Saxophones How many saxes does one really need?

[Pete Thomas]

Hmmm...

Were there any adult beverages in the room?

I can’t remember. But I think it was in Groningen.

 

[Targa]

It’s only happened once (maybe twice) The first time (with Bill Haley) the handbasin in the dressing room broke away from the wall. I just happened to be standing on it at time and unfortunately fell to the floor along with my tenor.

The tour manager sent off for a hire instrument. Sadly it was an alto so I had to play the Rudy Pompilli solos on alto that night. 😞

Was this in anyway similar to the old lady who fell off the mantlepiece, she was rocking around the clock.

 

[turf3]

It's good (I guess) that many seem to have a special affinity for a specific horn's voice that they get into and identify with. However some of us play different horns for their specific voicing that fits specific styles or tunes. If this is done regularly it's not like one suffers from being used to playing just one voice and with an instrument in just in Bb, Eb, C, F, or whatever. It's all comfortable. There are tunes that require those different voices. A delicate lullaby for a child may sound best with a C soprano voice. If you're strictly a baritone player, your playing a lullaby could sound more like child molestation.

Some of us relish the idea of those different voices and have no difficulty is making any and all of them sound OK. In a small group it gives variety to performance and doesn't take a huge amount of space to accommodate. Electric players (keys, guitar, bass etc.) have boxes/pedals so don't need other instruments to change their sound. Since we play a somewhat loud acoustic instrument the boxes don't work for us unless it's a big space and we're amplified beyond anyone hearing our acoustic sound. I'd honestly feel like I'd lost a finger or limb if I didn't have those five different voices to use on a regular basis.

Yeah, the question of voices is very individual. For me, personally, my two main voices are baritone (primary) and alto. For some reason I don't really enjoy playing tenor very much. Soprano just isn't much in my mind. Bass sax is a hoot, enjoy it, but has been of limited applicability since all the gigs dried up during Covid. I've known plenty of people who just play one voice and that's it; and I've known plenty of people who add flute oboe clarinet bassoon and who knows what all else.

But if you think that electric guitar players just get one guitar and that's it, you haven't been around many electric guitar players. Just sayin'.

 

[Zasterz]

It’s only happened once (maybe twice) The first time (with Bill Haley) the handbasin in the dressing room broke away from the wall. I just happened to be standing on it at time and unfortunately fell to the floor along with my tenor.

The tour manager sent off for a hire instrument. Sadly it was an alto so I had to play the Rudy Pompilli solos on alto that night. 😞

Wow- the rental came with everything else you needed to play a different voice?? (MP, reeds, lig)

 

[Pete Thomas]

Wow- the rental came with everything else you needed to play a different voice?? (MP, reeds, lig)

Yes there was a mouthpiece with ligature and reed. That is probably standard with a rental.

 

[skeller047]

“Standing on the handbasin”…. I think there might be a bit more to that story, sounds intriguing.

Like most of my colleagues, when I started life as a pro, the idea of having multiple instruments was out of the question. I am amazed, really, that I never had an incident where a horn got damaged. I remember a trip to Acapulco where the tenor had to be checked on the plane. Two weeks in paradise - hot, humid and full of dangerous creatures of all types - with with saxophone, clarinet and flute. Took my good (and only!) horns. Nothing happened - to the horns, anyway.

If I had a gig like that today, I’d take my backups. These days, $15 and a free dinner is more my speed.

 

[Pete Thomas]

“Standing on the handbasin”…. I think there might be a bit more to that story, sounds intriguing

I actually don’t know if there there is any more to it. Apart from the fact it may have been in Groningen. But may have been Enschede.

 

[Wade Cornell]

Yeah, the question of voices is very individual. For me, personally, my two main voices are baritone (primary) and alto. For some reason I don't really enjoy playing tenor very much. Soprano just isn't much in my mind. Bass sax is a hoot, enjoy it, but has been of limited applicability since all the gigs dried up during Covid. I've known plenty of people who just play one voice and that's it; and I've known plenty of people who add flute oboe clarinet bassoon and who knows what all else.

But if you think that electric guitar players just get one guitar and that's it, you haven't been around many electric guitar players. Just sayin'.

