Woodwind Doubling. Simple, But Not Easy

In my initial post on my website, I aim to discuss the core concept of my teaching, which I believe is crucial for improving. There are three aspects of the topic that I want to explore:

• What is woodwind doubling?

• Why becoming a woodwind doubler is more straightforward than it seems.

• Why the huge amount of accessible knowledge is hurting you and making it feel complex.

Part 1: What is Woodwind Doubling?

Woodwind Doubling – The ability to play multiple woodwind instruments across various musical styles.

Woodwind doubling emerged in the early 1900s as a cost-cutting measure for swing bands. To maximize efficiency, bandleaders assigned musicians to switch between flute, clarinet, and saxophone as needed. This practice never left the jazz scene—in fact, it expanded!

Broadway is where most woodwind doublers find the most opportunities. Shows like Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, and Into The Woods all feature woodwind doubling. Broadway musicians are typically required to play at least all high or all low woodwinds. This means playing instruments such as flute, clarinet, oboe, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone for the highs, and clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone for the lows. (Notice the overlap between high and low woodwind specialists.) A true savant would be proficient on all woodwind instruments.

Doubling also spread into the film industry. Movies such as The Lord of the Rings, Schindler's List, and Jaws all required woodwind players to switch instruments on command.

The only place where doubling hasn’t become standard is in the orchestra. Many professional musicians hesitate to diversify because of this, but it's important to remember that the odds of securing a well-paying orchestra position are only 1-2% per audition, even for exceptionally talented musicians. Additionally, tenure means many orchestra positions remain unavailable for years. Unless you plan to teach, there is almost no chance of earning a livable salary by playing just one instrument. Even in teaching, your pool of students expands significantly if you can teach multiple woodwinds.

Considering all this, it becomes clear: to succeed as a performer, you must master multiple woodwind instruments across multiple styles! The variety of musicals and films requiring doubling means a musician must be versatile in jazz, classical, R&B, soul, funk, and more.

Part 2: Simple vs. Easy

Simple – Plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design.

Easy – Achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties.

One of my biggest pet peeves—one that riles me up every time—is when people confuse the terms simple and easy. The difference may seem slight, but it causes a world of issues and can even lead to offense.

For example, if you’ve read my bio, you know I’m extremely dedicated to fitness. One concept that leads to heated debates—ones I’ve had more than a few times—is weight loss.

Weight loss is simple. When you hear that statement, you might recoil in horror—but hear me out. The equation is simply (calories consumed - calories burned). If that number is negative, you WILL lose fat. If it’s positive, you WILL gain fat. That’s it. This concept is incredibly simple.

Now, does that mean weight loss is easy? Absolutely not. Eating less is hard. Moving more when you’re exhausted from work is hard. The concept is simple, but the execution is incredibly difficult.

Now, bringing this idea back to music—getting really good at multiple instruments is simple. It can be broken down into just six key ideas, the Six T’s, as taught by the great educator Dave Sterner:

• Tone – The quality of a sound, including pitch, intensity, and timbre.

• Technique – The ability to play and produce the exact musical effect or note in a correct, efficient, and healthy way.

• Time – The ability to keep a steady pulse.

• Theory – Understanding the fundamental elements that make up music and using them to create, analyze, and interpret music.

• Tunes – The ability to recall popular music across many styles.

• Transcription – Learning music by ear, note for note.

  
  

To build a solid foundation for playing any of these instruments at a high level, applying just one or two exercises per category is key. (In future posts and classes, I’ll dive deeper into these, though many of you may already have an idea.)

While practicing a few exercises to enhance every aspect of your musicianship may seem straightforward, it is by no means easy. Staying focused through long tones, working with a metronome, and drilling countless scales and intervals is incredibly demanding.

Additionally, coping with how each instrument affects your embouchure—either hindering or aiding other instruments—is a constant battle. But the most difficult challenge? Having the patience to trust the process, even when progress feels painfully slow.

This leads beautifully into the final part.

Part 3: Information Overload is Holding You Back

Let’s talk about something that’s both interesting and frustrating: the internet, especially when it comes to learning music online.

With YouTube, blogs, and paid courses, there are over a million hours of educational content available. That’s overwhelming. What should be a simple process starts feeling so complex that you think you need a PhD just to play a single note.

Here are two common cognitive traps:

• The Illusion of Complexity – The belief that making real progress requires complicated or hidden knowledge, rather than just taking simple, actionable steps.

  
  

• The "Missing Piece" Fallacy – The idea that you need just one more bit of knowledge or skill before you can start, instead of simply diving in and improving through action.

  
  

These mental traps derail progress. Here’s a real-life example from my own practice:

Let’s say I’m working on the famous Gershwin tune I’ve Got Rhythm. I know that if I:

• Play the melody well (Tunes)

• Understand the scales for each chord (Theory)

• Play those scales and their arpeggios fluidly (Technique)

• Use a full, rich sound (Tone)

• Maintain a steady pulse (Time)

…I’ll be able to improvise a convincing solo at a gig or jam session.

But here’s what actually happens:

I freak out and realize there are hundreds of jazz standards I don’t know. Instead of mastering I’ve Got Rhythm, I start scrolling through jazz standards lists. Then, I think, The major scale I’m using isn’t the only option, so I go on YouTube and watch endless videos about every possible scale for a major chord. Instead of practicing one scale, I now have ten new ones to worry about. I notice my tone isn’t quite right, so I start researching new mouthpieces—even though I already play on a great one. Then, I remember there are so many metronome techniques I haven’t tried yet.

Sound familiar?

This is a cycle I see in myself and my students all the time. It all stems from two biases:

1. The tendency to believe that things need to be complex in order to be effective.

2. The belief that we’re just missing something—that if we find that one secret, we’ll finally be great musicians.

   
   

The truth? You don’t need more information. You need consistent action on the simple things that actually matter. Woodwind doubling is not about being a savant jazz musician or orchestral player, it is about sounding like you're 75% mastered on all the woodwinds with 75% mastery of all the styles you may need. Now instead of worrying about what your missing, just go practice and perfect just a few things that really matter!!!!