hi i been checking out the clarinet, im more intrested in oboe but i was suprised with the prices there and it was really off putting, so i figured maybe to start on clarinet instead just to get in to woodwind a bit yea. i wanted to ask when u press register key to play high squeaky notes, is it true that the fingering changes making it akward to play your music? also do u ever use your little finger at all? it seem from videos i seen they never use tiny finger but just others. cheers.

Yes to both questions. The flaring registers are twelfths, not octaves like a flute or sax, so the fingerings for notes an octave apart are not similar. As a flute player, I find this very tough to deal with. The challenge for the pinky keys of both hands is that there are too many of the (for a silly flute player) and there are alternates on each hand so one needs to plan ahead a bit on which hand to use to finger a note.

I also really would like to try oboe and now play clarinet for the same reason. I don't know what challenges an oboe has beyond the obvious Reed issue.

Jim

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Ugh, I hate autocorrecting keyboards. That second sentence was supposed to be "The clarinet registers..."

hi thanks man for the advice. theres quite a few teachers locally so this should be good to get started. i noticed clarinet is Bb instrument, i guess that just means thats the lowest note it can play yea.

No. The lowest note on the Bb clarinet is E below middle C, which corresponds to concert D below middle C. (If you want to be understood, it will help to use apostrophes and punctuation and to spell "you" "y-o-u", not "u".)

thanks, im still thinking which to play lol its like clarinet for playability and to get far but oboe for its sound that gives u a chill to the bone as they say. see where people say oboe the hardest of all woodwind, i dont really agree as i feel its just a matter of trying and sticking with it for a while. when i played guitar in early days notes did'nt ring right or fingers ached from chord work, i think i got the motivation to go far yea.

Well with the register key, it may be uncomfortable when you first start, but I would recommend angling your thumb so it can touch the key and cover the hole so you don't feel super-duper uncomfortable. And with the pinkies, or 'little fingers' I use mine quite often. You need them for sharps and for playing the beginning middle register notes (also known as clarion register) Well I wouldn't recommend branching from a clarinet to an oboe, for a couple of reasons. One, a clarinet embouchure and an oboe embouchure are very different, and if you don't like pressure in your mouth, oboe wouldn't be a smart choice. Secondly, you'll be adjusted to the 'customs' of a clarinet, and it's harder to control that super small airstream that goes between two reeds tightly pressed together. Now, a clarinet to a saxophone would be better, and maybe an oboe to a bassoon. Trust me, switching instruments is very hard, and switching to a completely different instrument will make it even more difficult. Before you make a decision, do some research on the instruments, ask around, maybe at a music store, and ask if you can try out the instruments, to see the difference. I hope this helped, and I hope you find the right instrument for you Good luck!!!

OH and another thing, the reason a Bb clarinet is called a 'Bb' instrument is because that is pitch it's played in. Clarinets, and trumpets, are tuned in the key of Bb (unless your playing an A clarinet) Clarinets and trumpets are interesting tuning instruments because they pay a 'whole step' higher note then C instruments, but the notes sound the same. For example, a clarinet playing a C will sound the same as a flute playing Bb. Clarinet requires extreme patience and concentration, and at first it'll be a little bit uncomfortable, but it's a very beautiful instrument, and it's more easier to remember the fingerings for notes then most. Good Luck again! Hope this helped

In Broadway pit bands clarinet-saxophone-flute-oboe doubling--or rather quadrupling, I suppose--is common. That is, a single musician is commonly called upon to play all four instruments. Among jazz players clarinet-saxophone-flute tripling is common, although these triplers tend to be inferior flutists.