat and sounds gross. That's why slightly more experienced players will use left hand 1 and 2 (index and middle) with the bottom right hand palm key
@@thrax1822 no, you cannot tell me that if someone plays like cannonball adderley and uses a certain fingering that they should not be playing the saxophone. obviously its not optimal for technique but not a single person hiring for gigs cares about that
I play flute, clarinet, and sax. It would be great if they all had exactly the same fingerings.
The clarinet will never have the same fingering system of the others due to the register key/overtone situation.
When I was young, I played sax, clarinet, and flute at the same time, also, and that never occurred to me. However, granted, altissimo fingerings on flute, clarinet and sax were all confusing, because you so seldom encountered them in music. I never learned many of the altissimo fingerings on sax, and yet heard Sigurd Rascher in a recital hitting all kinds of notes I didn't even know existed or were humanly possible. On flute, the first good fingering chart I ordered had notes to F (above high C), although I admit, I hit an E only once. Any kids out there considering auditioning for a very top music school (like Juilliard or Curtis anyway) on a wind instrument, you should play your scales into the altissimo, so for flutists, that would mean a three-octave D scale.
Or if they have the same embouchoure... Let's just make it super easy for people to master musical instruments. Forget all that. Hard work and dedication stuff...
You could just learn to play the EWI and have a good sound bank.
Same here. That would be a dream come true
I found that searching for “Buisson plateau” turned up a number of hits. Some had German system key work and others had Boehm system keys.
As I recall, Paul Harvey’s book on the saxophone has a photo of an oboe with saxophone fingerings. Edit: the oboe with saxophone fingers photo is actually in Joppig's "The Oboe and the Bassoon", p. 85. The instrument is made by "Louis Musical Instrument Company, London" around 1930. The photo shows the instrument with a single reed mouthpiece.
I once had one of those as well! It was a Kohlert metal "Saxoboe" I regret selling it...
I have been looking for something like this FOR AGES
I enjoyed the demo. Thanks. I also enjoyed the outro music.
I would love to get my hands on one of these instruments! I love the sound of clarinet, but I have never quite mastered the differences in the Boehm system, but as saxophone is my primary woodwind instrument (my primary instrument is tuba) this instrument solves the problems I have run into with clarinet.
I enjoyed this video very much. I've never played sax (although I have an old Conn "New Wonder" alto that was my mother's instrument in high school 80 years ago, but needs new pads even to be playable). I started out on clarinet, but have many other instruments now (although mostly brass), with one being an Albert system clarinet I bought used off eBay. It also came saying it "needs some work" but it plays about as well as you saxophone-fingered clarinet.
That’s a great saxophone, especially if it’s actually a NWII. you should give sax a shot, it’s dead simple as an instrument, especially compared to clarinet
@@AFN2750 Thanks! Yes, I hope to do so. However, looking at the keys, they appear less "intuitive" than those on a clarinet, as the sax seems to have so much more "hardware" on it, while the clarinet has holes and open rings, making it obvious as to where the fingers go. I'll have to see if I come to the same conclusion after studying the saxophone. BTW, my mother's sax was made in 1917 based upon the serial number.
@@bobjacobson858 fingers go on the pearly bits, but skip the top one
@@AFN2750 Okay, thanks!
Interesting. But I suggest you missed out the most important reason for that clarinet. One of the biggest challenges for any sax player doubling on clarinet (especially if its occasional) is that the sax does not require precision finger placement. But the clarinet does, and how! Any slight deviation in finger placement will cause a tone hole or pad to open and often cause the clarinet not to speak at all. This is especially true of the 'sliver' keys between the rings on both left and right hand holes. Its ultra easy to touch these with the side of a finger, and open its pad slightly. If this happens either nothing will come out or the clarinet will squeak. And if the Sax is the main instrument being played and the clarinet picked up for a double for a short passage, say, its only too easy for disaster to strike.
This covered hole instrument would go a long way to relieve that anxiety and chance of that happening, and its aligned as far as possible to Sax fingerings.
I'd never seen one like that before, Albert and Oehler or extended Boehm and even metal in Albert or Boehm but not a covered hole. I wish they had caught on!
