General saxophone tips

1.If you have finished using them put it away. What are the chances that it will get knocked over if you leave it out.
2.Wipe it down after use. A sax will gather moisture. Get yourself a pull through and clean the instrument out. If you don’t the keys will begin to stick and a rather nasty smell will be coming from the sax.
3.Always remove the mouthpiece. You will ruin the cork if you leave it in. Plus, how can you grease the cork if it is in the sax?
4.Remove the reed from the mouthpiece. They usually stick if you don’t. The you’ll be breaking reeds.
5.Use cork grease daily. Your cork will last longer and you won’t have to ram the mouthpiece in as if it were possessed my the Devil himself.
6.Give the keys an occasional oiling. A little dab will do to insure the key action is smooth. Always us very little and wipe away the excess.
7.Wipe the whole thing down regularly. It can lose its original luster and any heavy soiling will be nearly impossible to remove.

Saxophone servicing

Servicing is a must if you play regularly. Keys can get misaligned, pads will wear, and the shine will diminish. How often you have your sax serviced depends on how often you play. Every day players need to get theirs serviced twice a year. Others can go once every year. If you bought a cheap sax, you may never want to get it serviced. A good service can cost up to $400. If you payed very little, why spend the money.

Sopranissimo

This is the samllest saxophone and is commonly classed as a piccolo instrument. It is straight and is pitched an octave above Bb soprano. It is also called the soprillo and has the octave key in the mouthpiece.

Sopranino

This is also a straight sax. It is pitched a Eb and is rarely found in a group. There is very little call for it musically. This is not an instrument for a beginner.

Soprano

This is the beginning of the common range of saxophones. This can be curved or straight and is pitched at either Bb or C. This is still a very difficult instrument to play and should be avoided by beginners. It also has tuning issues.

Alto

The alto is the most common sax around. It is pitched at Eb and is one of the easiest to play. It is normally a curved sax, but there is a straight version.

C melody

This is a fairly rare sax. These were only produced for 20 years at the beginning of the last century. They are best avoided because you can not get new mouthpieces.

Tenor

Probably the most common saxophone in the world. It is pitched in Bb and is generally curved, but, like always, you can find it in a straight version. The theme song for the Pink Panther was played on a tenor.

Baritone

Now we are talking about the larger more expensive saxophones. It is pitched in Eb but can be extended to low A with the right instrument. The low notes cause vibration that is conveyed into your teeth. That is quite painful. This is not a sax for beginners.

Bass

This was the first sax made way back in the 1840’s. It is not commonly used in orchestras or bands. It is not for beginners, or really for intermediates. This one is for pros only.

Contrabass

This sax is around 6 feet in height and very heavy. It is pitched at Eb and is a very rare animal. Very few have ever been made because of the rarity they are used in music.

10 saxophones were mentioned. The sub contrabass saxophone has never been produced in a playable version. There will probably never be one made. So, there you have the saxophone family.

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Place your hand just below your ribs. Cough and you will feel your stomach tighten. This is you diaphragm forcing air out. Slowly inhale and exhale. Did you notice that your stomach and back enlarged to make way for the expansion of your lungs and diaphragm?

Breathing Exercises

The correct diaphragmatic breathing techniques allows you to learn how to expand your lower ribcage and back when you breathe instead of your shoulders and chest. You need to be in the habit of breathing like this. Of course, it helps to practice whenever possible.

Sit in a chair. Back straight. Inhale slowly paying attention to the expansion of your lower ribcage and back. Hold for the same amount of time it took you to inhale then exhale slowly. Learning to control the release of air through your lips will give you a better lung volume and a good consistent tone.

Try inhaling then slowly exhaling while you are humming a note. The tone will probably be jerky at first and taper off at the end. The goal is to get the tone even with no tapering. Try doing the inhale/exhale with the mouthpiece from your saxophone.

Once you have the hang of it, try it with your saxophone. Your tone should be stronger and more constant. Don’t stop practicing this diaphragmatic breathing until you are an expert at it and it comes as second nature.

