Basic Alto Saxophone (could be applied to tenner, barritone, ect.) Guide

This is a basic guide to maintaining and using an alto saxophone. This could kind of apply to other saxes as well. Im sorry about having no pictures, I will get them up as soon as I find a good camera in my house.

Step 1 Basic Information

I believe a saxophone was created by Adolphe Sax as a replacement for the clarinet, due to the fact that clarinets project sournd downward, instead of to a crowd. I guess if you really wanted, you can look up info on Wikipedia.

Saxophones range from from bass to sopranno (Lowest to Highest pitch)The most common are alto and tenor.

Comments

[Schober]

You have the inventor correct but the purpose of it's creation wrong. The alto sax was created as the mediator between the woodwind and brass sections of the band.

Wikipedia Quote:
He wanted to create an instrument that would both be the most powerful and vocal of the woodwinds and the most adaptive of the brass, which would fill the vacant middle ground between the two sections.

The range on the saxophones actually goes from the Tubax to the far lesser known Soprillo Sax.

[bruces]

another missed sax is the c melody ,and the best reeds are the Rico plasticover if you are playing several horns ,I use them in a 5 strength .

[h3x_your_nightmare]

i want this paper on high resolution please!!!!!!!!!!!! my email is [e-mail]

[El Mano]

Always a pleasure to meet a fellow saxamaphone.

[SeMi_AuToMaTic]

Very nice instructable. One thing though, the range is not correct. the Lowest sax ever made was the contrabass saxophone. it is very very rare and i am guessing only like 200 in the world were made. if you would like to buy one today you would have to do it customely. The next higher would be the bass, looking like a bigger baritone. than the highest sax, (one octave higher than the tenor), would be the sopraninio, one higher than the soprano. this is also very rare and probobably just as pricey as the contra bass b/c of all of the fine key placement and stuff. its true man, i know i am a saxophone nerd, but hey! its my favorite instrument! yeah,man. utube this stuff. you can see people playing them.

[JohnJY]

 Lowest ever made is a Tubax, look it up.

[x z i t]

he also forgot bass sax

[saxmaster765]

There's actually a saxophone lower than the Contrabass saxophone. It's called the Sub-Contrabass. It takes two people to play it. There's probably, say, 10 in the world. I don't know that, but how many do you see around?

[SeMi_AuToMaTic]

w0w! i didn't know that! post a picture of it!

[waverider894]

taller than the player if that gives an idea with saxmaster's picture

[saxmaster765]

Here you go! Okay, it doesn't work right now for some reason. Here's the link. I'm pretty sure this is it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/B-flatSubcontrabassTubax.jpg

[SeMi_AuToMaTic]

I play the tenor and the alto. ==:)==

[tanmanknex]

bari and tenor for me. tenors are better for jazz, but baris are just plain awesome.

[TheYetti]

The clarinet Roxxx!! Whooooo Woodstock 1969!!!!!!

[x z i t]

i hate the sound of clarinets

[JohnJY]

 I agree, if an alto is played correctly, Kenny G, John Coltrane, they can make pieces of true work, but clarinets are just to, high and sqeuky for my taste.

[HardCoreHacker]

I bought a vintage 1940's Elkhart sterling silver clarinet and I dont know how to make any darn noise with it.

[bbzbz]

A Rico 3-3 1/2 are good beginner reed, but when you get to where your not breaking reeds for about a month or two go straight to a Vandoren 3(strength) do not pass GO, do not collect $200

[mr b1scu1ts]

no way! for an alto saxophone the best reeds to start with are 2- 2 i/2 vandorens are the best no matter what but they can be very hard to play if you don't shave them down a little bit. also, yamaha saxophones are probably the best in my experience.

[JohnJY]

 I agree for a new alto, Vandoren is the only, and best way to go. For a starting alto I also agree to use a 2- 1/2 reed, but I use a 3-4 reed. Hard wood.

[Rockrox]

i'd have to disagree with you. Selmer is better. I have played yamaha, bundy, keilworth, and Selmer, and selmer has always been my favorite

[rattyrain]

It's really all based on preference. Many of the top players will swear by their horn, but it all depends on what the player wants/expects from his/her sound, how nice the horn is, the player's setup, and the physical differences between their bodies. I play a Yamaha Custom (wish it was mine) for classical and it sounds great, but for jazz it doesn't really cut it for me. I'm still looking for my one true (horn) love...

[Zacfo95]

I have a Selmer Aristocrat Alto. Though I've never played any other brands on alto, I play a Yamaha Tenor for school, and of the two the Selmer is the clear winner. I've had it since 5th grade and no problems.

[mr b1scu1ts]

that last saxophone on there is not a soprano saxophone. soprano saxophones look like clarinets but are made of different materials.

[tanmanknex]

actually, they have curved sopranos. that one might not be, but they have some.

[cdousley]

that's interesting i didn't know they made them curved

[Kcar]

There's also a soprillo saxophone, which is smaller than a sopranino. My orchestra director said that saxes were invented to replace strings (they're terrible outside) and my band diretor said they were invented to replace brass (not sure why)

[tanmanknex]

i heard they were made to be a crossover of brass and woodwinds... too many theories to count...

[bbzbz]

Your right, but a Selmer Bundy Tenor is the insanaquarium

[salocius]

You should always put the mouthpiece on the neck before putting the neck onto the instrument, otherwise the pressure from pushing on the mouthpiece can bend the neck! As an instrument repairer I see this dimage all the time

[HardCoreHacker]

how many instruments do you play? I play all brass instruments but no reeds... I dont know how to make noise...

[CapnTac]

Nice job. Not trying to spam or anything, but if you haven't yet, you should check out my sax instructable. How long you been playing sax for?

[SeMi_AuToMaTic]

I love musiciansfriend! are all those saxes yours? cccccccccccoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo0000000000000000000000oooooooooool!!!!!!!!!!! favorite + 5 starz