Is contra alto clarinet a hard instrument to play and learn? (second question below)?

Question

i have been playing the regular clarinet for about 5 to 6 months. do you think i can transfer over to contra alto? why or why not?

Answer 1

It is great that you are playing any instrument at all.... Good for you, but I don't think you have been playing the regular clarinet long enough to take on a monster like the contra.  I have no doubt that you will be able to transfer over one of these days ....  if you can play one,  you can learn the other.  Just try to get a little better on your own clarinet first.   There are tons of things to get better at, like your tone, technique, tongueing, rhythms and sight reading.   Once you get really good at those skills,  just think of how easy the contra will be to play and play really well.    I am a flute teacher but my best advice to you is to ask another clarinet teacher...  not the band director unless he/she is an expert at the clarinet.  A professional clarinet teacher will be able to advise you as to when it is best for you to switch over.    Hope I have given you a little to think about.   Thanks for reading.

Answer 2

I have to agree with RJS... I don't think you've played clarinet for a long enough time.  Don't get me wrong- I've never heard you play, and you could be a total prodigy- but the truth is that the contra is a whole different animal!  It may be in the clarinet family- but it plays nothing like a clarinet.

I am a professional clarinet and bari sax player.  With my 18 years of experience on these two instruments, I still am not sure I could play the contra at a passible level!  There are many nuances and techniques that take time to develop, seperately from clarinet.  

The fingerings are similar (lower octave gets a bit hairy for the pinkys), and the higher range is a bear to control.  The embochure is more laid back and open, like the bari sax, but the air stream still has to be focused and rigid.  Also, tuning throughout the range of the horn is a pain, just because of the way the horn is built- no matter which company made it.

I know many professional clarinetists that will not play the contra unless there is SERIOUS money on the table, because it IS such a pain.  Also, there are very few times in orchestral or band music that even require a contra part... there are very few opportunities to use it!  So why would you spend years perfecting it, when you get to play it once in your lifetime?  Pros hone their skills on the clarinet, and if the need arises (like there is a specific score that calls for a contra), they will work on that ONE part... then put it back down once that show is over.  

If you want to transfer in the future, say a couple YEARS, I would say go for it... so long as 1) you have a private teacher who is skilled in more than just clarinet, and 2) you are open to maybe doing it in steps... like try the bass clarinet first.  This will allow you to adjust your embochure, plus there is a high demand for good bass clarinet players, AND there is a ton of literature for bass clarinet.

Good luck with whatever you choose!