After years of deliberating you've finally made the decision that you should start to play the saxophone. With that hurdle out of the way you can rest easy. Right? Wrong! It's one thing to decide to learn the saxophone, but it's another to decide on which saxophone to learn.
When choosing a saxophone you must decide on which type you want to learn. There are four main types of sax: soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. Each of these carries a different pitch, dependant on the key it is in. Soprano is the highest and is the key of Bb. The alto is one-half octave lower and in the key of Eb. Tenor sax is an entire octave lower than soprano and thus also in Bb. The baritone saxophone is therefore the lowest in pitch and also the largest in physical size. It is one full octave lower than alto sax and so also in the key of E flat.
If you're still in school you might find that your music teacher suggests you learn the clarinet before saxophone. Even though the clarinet is more difficult to learn there is a belief that it provides a good grounding for the saxophone. Conversely, others believe that the saxophone is a better place to start because it is an easier instrument to play. The embouchure of the sax is assumed to be significantly less tricky compared to flute and clarinet. Embouchure indicates the way in which you submit your mouth to the mouthpiece to generate notes. The fingering on a saxophone is also easier to get to grips with than on a clarinet. This means that it won't take as long to get a good tone out of your saxophone. This can make learning sax a more attractive proposition to beginners.
So which of the four main saxes do you want to learn? Of course it comes down to personal preference. You might prefer the deeper sounds of the tenor and baritone. Or perhaps the soprano sounds more pleasing to you. However, the alto saxophone is generally thought to be the best sax for a beginner. This is because it is the happy-medium in terms of pitch. This means that the way you breath to produce the notes will be less demanding compared to other types of saxophone. The keys are also physically smaller on an alto sax and so small hands find it comfortable to hold and play. There's no problem getting hold of sheet music for the alto either. It is the most commonly used of all the saxophones in classical music which means there is loads of sheet music readily available.
But the main thing regarding choosing a sax is tracking down one that just feels right for you. It doesn't have to be the prettiest or even produce the best tone. But it does have to have something about it that will keep you motivated. A word of warning, saxophones aren't cheap! Most independent music stores will offer good impartial advice so don't be afraid to ask. It is also worth talking to a music teacher to see if they have any recommendations. You can even find some shops that loan out instruments. this can be a great way of seeing if you really want to invest in a good sax.
When choosing a saxophone you must decide on which type you want to learn. There are four main types of sax: soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. Each of these carries a different pitch, dependant on the key it is in. Soprano is the highest and is the key of Bb. The alto is one-half octave lower and in the key of Eb. Tenor sax is an entire octave lower than soprano and thus also in Bb. The baritone saxophone is therefore the lowest in pitch and also the largest in physical size. It is one full octave lower than alto sax and so also in the key of E flat.
If you're still in school you might find that your music teacher suggests you learn the clarinet before saxophone. Even though the clarinet is more difficult to learn there is a belief that it provides a good grounding for the saxophone. Conversely, others believe that the saxophone is a better place to start because it is an easier instrument to play. The embouchure of the sax is assumed to be significantly less tricky compared to flute and clarinet. Embouchure indicates the way in which you submit your mouth to the mouthpiece to generate notes. The fingering on a saxophone is also easier to get to grips with than on a clarinet. This means that it won't take as long to get a good tone out of your saxophone. This can make learning sax a more attractive proposition to beginners.
So which of the four main saxes do you want to learn? Of course it comes down to personal preference. You might prefer the deeper sounds of the tenor and baritone. Or perhaps the soprano sounds more pleasing to you. However, the alto saxophone is generally thought to be the best sax for a beginner. This is because it is the happy-medium in terms of pitch. This means that the way you breath to produce the notes will be less demanding compared to other types of saxophone. The keys are also physically smaller on an alto sax and so small hands find it comfortable to hold and play. There's no problem getting hold of sheet music for the alto either. It is the most commonly used of all the saxophones in classical music which means there is loads of sheet music readily available.
But the main thing regarding choosing a sax is tracking down one that just feels right for you. It doesn't have to be the prettiest or even produce the best tone. But it does have to have something about it that will keep you motivated. A word of warning, saxophones aren't cheap! Most independent music stores will offer good impartial advice so don't be afraid to ask. It is also worth talking to a music teacher to see if they have any recommendations. You can even find some shops that loan out instruments. this can be a great way of seeing if you really want to invest in a good sax.
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