CHOOSING YOUR FIRST SAXOPHONE

Let's find you the right one

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE SAXOPHONE

No other instrument quite captures the imagination like the saxophone. The saxophone permeates multiple genres, ranging from Jazz to Rock to Pop to Classical, with a menagerie of different playing styles, moods and emotions. The saxophone is the best instrument in the world (I might be a bit biased…) and extremely approachable for beginners! There is no better time to start learning the saxophone then right now! But the saxophone can seem, at first glance, a rather daunting experience. Well, have no fear because we at Sax.co.uk are here to guide you through this magical world of saxophones

DO I HAVE TO START ON A STUDENT SAXOPHONE?

It all depends on yourself. Students horns, no matter the quality, are not designed to last forever. They will need upgrading at some stage. If you are looking for a saxophone to last you forever, or want something very special, you can go straight in with a professional horn and have just as much fun learning and discovering!

WHAT SIZE SHOULD I BUY?

Saxophones come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the extremely small and high pitched Soprillo right through to the behemoth that is the Contrabass.  When looking at our first sax however, we really want to be focusing on the main four, the Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone.

WHAT DOES MY MONEY GET ME?

A question often fielded in store is “what does my money get me?” and much like everything in life, the more money you spend, the better the piece of equipment you will get. When you start on your saxophone journey, it is hard to tell the quality of the horn you are playing, as you won’t have a frame of reference. It is also hard to ascertain whether the initial issues with intonation (keeping the horn in tune) and playability are down to yourself or the horn, so it’s best to get a horn that you can be sure is playing optimally. Here at Sax.co.uk we only sell horns we are 100% happy and proud of, horns we are willing to put our reputation on and send across the world. All our horns go through a rigorous set up when they arrive to us and when they leave, so we can guarantee the horns play!

SOPRANO SAXOPHONE

The soprano is the smallest of our big four, and possibly the most punishing. The soprano in fact shares a lot of similarities with the clarinet, in the fact they’re typically straight rather than curved (there are curved sopranos also on the market, they look like tiny altos and they’re amazing). Of all the core saxophones, the soprano is the most tasking for new players. The embouchure (the technical name for how you blow down the sax) is a lot tighter, due to the smaller size of the mouthpiece. This will mean that you will have to engage the muscles in your mouth a lot more to accurately play the range of the horn, which can be hard work even for a seasoned player! However, if the soprano is truly the sound want and desire, and you are willing to put in the work, then the soprano can be a richly rewarding experience!

ALTO SAXOPHONE

The Alto saxophone is the go-to saxophone for new beginners, and the one we typically recommend learning on! The Alto moves away from the straight design and moves towards the iconic curved shape, though still relatively light weight and comfortable to maneuverer. Embouchure wise, the technique is not as hardcore as the soprano, and doesn’t engage the muscles quite as heavily from the start. It isn’t a cake walk by any imagination, you will still need to put the work in to develop and culture an interesting and captivating sound, the Alto just makes this easier from the get-go. Now, we at Sax.co.uk always recommend the alto for younger learners (in fact, if you have a smaller child [between 7-10, or smaller in stature and hand size] we recommend the Trevor James Alphasax as it is designed for smaller hands, but doesn’t have the full alto key work, so not much use for most players) but if you feel that you will eventually move onto another horn, or you simply prefer the sound of another horn, then it is still perfectly viable to learn on another sax!

TENOR SAXOPHONE

A lot of customers here at Sax.co.uk often want to learn the saxophone because they love Jazz, and rightly so! Jazz is amazing! When they discuss what sounds they aspire to, we often hear about American greats such as Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz. All these players were Tenor Saxophonist predominately. Though we typically recommend you start your journey on the Alto, if your reason for learning and aspiring sound is of these Tenor giants, then there is nothing stopping you starting your journey on the Tenor saxophone. The Tenor is bigger and heavier, so will feel more cumbersome at the beginning, but the process of playing it is the same as all other saxophones. If your heart is set on the Tenor, then play away!

Baritone Saxophone

The final horn we will be looking at in this blog is the Baritone. The bari is the biggest of the main 4, and has a big and booming low voice, perfect for bass lines! Of all the saxophones, Baritone is the one I would least recommend learning on. Not only does the bari have the steepest starting point price wise (as you can imagine, given the size of the thing), they are incredibly heavy and cumbersome. The embouchure is by far the loosest of the main 4, as the mouthpiece and reed are by far the biggest. Though this makes the bari the easiest to make a noise down, but it is trickier to make a good sound, as shifting between higher and lower notes requires a lot of muscle engagement. Now don’t get me wrong, if you love the sound and look of the bari, then there is nothing stopping you cracking on and blasting away! But realistically the Bartione is suited for current players looking to push their repertoire further and further their playing credentials.

SUMMARY

So that’s a guide through the weird and wonderful world of saxophone! The one piece of advice I will give you is that the saxophone is a beautiful, rewarding instrument to play, so go and play it! Come into store and say hello, ask us anything and we can guide you through the very first notes in store. Come in and make as much noise as you want! (Don’t worry, the rooms are somewhat sound proof.). If you are unable to come in, our team of saxophone specialists are on hand to help via phone or e-mail!

WATCH THE AUTHOR OF THIS BLOG, MICHAEL WEBER, PICK OUT SOME OF HIS FAVOURITE STUDENT SAXOPHONES WITH HELP FROM SAXOPHONIST MIKE BROWN