Are you trying to figure out if you want to focus on learning to play the saxophone or the clarinet?
Both these instruments are amazing in their dynamic range, expressive possibilities and playability.
They are also relatives to each other as musical instruments, in the “single reed instrument family”, but there are differences.
The Differences between Saxophone vs Clarinet
- The Saxophone is made of metal (brass), which makes it louder and more bright in tone.
- The Clarinet is made of wood (grenadilla), which makes the tone softer and warmer.
- The Saxophone has a conical bore (like a cone), which helps to increase volume and power.
- The Clarinet has a cylindrical bore (like a tube), which makes the tone more tamed and balanced.
- The Saxophone has keys, while the Clarinet has open holes.
- The Saxophone has easier fingering + an octave key.
- The Clarinet changes fingering when you go above the octave, which makes it trickier to learn.
- The Saxophone needs less embouchure strength compared to the Clarinet.
Saxophone vs Clarinet – Sound and Range
The saxophone is louder overall than a clarinet, and it is generally much easier to play the lowest dynamics (volume levels) on the clarinet.
By contrast it is easier to play the loudest fortissimo levels on Saxophone that can cut through in a live performance.
The range is bigger on the clarinet, which is almost 4 octaves (Bb Clarinet: D3-Bb6).
The saxophone is around 2,5 octaves (Alto Saxophone: Db3-Ab5).
Saxophone vs Clarinet – Easier to Play?
The saxophone is much easier to learn, since it by design (it’s a fairly newly invented instrument) was created to be as easy to play as possible.
There are keys for every note, an octave key, it overblows in octaves, it requires light embouchure for playing etc.
In contrast the clarinet is very unforgiving, both in the way the open holes need you create perfect seals to avoid squeaks, and the way the fingering works since it changes in the octaves.
Plus the embouchure requires more work compared to the saxophone, but this in turn give you more control over dynamics and tone in the lower dynamics in particular.