Have you sold it yet?
I forgot about this since I'm a clarinet player who doubles on saxophone. I've been playing for a few years so the precise finger movements are second nature to me and didn't think about the saxophonist's troubles with clarinet finger placement.
Sid Phillips, an English jazz clarinettist and band leader, used that type of clarinet. He made many recordings and died in 1973.
That's right. On some of his later recordings you can hear the plateau keys clicking when they're picked up by the microphone! I tried one of these Buisson clarinets but didn't like it...I prefer a straight-forward Albert system.
Sid Phillips used the traditional Albert , Simple system clarinet, as played by the early clarinet players from New Orleans, including Sidney Bechet and Omer Simeon and Johnny Dodds, not the plateau one by Buisson
This clarinet looks similar to the oehler system clarinet.
Just out of curiosity, is there a functional altissimo range? Its such a big part of clarinet repertoire (and not especially uncommon in sax repertoire) that it seems super strange to fully lack it. If so, is the fingering system akin to clarinet, sax, or some Frankenstein of the two?
Altissimo is roughly the same fingerings as any other clarinet. D (oxx|xoo) surprisingly comes right out. E is a bit strained and the short F fingering is as well. Long F and everything above seems fine. It’s definitely a Frankenstein of the two haha.
Awesome video! Here's one of an older couple with an awesome piano collection: ua-cam.com/video/a-ZzsKl3qJE/v-deo.html
There was one such plateaux system clarinet made by Couesnon in the belongings of Sidney Bechet after his death. These are great instruments.
Just looks like an Albert System clarinet with a few buttons on the holes.
You'd think at first glance that any clarinet aiming to ease the transition for saxophone players would have an articulated C/G-sharp mechanism. Maybe the mechanism wasn't universal even on saxophones at the time this clarinet was made.
I found your video on the sax fingered clarinet very interesting. Where did you find this instrument and where could I obtain one?
Found it from a seller in Britain. I actually plan on fixing it up and selling it. If you’re interested feel free to reach out to me at octocontrabass@gmail.com
Where can I buy this sax system clarinet? I searched lots of websites, but I couldn't find it. I really want to have one.
You would have to search eBay. It's tricky though as they are often mislabeled, I remember seeing one the other day but I can't find the listing unfortunately.
@@Jared_De_LeonThanks for your kind response
What is the bore of this instrument?
quite interesting
Jared do you have a beginner's fingering for soprano sax I went to Dawkes in UK but no tutorial for the soprano sax even searched on the net no luck I wonder if you could help.
Any sax fingering chart will do. They all share the same fingerings.
Like many other sax players, I struggle with the clari and I would imagine theres a market there for a manufacturer?????
Man, how much to buy that haha that’s incredible
This instrument with the covered tone holes is in no way better, it's merely different and slightly heavier.
Seems like a plateau Albert system to me.
Did you watch the part about the right hand notes? It's different than Albert.
@@Jared_De_Leon Yes I did. I guess I should be more clear. It's about 98% a plateau Albert. ;-)
That clarinet is usually called a “plateau” clarinet , usually made by the French manufacturing company called LEBLANC. PLATEAU means “ cover “ in ENGLISH , it has metal keys covering the tone holes. I think your description is a misnomer !
Nope the difference between this and a standard plateau clarinet is the fingering system. They both have covered holes but the fingering of this instrument is different from a Boehm system instrument like the Leblanc.
Anybody who played saxophone would really struggle to play clarinet.
if you use 1 and 1 on sax u shouldnt be playing it
huh
@benjaminmiller5649 people are typically taught to play B flat with both first fingers (both index fingers) but playing that note whether ur in tune or not will 90% of the time be either too sharp or flat and sounds gross. That's why slightly more experienced players will use left hand 1 and 2 (index and middle) with the bottom right hand palm key
@@thrax1822 depends on the horn and how its setup, doesn't matter
@@benjaminmiller5649 very much matters
@@thrax1822 no, you cannot tell me that if someone plays like cannonball adderley and uses a certain fingering that they should not be playing the saxophone. obviously its not optimal for technique but not a single person hiring for gigs cares about that