I need help picking out a saxophone?
I want to buy a saxophone for just having fun with. I won’t be taking lessons or anything and I won’t be in any kind of band, i just want to play for fun. I know nothing at all about saxophones other than what I’ve heard on jazz albums. I play the piano so I have musical experience, but I am a novice to any other kind of instrument.
My questions could be summed up like this:
1) What kind should I get (tenor, alto, etc…) and in what key? What is the best for a beginner?
2) Is it sanitary to buy a used sax? I imagine the mouthpieces or whatever would need to be replaced. Would it just be better to buy a new one?
3) How much would a low quality sax cost?
4) Is it relatively easy to improvise on the saxophone?
5) Are there a good amount of saxophone books and sheet music for beginners?
Please keep in mind I have no experience with saxophones and if possible would like a smaller one.
I reccomend the alto saxophone, which is in the key Eb. The larger saxophones, tenor which is in Bb, and Bari,which is Eb, do require more air control, which may be harder to achieve as a beginner. I personally own a Yanagisawa, but I also reccomend Selmer or Yamaha. I also know people who use Cannonball, and I hear they work well. There’s nothing wrong in buying a used instrument. Some music stores will sell instruments previously rented for a lower price than if you buy new. Beginner saxophones usually run from $200 to $800, though I’m sure you can buy one for $5 on eBay if you really wanted to. If you do buy used, you don’t necessarily need a new mouthpiece. There’s such a thing as mouthpiece cleaner. I agree with the person above me-improvising is the same on any instrument. There are wide selections of music for saxophone! Just head down to your nearest music store. You should probably buy a beginner method book, even if it’s just for the fingering chart in the front. I also reccomended starting out with 2 1/2 strength reeds, and then moving up from there. I started out with plain Rico reeds, and they suited me just mine. Do not play the soprano saxophone as a beginner. For one thing, they are MORE expensive because there really isn’t a beginner soprano saxophone. Also, they are extremely hard to keep in tune. It is not a beginner instrument. Personally, I do think you should try private lessons, but it is your prerogative. Though when I started the clarinet, which was my first instrument, I thought I could teach myself. It worked fine for quite some time, but when I did start taking lessons I discovered that I was playing with the completely wrong ombuchure and I had horrible posture. The difference was unbelievable once I fixed my mistakes. Learning from a professional will truly help. You could also ask someone you know who plays the saxophone, or a band teacher. I’m sure they could help.
Have fun playing the saxophone! I hope you enjoy it and choose to continue playing once you start.
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