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tenorsax13
(514 points)
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Ok so yesterday I practiced saxophone for about an hour and a half. Afterward, I started practicing flute. Here were the problems:
1. Airy tone
2. Pitchy
3. Octave jumping/overtones that i didnt mean to play
4. Bad embouchure
I know its because I just got done playing sax, but...why? Can it be improved, does it take practice to switch between instruments? Just wondering...
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shmuelyosef
(21 points)
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Just like everything else, changing instruments takes practice...just concentrate and focus, blow a few long tones on flute when you first pick it up and find the 'sweet spot'...hold it for a full breath several times, concentrating on minimizing your air flow.
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Patrick
(1388 points)
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see if you can locate a good doubler in your area, someone who plays flute/cal/sax professionally, they can advise you as to how better adjust, I have worked with some amazing doublers, and they do things differently than we do...
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ekdavies
(190 points)
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Until you are aware of the embouchure issues, you should take a break of around 10 minutes when switching instruments. In addition, if you are new to saxophone, then you'll find your lip (and possibly jaw) muscles are just tired after playing and need time to recover (more than 10 minutes). It is probably a good idea to play both instruments more or less daily at least while your embouchures are still developing.
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tenorsax13
(514 points)
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Well, im not new to sax(playing about 3 years now) and flute I recently picked up(last year). I did play my sax then picked up flute and my jaw felt weak and uncomfortable after playing for around 10 minutes, which I guess is why none of the high notes were speaking and I had bad control. I guess I should limit myself to one instrument a day? 
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leighthesim
(199 points)
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don't limit yourself to one a day it just takes practice try haveing a short break inbetween the switch (have a drink and a few minute breather) then pick up the other instument and make sure you warm it up.
That is just a suggestion as i am not a switcher myself but i know some one who does and she said whe she first started she needed a quick breather before she picked up her flute.
But don't gt fustrated it just takes a bit a of practice.
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Micron
(1329 points)
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First, you must have established a reasonably accomplished and versatile embouchure on flute.
Second, just keep practising the changes. There are much more difficult changes than this, eg clarinet (pp for a long time) to piccolo, but with practice, a good doubler can eventually make this change in 2 or 3 seconds.
"... then picked up flute and my jaw felt weak... "
It sounds as if you may be way too tense on one or both instruments. You cannot have control over your embouchure if the muscles involved (and others!) are over-tense.
BTW, a reed instrument has a slight 'numbing' effect on the lip. You need to learn to totally ignore any sensations messages from your lip to your brain, because they are inaccurate. Send messages from bran to embouchure, which you know (from a lot of practice conditioning) are correct to get the flute to play well. Indeed, the messages may need to also make allowance for any numbness or thickening of the lip tissues, which also comes by a lot of practice of the changes.
By practising changes, I mean start with flute until the tone is excellent, then change to sax for a while, then back to flute until the tone is excellent again. Eventually that excellence will arrive quicker each time, until it takes no time at all.
At least, that is how I mastered it.I've done a LOT of doubling with very quick changes on picc/fl/alt fl/clar/saxes.
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