L3F1 MUSIC

Sax Saxophone

Learning The Saxophone - Get Started Today

About The Saxophone

The sax was originally created by a Belgian instrument designer by the name of Adolphe Sax in 1843. The sax was made chiefly to be played with armed forces bands but has nowadays come to be more familiar with Jazz, Big Band, and a lot of different styles of mainstream music today.

The saxophone, is a woodwind type instrument, despite the fact it is constructed of metal. It has a cool, sexy tone that is very distinctive. The saxophone is fairly easy to pick up and is a good instrument for any person greater than the age of 12 who desires to be able to play a few basic tunes aside from having any ample musical comprehension. It has a single vibrating reed connected to one end of a long horn via a mouthpiece which is narrow at the reed end and broadens out down its length into a wide 'bell' at the other end. To make the sax easier to handle, the horn is curved into that characteristic 'S' shape construction, except the very small saxes, such as the soprano, which is straight resembling a clarinet.

The original saxes had a range of about two octaves. With a present day breed of sax the range is now about two and a half octaves, although with particular playing skills much greater notes can be attained. Current saxes also have a better designed key construction making them a lot easier to play.

First Steps

It is advisable that you begin learning with the alto sax. A soprano is also ok for a beginner, but it is not recommended that you begin with a tenor or baritone saxophone - get an alto to begin with, you can always swap later. The change will be a lot easier.

As the saxophone isn't one of the more difficult instruments to pick up and play, when you put the effort in you will actually be playing tunes very quick.

To play the saxophone you must have arms capable enough to support the instrument and hands large enough to get to the keys. There are no small instruments especially for new starters, but of course the small soprano saxophone is less difficult in this respect. It is not unusual for children of 11 or 12 to start out on the saxophone. Please be aware that acquiring a sound embouchure (the shape of your mouth around the mouth piece) from the start is an absolute requirement in that this will influence the general tone character of the sax, so it is not recommended that young people that still have their first teeth pick up the saxophone as your teeth have an important part of an excellent embouchure.

Practice, And More Practice

You will certainly need excellent resource material which give lessons in fingering, scales, lessons which aid you to attain a good embouchure etc.

Beginning to play the sax will require you to commit a lot of effort in consistent practice. Shaping your abilities so as to play like a pro comes with persistence and hard work, also with training and practice on a regular basis. Allow yourself a good amount of time to practice your technique and be aware of how to improve the deficiencies.

It is highly recommended that you look up a reputable tutor in the area which you live who will be able to consider your development and help you stay disciplined to keep you focused.

Are You Properly Equipped?

Buying a good quality sax will give you the right start on this musical journey, remember you will always get what you pay for, you will be tempted to purchase the cheapest but you'll by all odds pay out in the long run or become dissatisfied with its tone quality extremely fast. See it as a long term investment not an expense. Purchasing a good quality horn from a reputable manufacturer will put you in good stead long term, as well as having a better tone and a more accurate intonation. Other essential kit include-

a firm case (not a soft gigbag)
a good stable stand
a neckstrap
cork grease
a swab (pullthrough) to clean out the inside
Books, dvd's and cd's for scales and fingering technique exercises etc.
Sheet music. Begin with basic musical pieces

About the Author

Seeing that you're serious about getting started, you'll want a sax. For the best student alto saxophone go HERE, you'll also discover other good saxophone things to help get you up and playing in very little time.

Saxophone: can you tell me the best songs performed with a sax?

I'm already listening:

Baker Street
Blade Runner Love Theme
Careless Whisper

I like a lot these three,if you know any other one similar, please tell me.

Try

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UbHXSsiUnE

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhSx8uKdD5o

Sax Saxophone
Sexy Sax Man Careless Whisper Prank feat. Sergio Flores (directors cut)

Lotta Sax Appeal: A Saxophone Retrospective $30.45 Lotta Sax Appeal: A Saxophone Retrospective

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Sax for Stax $9.53 Sax for Stax by Gerald Albright features Will Downing, Ledisi, Kirk Whalum, and Philip Bailey. Gerald Albright has been serving up "Sweet Pain" on his soulful saxophone for an ever-growing audience that spans across R&B, "Quiet Storm," traditional jazz a

Moondog: Sax Pax for a Sax $16.32 As the name implies, this album consists of pieces composed with the saxophone in mind. Nine saxophonists in all (from the London Saxophonic) pitch in on the disc, which also features some piano, folk-rock vet Danny Thompson on contra bass, several percus

Sax Love $5.17 Fabulous release features easy listening classics performed on one of the most wonderfully expressive and romantic of instruments: the saxophone. Fabulous. 2006.

