Which Saxophone Type Should I Play?
Saxophones have come in many sizes over the years. The most popular sizes in the saxophone family are soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone. In these popular sizes, the soprano is the smallest, and the baritone is the largest. There are also some obscure sizes of saxophone such as the sopranino, bass, and C melody saxophones. If you are a younger student and playing in your school band you will probably begin on alto saxophone and in some cases clarinet!
One way to decide what type/size saxophone you want to play is the listen to recordings of the different types of saxophones. For most school bands beginners will start on alto and then some students will move to tenor or baritone (bari). The soprano saxophone is mostly used as a solo instrument in either concert band or jazz band settings. Also, a saxophone quartet consists of either a soprano, alto, tenor, bari or an alto, alto, tenor, bari arrangement. You can also find saxophone choir arrangements that consist of multiple types of saxophones. For jazz listen to Charlie Parker (alto), Cannonball Adderly (alto), John Coltrane (tenor/soprano), Sonny Rollins (tenor), Branford Marsalis (tenor/soprano), Joshua Redman (tenor/soprano), Bob Reynolds (tenor/soprano). For Classical listen to Eugene Rousseau, Joel Love, Kyle Horch, Wonki Lee.
When deciding what saxophone to play you should consider what type of music you would want to play. All saxophones are suited for classical, jazz, and rock, however, you should consider what types are commonly found within the different styles. Another consideration is the size and weight of the different sizes. Take this from experience, lugging a baritone around can get quite heavy and be hard on the back.
Although this article won’t get into brand specifics, visit a music store and try out not only different types of saxophones but also different brands. Get a sense of how they sound different, the variance in weight, finger placement differences, and overall feel. Seek advice from a saxophone teacher or from another experienced saxophonist. I guarantee they will have an opinion on what they like and don’t like, however, be cautious of someone that states that you have to play on a certain brand.
When all is said and done a saxophone, maintained properly, can last a lifetime. Consider all the above factors and choose the saxophone that best fits your needs and preferences. The beauty of playing the saxophone is that, with some minor adaptations, if you learn one size you can play all of them. If you have any questions or want my opinion on a saxophone you are considering purchasing, please don’t hesitate to send me an email.