learning on a tenor sax??

[craig sax]

i am about to buy my first ever saxophone, money isnt really an issue and i would happily pay £1000 for a good sax. The sort of music im into is blues jazz, i dont know if that is the correct wording but i want to play songs like 'baker street' (gerry rafferty sax solo at beggining) and things like that.
Would it be ok to learn on a tenor sax? as this (i belive) is slightly deeper, blues style that i want to play. Also is this the sax used on 'baker street'??
craig

[gary]

Hi Craig! Glad to hear you're wanting to learn sax. It'll give you a lot of pleasure, for sure.

To answer a couple of questions: Baker Street=alto sax. See your post " which sax baker street" for more info.

Baker Street is not jazz or blues, it's pop, so when you're looking for music or recordings you might want to keep that in mind. What songs do you consider "blues jazz"?

There's no reason you can't learn to play sax on tenor. It that's the voice you hear, go for it. But, again referring to your other post, I'm not sure tenor is what you're hearing so be sure because you lay down some cash for a horn.

[Alpina]

Hi Criag, I started to play about 6 months ago on a tenor sax and love it.

Bought myself a yts62 and cant put it down. I too started with a style in mind ....soulful jazz 8-)

However getting to grips with learning the fingering, scales etc I play anything and everything I can. The learned guys on here always say it takes time to get where you want to be. I agree , I pick a tune from a book and learn how to play it . It sometimes sounds good sometimes not , but one thing for sure is Im learning something every day.

Andy

[kcp]

Hi Craig,

I'm another one who got started on tenor sax and glad I did- But like Gary suggest maybe you should make sure it is really tenor that you want to play. Sometimes this can be tricky to tell the difference on recordings.

Cheerz and welcome! 8-)

[Greyduster]

Hi Craig

I started on Tenor about three years ago because I knew it was the sound I wanted. I'm 53. (Now I keep hankering after the bari players sax)

Check out the sound you want and buy the best sax you can, Yamaha, Yanagisawa (I play a T991 so I'm a bit prejudiced there). Don't buy cheap on the basis that you don't know whether you'll 'get into it' 'be capable of it' or whatever.

Playing a poor sax may well put you off whereas if you buy a good sax, it will make learning as easy as possible, and will hold it's value whether you decide to carry on or not

[TheChristianSax]

Craig,

I agree that the decision is easier if you know what sound you are looking for. If you haven't already, go to a local music store to get a feel for the physical differences and what is comfortable for you. Then just go for it. I wouldn't worry about it too much though. Once you get hooked, you will become like the rest of us saxofanatics and have to have them all!

[Troy]

I think the main reasons for starting kids out on alto are 1) there is more concert music written for alto, and 2) it's smaller and lighter, making it physically a bit easier for smaller bodies to handle.

Since you're 25 and not looking to learn concert music, I don't think you should worry about it. Make sure the sound you like really is the tenor, then go for it!

[CircaRevival]

When I started I had my heart set on tenor but my left hand was too small to reach around the horn without hitting the palm keys. So I started on alto and patiently waited a year until I was big enough to step up to tenor. It worked great, not only could I easily switch from from alto to tenor, but I could have more options with what I coulddo when I bought a tenor. If you are confused here is a timeline:

Beginning: Rented tenor (too big)

About a month after beginning: started renting alto and gave tenor back to store

After a year playing alto: went back to tenor

After a 2 years of tenor: bought a great step-up horn

One year later: bought an alto

[Sigmund451]

I started on alto becuase I picked one up really cheap and had never touched a wind instrument at age 38. I played my first tenor 3 months later in a pawn shop and that was the end of the alto. I shopped and changed to tenor and never looked back. Ive been at it for two years almost and having a great time. It takes a while to work up a solid tone and an ongoing process of discovering the tone and color the you and the instrument can generate. Get a good setup, stick with it and have a great time.

[Randall]

I wish I had started on tenor.....maybe I wouldn't have given up the sax for the short period I did in jr high...when I found the tenor, it was true love man :wink:

[Kimsey]

I started my lessons on a borrowed alto but after 2 months decided to buy my own sax. I bought a tenor because I much preferred the sound and found alto's a bit high pitched for my ear. I could only afford a Yamaha YTS 275 (£800 in the UK) but my music teacher has tried it and says its fine with a nice tone. The tenor is much more comfortable on your mouth which means you can practise longer without discomfort.

[calebtenorplayer]

Hey man.
Yea its fine to star on tenor. The great thing about the saxophone is that they all have the same fingering system so when switching from alto to soprano its not that difficult. Im not saying its easy to do (mouthpiece size and physical demand of the instrument) but we have an advantage over some of the other musical families. Actually ive been playing for about 5 years and I started on tenor then i went to alto but now i have really found my voice on it. Also im pleased to hear your into jazz music. To be honest with you thats where its at dog. There really is nothing like it when you just start playing a song like green dolphin street or stella by starlight with a great rhythm section. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
MAN its great. Hold up i gotta go practice. I hope to get updates from you later. Happy playing.

[airmouton]

Well, since I played alto for 9 1/2 years before purchasing a tenor (just this past week!) I can attest to the fact that, starting on alto isn't all unpleasantness. I would agree, though, that tenor can be more fun to play - especially if you're not terribly experienced - and it's a little more forgiving than alto in terms of tone/intonation. So, if it's your first horn, the real tradeoff is between that initial ease and, if you buy a tenor, the increase in price/convenience/etc. But keep in mind that, if you keep at it, you'll probably end up with both anyway.

I too would recommend a Yanagisawa or Yamaha ... good, relatively inexpensive horns, and not so complicated or picky as to be hard on beginners. I especially love Yani, but that's just my preference.