Circular breathing

This method of breathing will allow you to play on the inhale and exhale. That way you can play a long musical passage without stopping to breathe. This is a skill for intermediate and pro players. Beginners should be aware of its existence, but not try it for quite a while because it is a hard skill to master.

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Sound

You need to know what sound you prefer. A light sound in the alto range or a beefy, deep tenor. Take the time to listen to different saxophones before deciding. You want to be happy with the saxophone before buying it.

Keep in mind that the also and tenor sax are the two easiest to learn to play. Don’t let that stop from learning another sax, but keep in mind it may be more difficult.

Level

There are three main levels of saxophone. Student, intermediate, and pro. You have to get the right sax for you or you will overpay. Student saxs will be great for the first several years. An intermediate could cost you several thousand dollars, so don’t jump levels. You won’t benefit from it until you are ready, skills wise.

Size

The size of the sax can be problematic on a child. A huge tenor on a small 9 year old makes it difficult to play. The size and weight will interfere with the child ability to learn to play. They might not even have the air to make any sound.

Make

what company should you buy? Each manufacturer strives for a different sound. The best way to know who to buy from is to listen to different players to focus on the sound you really like the best. There is also the price factor. Shop around.

Price

A new saxophone is going to cost plenty. Please do not go into sticker shock at the store. You’ll be embarrassed afterwards.

Used saxophones are quite a bargain. There is a reason for that. There is an old sax out there called the C melody. It is not an instrument that you want to buy. Look the whole thing over for dings and dents, especially in the neck where they will affect tone. Check the pads for cracks. Is the key action smooth? Are the rods bents? Are the adjustment keys loose? These are all expensive repairs.

Cheap saxs are usually from China. These aren’t the best of instruments, but they are improving. Try to buy from an online store or a shop that offers a money back guarantee if the sax is a dud. It is better to pay a little more to protect yourself.

Branded saxs are going to be the most expensive ones to buy. There is a reason. There are no real issues with the top brands. They all play very well and have no structural issues. If you don’t mind shopping around you can find excellent second hand ones that are still quite playable.

There are plenty of extras you can buy to go with you sax. Many of them are not necessary. All you really need are some reeds, cork grease, a lint free cloth, and a pad saver(pull through). You may want a tuner and a metronome later, but not the first day you buy.

There are six things you need to know before you buy a sax.

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This does make things a bit more complicated. You will be learning about harmony from the start. This gives you a feel for the notes instead of just mimicking the notes in scales. Start with G major. It does not have all of the extreme highs and lows of C. That makes it easier for beginners. You must play these evenly. No speeding up or slowing down for different parts of the scale. Start out by thinking of the names of the notes, then the numbers on the second round and then go back and forth. Hold the last note as long as you can do so evenly.

A great thing about the number system is that it is based on a root note. This means that although you start on a different root note each time you learn a new note, it will always be number one.

You will notice that the arpeggio is the same. There are just a few steps left out. This is the least complicated arpeggio. It is called a triad since there are three different notes in it. On an instrument that can play multiple notes at once this would be called the G major chord. To separate it from a more complicated G major it is sometimes called the G triad

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Gear For Music Alto Sax      $380
SMS Acadamey Alto              $418
Selmar USA                               $580
Trevor James                           $700
Earlham                                      $900
Keilworth                                   $1200
Yamaha YAS275                    $1200
Yanigasawa                              $2400
Selmar Paris                            $3200

These are only approximate prices. For a tenor sax you will want to add anywhere from $100 to $300. For soprano and higher or baritone and lower add another $300. You will have to shop around to get the best price possible. Make sure the sax you buy comes with a money back guarantee.

A used saxophone may be the way to go for you. Especially if budget is a concern. A new YAS275 is $1200 or more, but a used one could be as cheaps as $200. A general rule of thumb is that the better known models and the better quality the sax, the closer to the new price you will have to pay.

