The soprano is the smallest of our big four, and possibly the most punishing. The soprano in fact shares a lot of similarities with the clarinet, in the fact they’re typically straight rather than curved (there are curved sopranos also on the market, they look like tiny altos and they’re amazing). Of all the core saxophones, the soprano is the most tasking for new players. The embouchure (the technical name for how you blow down the sax) is a lot tighter, due to the smaller size of the mouthpiece. This will mean that you will have to engage the muscles in your mouth a lot more to accurately play the range of the horn, which can be hard work even for a seasoned player! However, if the soprano is truly the sound want and desire, and you are willing to put in the work, then the soprano can be a richly rewarding experience!

The Alto saxophone is the go-to saxophone for new beginners, and the one we typically recommend learning on! The Alto moves away from the straight design and moves towards the iconic curved shape, though still relatively light weight and comfortable to maneuverer. Embouchure wise, the technique is not as hardcore as the soprano, and doesn’t engage the muscles quite as heavily from the start. It isn’t a cake walk by any imagination, you will still need to put the work in to develop and culture an interesting and captivating sound, the Alto just makes this easier from the get-go. Now, we at Sax.co.uk always recommend the alto for younger learners (in fact, if you have a smaller child [between 7-10, or smaller in stature and hand size] we recommend the Trevor James Alphasax as it is designed for smaller hands, but doesn’t have the full alto key work, so not much use for most players) but if you feel that you will eventually move onto another horn, or you simply prefer the sound of another horn, then it is still perfectly viable to learn on another sax!

A lot of customers here at Sax.co.uk often want to learn the saxophone because they love Jazz, and rightly so! Jazz is amazing! When they discuss what sounds they aspire to, we often hear about American greats such as Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Stan Getz. All these players were Tenor Saxophonist predominately. Though we typically recommend you start your journey on the Alto, if your reason for learning and aspiring sound is of these Tenor giants, then there is nothing stopping you starting your journey on the Tenor saxophone. The Tenor is bigger and heavier, so will feel more cumbersome at the beginning, but the process of playing it is the same as all other saxophones. If your heart is set on the Tenor, then play away!

The final horn we will be looking at in this blog is the Baritone. The bari is the biggest of the main 4, and has a big and booming low voice, perfect for bass lines! Of all the saxophones, Baritone is the one I would least recommend learning on. Not only does the bari have the steepest starting point price wise (as you can imagine, given the size of the thing), they are incredibly heavy and cumbersome. The embouchure is by far the loosest of the main 4, as the mouthpiece and reed are by far the biggest. Though this makes the bari the easiest to make a noise down, but it is trickier to make a good sound, as shifting between higher and lower notes requires a lot of muscle engagement. Now don’t get me wrong, if you love the sound and look of the bari, then there is nothing stopping you cracking on and blasting away! But realistically the Bartione is suited for current players looking to push their repertoire further and further their playing credentials.