which saxophone is easiest

[zannie]

I used to play tenor and alto a lot, I've recently dusted off the tenor and am relearning to play it. I've never played a barry or sop. Is there a view about which are easier? Most beginners I've come across start on the alto. Is there a reason?

 

[kevgermany]

Only good reason for alto is for smaller starters like kids.
Sop is a little harder as many are tricky with intonation and pitch control.
Baris is big, much less pressure, more air. Possibly easiest.

 

[nigeld]

I suspect that most people start on alto because altos are generally the cheapest. Also, they are smaller and lighter, which is better for children.

I started playing tenor, and found alto surprisingly difficult. But I expect it would have been the same the other way round.

Personally I think that the bari sax is the most forgiving, but it's heavy and needs quite a lot of air.

 

[zannie]

what did you find difficult when you moved to alto?

 

[nigeld]

what did you find difficult when you moved to alto?

Embouchure - the mouthpiece seemed too small.
(Also, I started on a vintage alto with vintage ergonomics.)

Oddly, the soprano mouthpiece felt fine.

 

[Alphorn]

I started out on clarinet. So maybe that's the reason that a firm embochoure is not that unfamiliar to me. For me alto appeared to be the easiest. Tenor has the low notes, that need a bit of attention not to overblow an octave. Jumping down across a larger intervall to low e and lower I sometimes still struggle that the note has a clean entry.

Soprano, while considered the most difficult by the community, is not that difficult to me. At least that is what I believe unless I am tone deaf and so far I had no major complaints about my intonation on it.

Alphorn

 

[Tomasz]

I suspect that most people start on alto because altos are generally the cheapest. Also, they are smaller and lighter, which is better for children.

I started playing tenor, and found alto surprisingly difficult. But I expect it would have been the same the other way round.

Personally I think that the bari sax is the most forgiving, but it's heavy and needs quite a lot of air.

Yep. Altos are the commonest saxophones on the planet. They're also the cheapest as the OP said. A Yamaha YAS-62 costs less than a YTS-62. Similarly, a 1937 vintage Conn 6M alto has a lower price than a 1937 vintage Conn 10M. Assuming that the makes and models are the same then sopranos, tenors and baris do cost more than altos.

Over the years, more altos have been made than sopranos, tenors or baris. As a collector I see this all the time insofar as I'm up to my neck in altos (because that's mostly what I encounter) and therefore try to avoid buying more unless I spot a really tasty example or need to plug a gap in my collection. Additionally, I think it's down to a marketing thing i.e. most children can play altos, and so too can most men and women. In short, one horn appeals to the largest number of buyers - so they're easier to sell.

Of course, there's absolutely no reason why a woman can't play a tenor or baritone, and play it well if she wants to. Heck, my mother played baritone saxophone in a big band - and made a very nice job of it. Years later I played in a different big band where the 1st Tenor was a very nice lady who was also a thoroughly competent player. It probably says a lot about my age that I can't remember her face now, though I distinctly recall she played a Yani T992 with Lawton 6* bronze metal mouthpiece and the bottom bow of her horn had a major dent in it!

For some reason women tend to gravitate towards the alto and soprano more than the tenor and bari. If they're happy doing that then who am I to judge?

 

[kevgermany]

Hardest thing for me with alto was getting used to the different pitch, and finding a mouthpiece that didn't sound like a duck. Once I found the right mouthpiece, playing was easier than tenor, probably because the tenor was leaking at the time.

 

[Jonesy]

Since I started on tenor and mostly play tenor I find that easiest.
Soprano is also nice and easy to play, but when things start to go wrong it is the most frustrating.
Since I got a baritone a couple of months ago I was surprised how free blowing and satisfying it is to play.
I find the alto can be a right pig to play even passably well. No wonder there are so many 'almost new' second hand ones on the market, that people have bought when trying to learn saxophone and just given up as a bad job.

I think I would steer a newcomer to a tenor for adults, or a curvy soprano for children.
.
I know a woman who is quite small and plays baritone sax professionally.

 

[kevgermany]

I find the alto can be a right pig to play even passably well. No wonder there are so many 'almost new' second hand ones on the market, that people have bought when trying to learn saxophone and just given up as a bad job.

I bought one like that. Seems to have belonged to a schoolgirl who'd given up. Was a pig to play and would only play on the Selmer S80 that came with it. The generic that was also in the case wouldn't play. After sorting a few leaks, it played perfectly on both pieces.

 

[altissimo]

which saxophone is the easiest? - non of 'em, they're all a pain in the......****

 

[saxyjt]

I started on alto, as I didn't know much by then. Perhaps I would do it different now. I find alto easier than tenor.

