Saxophones
About Saxophones
The saxophone is undoubtedly one of the most distinct and common woodwind instruments. They became popular through jazz and rock music in the nineteenth century and stayed relevant even to this day.
It was a French man named Adolphe Sax who invented the saxophone In 1846. The name “Saxophone”, therefore comes from his name. Adolphe tried to create an instrument similar to the clarinet but with a body like a cone. Originally, he made fourteen different saxophones that played different octaves. However, only six out of them are used by musicians today. Around the beginning of the 20th century, Rudy Weidoeft, who was a famous sax player, made the instrument mainstream in the United States. Read this article to find out more about them. Having a better understanding of them will help you make the right choices while shopping for them.
Common types of saxophones
Technically, almost all saxophones in the world are made of brass. Yet they are considered to be in the woodwind family. This can be confusing at first if you consider the fact that every other woodwind instrument is made of wood. However, in the case of saxophones, they are considered to be woodwind because they use a reed and not a brass mouthpiece. Traditionally, saxophone bodies would be brass, bronze, copper or nickel. But modern saxophone makers have been experimenting with other new materials, such as various kinds of plastics or even carbon fibre. Here is a list of the four most common types of saxophones.
Bass
A typical bass saxophone will be around four feet tall. This is the instrument in the saxophone family that produces the lowest notes. Even though there is contrabass and sub contrabass, they are extremely rare. Because of its large size, bass saxophones require a lot of lung capacity to be played correctly. So, this might not be easy for beginner students to play. These days, bass saxophones are waning in popularity though. You will see them only in big jazz performances. While the largest saxophones in existence are subcontrabass, bass saxophones take up the third place after contrabasses.
Baritone
This is the most widely used saxophone in today’s music. When it comes to size, baritones are a foot shorter than basses. Depending on the model and the material, a baritone will weigh anywhere between twelve pounds and thirty-five pounds. Even though it is smaller and lighter than basses, beginner players will find it difficult to hold while playing. Baritones are popular in various different music genres, including rock, jazz and country. Baritones provide a nice balance between the bass and clarity of the notes. However, this is not something beginners might want to play with as they need to develop their embouchure and breathe control before taking it up.
Tenor
Tenors are shorter and lighter than baritones, and also it provides a middle way between the high notes of altos and the more developed skills required by baritones. This is why most students of saxophone start with tenors. The convenient size of tenors makes it convenient to hold while both sitting down and standing up. Tenors have a crisper sound than baritones but still, keep a little bit of bass. You will see tenors in most jazz performances, rock concerts, and military parades. People like Clarence Clemons, John Coltrane, and Coleman Hawkins were well known for their amazing tenor performances.
Alto
Basically, altos are saxophones that produce higher octaves than tenors. There are others like sopranos and sopranino that can produce higher octaves than altos; both of those are not as common as altos. One of the reasons for this is that it is incredibly hard to master the soprano or the soprano. The learning curve of altos is a bit steeper than tenors but still manageable if you are dedicated. The tonal characteristics of altos are most suited for playing melodies. You will be easily able to tell apart the sound of altos from other instruments because of their clear and crisp sound.
Tips on how to buy Saxophones Online
Saxophones are probably the most loved among wind instruments. But finding the right type of saxophone might be harder than you might think. This is because of the variety of models that exist within them and the difference in tone and size between each type of saxophone. However, finding the right one will be easier if you know what criteria to consider in them. Here are a few things to keep in mind while shopping for saxophones online.
- Type of saxophone – There are at least eight different types of saxophones. You can be buying any of them except for the subcontrabass and the contrabasses. Both of them are incredibly rare. However, make sure that the type of saxophone you choose to buy is the right one for you. If you are just learning to play them, the sopranos are definitely not for you nor are basses.
- Materials – Brass is the most common material for making saxophone bodies. But apart from that, some models use materials like copper, bronze, and sterling silver for buttons, necks, and mouthpieces. Sometimes, the material of choice can affect more than just the aesthetics of the instrument.
- Quality of the tone – Consider the sound quality of the instrument before buying. If the quality of the instrument is really cheap, it might even be impossible to correctly tune the saxophone. This will, therefore, affect the melodies that come out of the instrument and will sound off.
- Finishes – It is true that the most important thing to look for in any instrument is the sound quality. However, the way the instrument also looks matters. This is especially true for instruments like saxophone that you hold up in a way that the audience can see. So, look for an instrument that has a pleasing finish. It is pretty standard for these instruments to have metal plating and lacquer finishes.
If you are a musician, you will need other things as well besides saxophones. These include microphones, preamps, mixers, amplifiers, instrument cases, instrument stands, thrones, cleaning kits, and many more. You can easily find any of these using our Dubai product finder . It will also let you compare the prices and features of different products and pick the best one among them. So, don’t forget to check out all the other amazing products from the musical instruments category.
Question & Answer
Which saxophone is best for beginners?
The difficulty in playing the saxophone varies quite a bit depending on the type of the instrument. The reason for this is the huge difference in sizes as the octaves change. Sub Contrabass are the saxophones that produce the lowest octaves. These instruments are too large to be carried around and will require the player to be seated in order to play. It takes a lot of lung capacity to produce melodies using them. Because of this, contrabasses and sub contrabass are difficult to play even for really experienced players. The saxophone that is ideal for beginner players is the tenors. They have a convenient size and mid-range tonal characteristics.
Are saxophone and clarinet reeds the same?
Technically, you can use saxophone reeds on clarinets and vice versa. A reed designed for alto clarinets will work for alto saxophones, and a reed designed for bass clarinet will work for bass saxophones. However, this will not give you the best results. This is because there are differences between the saxophone reeds and clarinet reeds. Clarinet reeds will have more wood thickness towards the centre of the reed. This type of cut gives the clarinet a uniquely resonating sound quality. If you use the same reed on a saxophone, this will alter the sound of this instrument.
Where to buy saxophone online in the UAE?
Even the most affordable saxophone in the market will set you back at least two thousand dirhams. This is not what anyone would consider cheap. So, you have to be really careful about where you put your money. Fortunately, there is no shortage of places you can buy saxophones in the UAE. However, shopping online is the best choice because of the wide variety and lower prices you can find there. Shops.ae will give you access to thousands of saxophone models at affordable prices. Some of the top brands to consider include Amaha, Yanagisawa, Vandoren, Mini, Buescher, Conn, and Jupiter.