Your favorite Sax-o-mo-phone

**Wylocson** · 11-11-2010, 12:39 AM

So, personally I love the baritone. It is my baby, and It has the sweetest sound of all of them, with the deep melodic bass that can still go up into the lower ranges of the alto. It adds a sweet taste to the tuba section. I also enjoy the tenor for its jazzy sound, and once again, adds the woodwind sound to the primarily brass melodies that the trombones play. I think that bass is pushing it, and below that is too far *for me to play* As long as its played well I do like listening to the really low ones. Also, tubax sounds better than contrabass, the tubing gives it a more controlled sound. As for the higher ones I would probably just screw around on those if I played them. Although they are nice to listen to if the player is good.

**jaysne** · 11-11-2010, 01:53 AM

It's funny, I've been playing sax my whole life and have played in every kind of ensemble you can think of. I've listened to baritone sax in all contexts, and i simply cannot get a handle on it. What I mean is, I cannot take it seriously! And I've played it in groups myself! Something about the sound, to me, not only doesn't do anything for me, it turns me off. Must be the overtones or something. I just cannot enjoy hearing it being played--it's like someone is trying to sneak a fast on me. It's like a joke. It doesn't sound like a musical instrument.

And I've listened to all the greats--Chaloff, Adams, Mulligan, Johnston, etc. It's just that the tone, to me, doesn't lend itself to singing or sounding pretty. It's too low and ugly.

I certainly don't mean any disrespect to people who love it, and certainly not to those who play it, and nothing toward the instrument itself. In fact, I want to buy one once I have the space to store it! I'd like to enjoy it, but can't.

If someone out there would like to reform me, please go ahead.

**Enviroguy** · 11-11-2010, 02:13 AM

I was listening to a song today by little-known singer, Hana Pestle. She's kind of a gothic cross between Amy Lee and Alanis Morissette. The hook in the song was played by what sounded like a bass guitar and synth bells on a keyboard. I kept imagining rearranging it for bari sax with tenor in harmony and actual bells. I think it would be very powerful.

Once my bari gets back from it's extreme overhaul, I plan to start writting some stuff like this with a bari/tenor combo taking the place of a strong bass guitar part.