Music Voices

The saxophone is a combination of clarinet (the mouthpiece) the flute (the fingerings) and brass instruments (made of the same material). Although they appear to be a hybrid, saxophones have become very distinct instruments and there are several types of saxophones! The most common saxophone is the tenor saxophone, but baritone saxophone, alto sax, and soprano sax are all used in society. The soprano sax is the only saxophone that is straight (all others have the signature u-bend) and reaches the highest register for this instrument; on the opposite end of the spectrum, the baritone sax is very large and usually only played in professional orchestras. If a person is competent in playing the alto sax, it is usually not difficult to jump from one saxophone type to another type.


Saxophones are capable of producing two and a half octaves. Their sounds can range from that of a clarinet to that of a brass instrument with ease. There are twenty keys on the saxophone, six finger plates, and two keys that denote which octave is being played - when blowing through the reed mouthpiece, all of these keys work together to create the desired tones.
The saxophone is a great individual instrument, but it is used in many types of music. Jazz is most famous for using saxophone, but rock, ska, pop, show tunes, smooth listening, Broadway, blues, reggae, big band, samba, and swing all use the saxophone in their respective genres. Orchestras and ensembles utilize the sax - in fact, Saxophone quartets or ensembles are extremely popular - and the saxophones expansion is only growing. Many people play it purely for its relaxing and sonorous qualities; whatever your goal may be, the sax can help you achieve it.
The saxophone is very popular so as a result, there are many saxophone instructors around the country. In turn, there are innumerable amounts of sheet music created specifically for the saxophones, and any type of music can be performed.
The sax is a wonderful and fun instrument, but initially learning the tricky fingering can be tough. It is highly advisable to take a few lessons from a saxophone teacher - but once you learn the proper breathing and fingering techniques, you can continue to teach yourself or you can continue to receive expert guidance. The choice is completely up to you!

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