Which sax is your main horn?

[livejazz]

Might seem like a simple question, but it would be interesting to see how many players there are for each horn on the forum. My guess is that tenor is the most popular, followed by alto, baritone, soprano, and others (sopranino, bass, etc.) When posting please include WHY it is your main horn. It can be as simple as ''I love the tone'' or ''What !?! There's more than one saxophone???''

I guess I will start. My main horn is alto, and it's my main horn because it's the one I am best at so it should be easier to pass my college audition on alto. Also, I have a great big band gig that I really wouldn't want to loose...But in my heart, I think I'm a tenor player

[MyMartinTenor]

My tenor is my baby. Bari next. Alto a distant third, but still makes it out of the case often enough.

[jaysne]

Hard to say. I've done most of my playing on alto, and played a classical alto when I got my graduate degree.

But most of my recent playing has been on tenor in big bands.

I'd have to say alto.

[CraigH]

Alto - 50%
Bari - 30%
Soprano - 10%
Tenor - 10%

This would be a rough breakdown for the classical, jazz, rock/pop stuff that I do. If I included pit work, then the numbers might shift a bit and would include other woodwinds.

I guess I play alto the most because that's just the way it works out with my gigs. I really love to play all 4 pretty equally.

[gary]

Depends on who's hiring, what's needed and how I feel. I like both alto and tenor.

[SAXISMYAXE]

Totally dependent on the gig and situation, but the general order is as follows:
1. Tenor
2. Alto
3. Baritone
4. Soprano
5. Bass.
6. C-Melody

[Rufusax]

for me it's always been tenor. my first teacher told me "take care of your tenor it's the meat and potatoes horn" and so far (43 yrs) he has'nt been wrong .........................................................................................

[Wade Cornell]

I really try to give equal time and weight to the main three, but must admit that I sound best on alto so ticked that box. The nino is still a squeaky toy that I often have difficulty taking seriously, but having said that used it in last night's free jazz gig exclusively. Go figure!

Can't be bothered with lugging around a bari, so don't even own one. Hard enough carrying four saxes and a stand with two hands.

[BarrySachs]

It's not a weird question these days. I know many jazz musicians that specialise in one axe. Perhaps they might double occasionally on a big band date but they tend to stick to one horn. These days, most working saxophonists that aren't stars, have to play at least alto, tenor & soprano along with flute and clarinet, otherwise they'll be out of the running for certain gigs.

Most of the famous jazz players of the past are known for one horn with a few notable exceptions like James Moody, Frank Wess, Roland Kirk, Sonny Stitt & Jerome Richardson.

[SaxTon]

You should definately add Coltrane to that list. The list of players who play muliple axes is actually much longer including Bass Sax for Coleman Hawkins in his early years, Zoot Sims on Soprano, etc.

I tend to enjoy playing tenor and bass the best. But do enjoy alto and soprano and put time in on these axes to get a good, solid and in tune sound. I enjoy listening to the entire sax family especially when the orchestration is well crafted for a particular sax voice. for example the Alto in the theme for Mystery on PBS.

[GAS_Wyo]

My tenor is my baby. Bari next. Alto a distant third, but still makes it out of the case often enough.

Ditto

[Mal 2]

None of the above. My most-used gigging horn is (believe it or not) C-mel. Alto is a close second and bari a distant third. Tenor and soprano almost never leave the house.

Actually if you count the time spent playing on a gig, flute would be third, ahead of the bari. However, I record on bari a lot more than I record on flute.

[Shaneygrog]

I voted tenor, that's all I have. When I get a bari though things might change. We will see.

[Little Sax]

1) Soprano
2) Bari
3) Tenor
4) C-Mel
5) Alto
6) C-Sop
7) 'Nino
8) F-Mez

[jthole]

Bari almost exclusively.

[soybean]

Although I was always a tenor player and never owned an alto until I was in my 30s, lately the alto is my favorite. As a tool for playing jazz, it's the easiest to express myself.

1. Alto
2. Tenor
3. soprano
4a. C-mel
(tie)
4b. baritone

[magical pig]

I voted tenor, that's all I have.

Same thing here.

[Rennie]

Tenor.

Reine

[click]

bari is #1 (high school and current community band chair) love the sound and feel - heft is good


the c mel is fun to play with family beside the piano #2

got stuck in first tenor chair in college and still like the horn a lot #3


got an alto cuz it was a bargain and rounded out the set (a great 1927 chu that is growing on me. I do not recall altos being so easy to play, and I do not sound shrill like I used to)

[notes_norton]

Why is the tenor my main horn?

It's really hard to say.

I like the sound, the way it expresses me, the size, and the way it feels in my hands.

When I pick up an alto or soprano, I play entirely differently on those horns, and although I like it, I like what the tenor gives me more.

As Bird once said, "You don't play the sax, you let the sax play you." And I like the way the tenor plays me.

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