Definitely right about guitar players owning lots of guitars and many having masses of boxes. However not many take more than one guitar on stage. Switching gear is a bit more of a mission for them, especially if the guitar needs tuning from sitting outside in the cold or under hot lights.

One stand holds five horns for me and using (mostly) synthetic reeds means I don't need to do much other than put down one and pick up the other. The sopranino needs a cane reed.

 

[Zasterz]

However not many take more than one guitar on stage.

Many live acts bring a whole slew of guitars and travel with a guitar tech who hands them a new one every other song or whatever. I would say that at that level, the guitar player will be more likely to have multiple guitars while the saxophonist still just has the one main horn. Imagine Springsteen band for example. (But I’ve seen way smaller touring acts that do the same.)

 

[Woodpad]

When playing with guitarists an extra saxophone in E could be helpful.

 

[Colin the Bear]

When playing with guitarists an extra saxophone in E could be helpful.

Or get them to tune down a semitone.

 

[Colin the Bear]

It’s only happened once (maybe twice) The first time (with Bill Haley) the handbasin in the dressing room broke away from the wall. I just happened to be standing on it at time and unfortunately fell to the floor along with my tenor.

The tour manager sent off for a hire instrument. Sadly it was an alto so I had to play the Rudy Pompilli solos on alto that night. 😞

Tap dancing lessons. 🤔

 

[lig]

My guitar player has a ton of very cool axes. 🙂

His typical stage setup is a full complement of pedals on a board, high end small amp that gets miked, a plexiglass shield around the amp and a rotating 3 guitar rack.

Pretty nifty.

I don’t bring backup horns but I bring backup mouthpieces with synthetic reeds (which I do not normally play) for a just in case scenario. They are ready to go from the get go.

 

[Wade Cornell]

Many live acts bring a whole slew of guitars and travel with a guitar tech who hands them a new one every other song or whatever. I would say that at that level, the guitar player will be more likely to have multiple guitars while the saxophonist still just has the one main horn. Imagine Springsteen band for example. (But I’ve seen way smaller touring acts that do the same.)

Next time I play with a big famous touring company I'll take your advice and have only one sax. Till then I'll play my little menagerie with guitarists who seem to have only one guitar. Or maybe I can take my sopranino along and have some beautiful girl keep the reed wet for me?

 

[Zasterz]

Next time I play with a big famous touring company I'll take your advice and have only one sax. Till then I'll play my little menagerie with guitarists who seem to have only one guitar. Or maybe I can take my sopranino along and have some beautiful girl keep the reed wet for me?

Like I said- they don’t have to be a big famous touring company. Lots of guitarists take more than one guitar. I know more guitar players than saxophonists who do so.

 

[Zasterz]

Or get them to tune down a semitone.

Or- learn to play in 12 keys? It ain’t a million, folks, it’s just 12.

 

[Dr G]

Like I said- they don’t have to be a big famous touring company. Lots of guitarists take more than one guitar. I know more guitar players than saxophonists who do so.

They do because they can. Do they really need to?

I could name several real guitarists that only use one guitar at a gig - even some touring pros playing acoustic guitars, whether blues, classical, or other. Electric guitar players as well. I used to play 4-5 nights a week in clubs and used only an ES-335 for everything. Same with many of my friends that were full time gigging musicians.

Is there really a point to this?

 

[LostCircuits]

But if you think that electric guitar players just get one guitar and that's it, you haven't been around many electric guitar players. Just sayin'.

But they are in different tunings, E, Eb, Open G or whatever.

And then they have to tune them again

 

[LostCircuits]

They do because they can. Do they really need to?

I could name several real guitarists that only use one guitar at a gig - even some touring pros playing acoustic guitars, whether blues, classical, or other. Electric guitar players as well. I used to play 4-5 nights a week in clubs and used only an ES-335 for everything. Same with many of my friends that were full time gigging musicians.

Is there really a point to this?

The skill of many players is inversely correlated to the number of instruments they carry to a gig.

 

[Wade Cornell]

Like I said- they don’t have to be a big famous touring company. Lots of guitarists take more than one guitar. I know more guitar players than saxophonists who do so.

Different ends of the world, different realities. I only comment on my culture, you comment on yours.