Piano or Saxophone?

Question

My friend and I have been discussing this for awhile. I've played piano for about 5 years, and can play everything from classical Bach to a Green Day song ( I can also play bass drums, guitar, and recorder). She's been playing Saxophone for about 4 years, and mostly plays what are called "Stand Tunes" ( for band, a.k.a, Land of a Thousand Dances, We Will Rock You,Iron Man...) and according to her a piano looks very complex and hard. I personally think that a Saxophone with so many buttons and rules for blowing, and not to mention spit flying everywhere, would be more difficult to play.
We asked our band director ( I should add that he can play both, but failed his Piano Class) and he declared that Saxophone was much easier. Again, asking a friend who plays Piano, oboe, flute, guitar, and maruma, she claimed that Pianos were much eaiser to play than woodwinds.
So what's your expirience with them?

Answer 1

Well, well. I played the saxophone (Alto, tenor, and baritone) throughout middle and high school, and I've been a pianist for twenty years.
The two instruments naturally present different challenges. Great saxophone performance requires dexterity of the tongue and strong, well placed lip muscles, as well as good lungs of course (do NOT smoke if you play a wind instrument!). In addition, it requires digital dexterity as well. All the great jazz saxophonists
had great fingers - Cannonball, Parker, etc.
On the other hand, the piano, as Horowitz remarked, is an orchestra unto itself. Many of the great Brahms compositions for the piano are symphonies in all but name. Thus, a pianist must have a really good sense of voicing and dynamics, and of course facile technique. I really think it is an unanswerable question. Best of luck to you in all of your musical endeavors.

Answer 2

I have played the saxophone for about 4 years now, and I have just started learning piano. The piano is harder because there are more notes available to play at once (you cannot play chords on a saxophone) also, the piano has two clefs, so piano playing is highly about coordination. The saxophone is really easy when you learn to play it. Once you have the position of the mouth, (and I know all the buttons on a saxophone look complicated), but there are really only seven major keys on a saxophone that make up the notes you are able to play. But much of it really depends on which one you are more comfortable playing, some people don't prefer the spit, and some don't enjoy the hand cramps. I hope this settles the debate between you and your friend.

Answer 3

I have played the saxophone for 7 or so years now and it isnt too hard. The Piano is way harder because your hands need to be doing two different things at once. I can play the piano a little bit but im no professional. Ive also tried playing the quitar and i cannot do it. As far as spit flying everywhere is concerned, you get used to it. It only gets really annoying when it runs down the keys and gets all over your fingers. It is my personal opion that saxophones are easier to play.

Answer 4

I don't play the saxophone, but I play the piano, and the clarinet, which according to my band teacher, is somewhat like a saxophone, and I think that the saxophone would probably be easier to play, because when you're playing the piano, I have to use more hand - eye coordination than when I play the clarinet, and when you play the saxophone, you can only play one note at a time, while when playing the piano, several notes can be played at once, making it much more complicated. But I personally think that the piano is probably more fun to play too, because it's easier to play songs that you like, and I think that it helps your overall musical ability.

Answer 5

Piano has a reputation for being one of the hardest instruments to play. Don't know how true that is but it is what I've heard. The thing is, everyone has different talents, skills and abilities and just because one instrument is easier for you does not mean it would be easier for someone else. You should consider the instrument that means the most to you and try that one. If you can't learn it for some reason, try another.

Answer 6

guitar is the most complex