Soprano requires an investment initially but then it's not as bad as often said. Although producing a pleasant sound and being in tune can be challenging.

Baritone is rather forgiving with a 'regular' mouthpiece. But it needs air.

To me the most challenging is tenor by far. But I love it's sound, so I will most likely continue to work on it until I manage to tame the beast.

Tenor has the low notes, that need a bit of attention not to overblow an octave. Jumping down across a larger intervall to low e and lower I sometimes still struggle that the note has a clean entry.

That's my BIG problem at the moment! Very frustrating... Can't play those low notes reliably clean. It drives me nuts. I don't think it's the horn. That would be convenient. Oh, it's just a leak! Most likely not.

 

[jbtsax]

For me alto was the gateway drug to the rest of them. They are all easy to play badly, and difficult to play well. Saxophones don't play with a poor tone and out of tune---people do.

 

[Jazzaferri]

IMO given a decently set up horn and a decent mouthpiece; for people with regular size or smaller hands; alto is the easiest to play. The smaller the mpce the smaller the change in embouchure needed to change intonation. Perhaps, in part why so many people struggle with sop intonation. Bari's do need a stronger frame to support the weight and if one wants to be long winded, a lot of air. Its not the amount of air but the velocity of air that makes starting notes easy. One certainly will have to breather more frequently on a bigger horn, particularly on the low notes.

From my perspective alto is the best balance for a beginner followed by Tenor. A critical part of the decision is which one appeals to one the most. The more you love it the easier to get into practice habits that yield good results. After a year or two of diligent practice it wan't matter which one you started on.

 

[Tomasz]

I bought one like that. Seems to have belonged to a schoolgirl who'd given up. Was a pig to play and would only play on the Selmer S80 that came with it. The generic that was also in the case wouldn't play. After sorting a few leaks, it played perfectly on both pieces.

I started learning on a silver-plated Conn New Wonder Series II alto dating from circa 1927. Given that it was my first ever saxophone, I was in no position to judge whether the ergonomics were friendly or not. It was all I had so I learned on it regardless - and fell in love with its gloriously punchy & boomy sound. I sold it years later (looking back I wish I hadn't) to buy a 1980s YAS-62 Mk 1. Fortunately, a couple of years ago I bought another Conn New Wonder Series II alto (for sentimental reasons) only that one is nickel-plated.

 

[Phil]

The easiest is the one hou like best because you will likely work harder at it.

For an adult, od say alto and tenor are the main choices. Different embroschure but nothing impossible. To be good they are all hard.

 

[Wade Cornell]

We each have physical limitations. The sax is an imperfect instrument. There's always "adjustment" required to play in tune. The higher the pitch the more difficult to play in tune. If you have trouble hearing pitch accurately the lower pitched instrument is your friend. We all have limited lung capacity as well. In this respect the tables are turned with the highest pitched instruments needing the least air. If your lung capacity is just 4000 cc you're going to have trouble playing a baritone phrase without continually gulping for air. Response of the instrument is also a factor with the baritone the most difficult to play quickly (there is more lag between start of air flow to production of the note). Sopranino is like the piccolo and can play incredibly fast passages easily. Amount of spring pressure and physical realities (weight of instrument) are also exaggerated with the larger horns.

It's an individual thing depending on your abilities and physical characteristics. If you are a petite female the baritone may not be a good choice. If you're a big bloke with large hands and not a great ear for pitch the sopranino won't be a good pick. The alto is the closest thing to a "one size fits all" saxophone. If one yearns for playing lower or higher pitch instruments, then you can move in that direction and (as the saying goes) aspire to reach your level of incompetence.

I've been lucky enough to fit with playing all of them...incompetently!

 

[BigMartin]

For me, as you go from baritone to soprano, the low notes get easier and the high notes get harder. The palm key notes on the bari are a pice of cake compared to soprano. Vice versa for the left hand table keys.

 

[nigeld]

The palm key notes on the bari are a pice of cake compared to soprano. Vice versa for the left hand table keys.

The bell notes were a bit tricky on my first bari sax (Buescher Aristocrat) but on my modern bari (Yamaha YBS-32), the bell notes are as easy as the top ones - much easier than the bottom notes on any of my other saxes. But they require a lot of air - I can't sustain a bottom Bb for very long. Personally, I find low notes are hardest on tenor - it is very easy to honk.

But I agree about the top notes - the palm key notes on my bari are easier than the other saxes. I find the top notes hardest on soprano.

 

[kevgermany]

Bottom notes were tricky on my Bari - until I fixed a few leaks. Now they're as easy as the high notes.