The Saxophone Family of Instruments

The saxophone is a wonderful instrument that adds depth and variety to many pieces of music. It is a woodwind instrument and it uses a single reed attached to its mouthpiece. The reed vibrates as the air passes through it to allowing the saxophone to produce its great sound.

In the early 1800's, Adolphe Sax noticed that there was a bit of a gap between the brass and woodwind sections of the orchestra. The gap was produced because of the relatively quiet sounds produced by the woodwinds and the lack of versatility of pitch range among the brass instruments. Therefore, he developed the saxophone which gave strength of voice to the woodwinds and flexibility to the brass. He developed the instrument in 1841 and actually developed two different groups of the instruments. Between the sopranino saxophone and the contrabass saxophone, the one group of these instruments could span the entire range offered by a piano. Many of these are transposing instruments which lend a whole different set of abilities to the saxophones.

The patent that was given to Mr. Sax in 1846 expired in 1866. After the patent expired, numerous other musicians and instrument makers adjusted and added to Mr. Sax's original invention until it has evolved into the smooth handling instrument we have today. The original saxophone keys were very basic and simple but that made some of the passages difficult to play because of the way the fingering worked on the keys of the saxophone. Therefore, those improvements have added quality and simplicity to the instrument allowing saxophonists to be able to play difficult passages of music with relative ease.

The timbre of the saxophone, while originally intended as an orchestral instrument, lends itself, however, to many different types of music. Because of its intended and achieved musical versatility, the sax is a great instrument for jazz and blues music as well as rock and roll and big band music. Its size also makes it very easy for instrumentalists in marching bands to handle. The military band personnel play for many different functions and ceremonies including military funerals, welcoming dignitaries, swearing in of various political leaders, etc. This requires the versatility to be able to play those different types of music. The saxophone family of instruments actually has a "military band family" of saxophones such as the Subcontrabass saxophone, the baritone saxophone all the way to the sopranino saxophone. Many of these are used in orchestral pieces and particularly jazz pieces. Famous instrumentalists such as Kenny G have albums that feature his ability to play several different instruments in the saxophone family including the soprano sax primarily but also the alto and Tenor Sax, as well.

Students in grade school begin to learn to play the saxophone in about the fourth or fifth grades when they join the band at school. Because of size issues, most learn to play the alto sax because it is the right size for their fingers and their stature. The soprano saxophone, though much lighter, is considered a solo instrument and is more expensive that either the also or tenor sax. It is therefore not offered by most schools. However, alto saxophones and some tenor saxophones are can be purchased relatively inexpensively so many schools have both available. Once a student has learned to play the alto or tenor saxophone, it is usually fairly simple to move between the instruments in the saxophone family provided you understand the theory of transposition instruments and how that functions between the kinds of saxophones available.

If you want a smooth sounding instrument that lends itself to many different musical styles, you will not go wrong in learning to play the saxophone. Start with the alto or tenor sax, learn the notes and the way to hold and play the instrument. From there, you will be able to move to other types of saxophones, should you desire to do so. As it is, when you learn to play the sax, you will have an ability that will wow your friends and give you great pleasure at being able to pick up and play some of your favorite orchestral, jazz, or blues tunes anytime you wish.

About the Author

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Wine Glass Charms set~ Music Themed~ Grand Piano, G-Clef, Violin, Drum, Sax $8.99 Set of 6 wine glass charms with a ring to place them over a wine bottle. Unique music themed charms with pink, blue and green beads....

Saxophone Cookie Cutter Saxophone Cookie Cutter measures 3 x 4-3/4 inches. Saxophone Cookie Cutter will be 1-1/8 inches deep after one side of the copper is tightly folded over for safety and stability. Handmade copper cookie cutters may vary in size and shape. Click to view all music cookie cutters. Saxophone Cookie Cutter...

Dog Sax Player Wine Topper Yardbirds by Richard Kolb $16.00 Dog Sax Player Wine TopperzTopperz by Richard KolbA funky wine bottle topper for musicians and dog lovers alike! These will stand up by themselves and make a perfect mini-sculpture. Great for housewarming and hostess gifts.Made out of metal with a rubber edged bottom. Measures 6" x 4.5" x 3"...

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Sax Saxophone