Saxophones B flat Baritone confusion

Dave Hep

Member
27
UK
Hi all,

I've just started looking around for a baritone sax and come across a B flat Bari, which is a beast I didn't realise existed; I had previously thought that Bari's and altos were E flat and tenors and sopranos were B flat.

Is this a bit of an oddity like C Melodies with E flats being the main stream? Should I steer clear of them?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Dave
 
The baritone is in the key of E flat and comes in two variants: the bottom of the range can go down to written B flat (like the other saxophones) or it can go down to written A. The latter started to come in really in the 50s and 60s and the extra semitone at the bottom of the range has been found useful in an ensemble, so composers/arrangers since then have frequently written down to low A.

Vintage baritones, including most of the famous US makes of the great period (say 30s to 50s) only went down to low B flat. For modern baritones it is quite unusual NOT to have the low A.

Rhys
 
Is the instrument manufactured in the key of B-flat (Bb) or keyed to B-flat (as opposed to keyed to low A)?

Greg S.
Hi Greg,

As soon as you've asked the question I've realised my mistake; I've misread it doh!

Are instruments made either with or without the low A; in which case they stop at low B flat?

Dave
 
A Bb baritone saxophone plays an octave below alto. In Eb. Some altos have the extra semitone at the bottom as do most modern baritones. A Bb baritone is keyed down to Bb.
The saxophone that plays an octave down from tenor, in Bb, is the Bb bass.
 
Yup. It isn't a dumb question really...the common semantics leaves a bit to be desired.

But you have it right....an Eb instrument, like the alto, keyed down to Low Bb just like Alto, Tenor, Soprano.

So they are differentiated by having and not having the low A (third bell key)....which of course produces a Concert C.

Really the better nomenclature is "Low Bb Baritone Sax"....as opposed to "Bb Baritone Sax", which indeed does intimate something else.

Most new Baritones, you will discover on your quest, are Low A nowadays. I think there are only a handful...2 or 3... contemporary mfrs that make Low Bb's any more; and I believe they have to be special-ordered.

Vintage Low Bb's are still hecka popular these days.
 
On at least two of my tenor mouthpieces, bari (baritone) reeds play better than tenor. (It's my embouchure.)

My low Bb bari although lacking low A is still my favourite. It just means on a rare occasion if I see a written low A, I play the octave higher one.

If one lacks a bari and wants one but is limited on budget, IMO a used low Bb is more than perfectly acceptable.
 
It's possible to stick a low A extension into a low Bb bari but you will lose the Bb, B, or H ..... I learned that B was H and Bb was B.
 
Too expensive. Get a low A.

Maybe in Europe; I noticed that overall seems US in comparison has inflated new instrument prices overall.

Our cheapest is the Cecelio Mendini on Amazon at $1,400 (£1,122), but for a main on-line store for a better brand, $3,949 (£3,164):

Musician's Friend: Allora ABS-450 Vienna Series Baritone Saxophone

Perhaps we have more available good used than new across the pond? I purchased a new discontinued Antigua Winds Low A bari intermediate for $2,500 (£2,003) taxes and shipping included during Covid. However since, have not seen such bargains.
 
🙂🙂 FWIW A professional bari player of my aquaintance, who played for many years in the Blackpool Tower Big Band, tells me that her Adolphe Bari could easily reach low A with a leg placed over the bell. Lawton Bari mouthpiece..Regards
PS She has a Leeds Jazz Degree plus Royal College of Music etc

🙂🙂

 

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