A used sax may be your only option, but that doesn’t mean you have to buy junk. Look over the pads, key action. And look for bent rods. Good luck.

It was very art deco in appearance. It had bold lines and curves everywhere. It was white with a brass neck and brass keys. It looks like it should have come out of the art deco craze of the early 20th century.

The sound itself is very odd. It sounds a lot on the tin side. Like someone turned off the bass in their stereo. They were made of cheap plastic at a time when plastic was just taking off. They tended to crack and snap, so there are very few of them left that actually play.

Now a new company is having a go at it. Vibrato Sax is dabbling in the plastic saxophone market. It is also white and looks like some one coated a normal sax in plastic. It is sort of chunky and unattractive in general. These were supposed to be on the market in January of 2008, but are still a no show. Maybe they gave up.

The plastic saxophone is a novelty at best.

The saxophone’s history and how it came to be are both a little cloudy. Many think that Sax wanted the big sound of a brass, but the versatility of a wood wind. Some think it had to do with being able to overblow an octave. Whatever method there was to his madness, the sax became the sax.

The original patent called for one design with fourteen variations that were split into two groups of seven. One group was meant for concert play and the other for marching bands. They were meant to be the: E flat sopranino, the F sopranino, the B flat soprano, c soprano, E flat alto, F alto, B flat tenor, C tenor, E flat baritone, B flat bass, C bass, E flat contrabass, and F contrabass. There was supposed to be a fourteenth, but a working model was never made.

Composers from the 19th century utilized the sax frequently. Even writing especially for them. It began to be used by marching bands after sax organized a playoff between his band and another. Sax replaced the oboes and bassoons with saxophones and won the competition.

During the history of the sax there have been many changes made. The early instruments did not have as many keys nor did they have the F# key.

Throughout their history the sax has steadily become more and more popular. They have found their way into mainstream rock and roll.

The tenor sax is generally more expensive than an alto. A good one like the Yamaha can cost well over $1200, but with good care and regular servicing it can last you a lifetime. A well taken care of, branded saxophone will hold its resale value quite well. There has been an influx of no name saxophones that are fairly cheap, but don’t sound as good and don’t last as long. You may get lucky, but search the web for reviews of the sax you want to buy before you spend any money. A site like SH Woodwind that is impartial can be a great tool.

The tenor sax is normally pitched in Bb and comes in three levels: beginner, intermediate, and pro.

Almost anyone can play the tenor sax. They may be a little big for younger players to start on. These instruments are 3 ½ feet long and weigh several pounds. They are solid metal after all. The breath support is quite difficult for smaller children and the finger holes are somewhat large, to boot. A child younger than 10 or 11 would struggle with the tenor. The alto may be best for them.

The tenor sax is a great beginner for older children and adults. But is a fairly expensive instrument. Search the internet and stores for the best buy you can find.

Photo Credit dirindi

Welcome to the never ending search for the perfect setup. It all started with new reed, not it is down to a new mouthpiece or four.

No matter what, if you are truly committed to playing and want to improve, you will eventually have a need to change your set up. Whether it is an actual need or just psychological doesn’t matter.

You will need to develop your tone before you change set-ups. You may have stop reading right there. Alright, but remember who told you so.

Which mouthpiece

All new saxophone come with a standard mouthpiece that has a small gap between the tip and the reed. This is called a closed lay.

Beginners should stick to that mouthpiece for the first few months. That way you get used to it and can truly decide if you are happy with that set up.

If at all possible get someone who is more experienced to give you a little advice before your buy. Some people like the Yamaha 5 lay. It has a smallish opening and the reed will stall if you blow hard enough.

Others like the Otto Line tone Edge 5. It is a 5 lay, but it is more open than the Yamaha. It gives a more mellow sound, too.

Gap size is not standard across the saxophone industry. A 5 lay can be many different actual gaps. All you can do is get some advice and try different set ups until you are happy.

Photo Credit waltjabsco