saxophones? whats the difference in tenor, bass and alto? whats best and why?

Question

its just im thin king of taking up a hobby, i think id like to learn to play sax.

Answer 1

Highest in pitch are smaller as follows:

Sopranino is smallest (and rarest)
Soprano (usually straight like a clarinet but sometimes with a crook)
Alto (most people start on alto or tenor)
Tenor (the one most people imagine)
Baritone (a deep luscious sounding instrument)

Bari sax can be tougher than the others to blow but get a good technique together and it you would be fine.
The different types of sax have a slightly different sound (but this also depends on you as a player and the instrument itself)
So what is better? Depends on what you get on with and what you are using it for. Alto or Tenor are most versatile in terms of repertoire, although soprano has really found its place in modern music. Best advice - go to your music shop and ask to try them out, see what you like. Go find a teacher in the local area and get some advice and some lessons. If they have taught beginners before they will have a good idea of the best way into the instrument and should be able to relate this to you, your size, stamina and musical interests.

Answer 2

Actually, soprano is the smallest and the notes are in the higher ranges. Then Alto, that's sort of medium and Tenor is the biggest and the notes are in the lower ranges. To learn to play, you need to get an Alto sax. Once you learn it you can pick up any of them and play it. The Tenor sax is a bit expensive and bigger too. If you go on e-bay you can buy a brand new sax for a lot less than what you'd pay in the shops. But make sure it's an Alto sax. I bought mine for £150 off e-bay (brand new and shiny, came straight from the manufacturer). You can also get yourself some self-teaching books with CDs from a music shop.

Answer 3

I'd start to learn on the Alto sax.. it's the easiest of the four, and once you've mastered it you can go on to learn the others. Alto and Tenor are the most common and so will probably be the cheapest, though if you're not sure whether or not you'd like to buy one I'd recommend asking at your local music shop and seeing if they will let you hire one out. If not see if there are any sax teachers in your area who will let you borrow one for a time.

xx

Answer 4

The different saxophones are keyed to different octaves and have different ranges. Basically, from low-ranges to high-ranges, it goes, baritone, tenor, alto, and soprano sax. The one you choose depends on your preference, and the cool thing is that, once you learn how to play one type sax, you can just about play any of the other ones since the fingering is the same.

I don't play sax (I'm a keyboard player), but I like tenor saxes the best. Its good mid-range lets you play just about anything, and the sound is pretty mellow. Plus, they're a good, portable size. Baritone saxes are huge and heavy, and people kinda chuckle or "aww" if you whip out a little soprano or alto sax.

Answer 5

You're best bet is to learn on the Alto sax, it's the easiest to learn.

Answer 6

i think alto is the smallest
then tenor
then bass

i'm not 100% sure though