What is the playing style of an Alto Saxophone?

Answer 1

Any musical instrument can play any style of music - however some are more suited to some styles than others. Flutes for instance are more suited to softer music like jazz or classical and not death metal. HOWEVER it would be possible to use a flute in death metal - if you amplified it and put it through an effects pedal for instance to give it the correct timbre for the style.

I have heard classical music scored for saxophone even though it wasn't originally written for it, and it sounds perfectly reasonable. Similarly there have been some composers who used the saxophone in their music for instance in Koppel's saxophone concerto.

The mainstay of the saxophone's repertoire remains jazz, simply because it has been consistently used throughout jazz's history and its timbre is associated with the style.

Answer 2

An instrument, as such, has a range of possible note production; the style is in the player's application and methodology.

Answer 3

Jazz