What is the difference between soprano and alto saxophone

The peculiar thing about the soprano sax is that you rarely see saxophone players who play it as a primary instrument, but rather a secondary instrument. Probably because of the difficulties I mentioned earlier. However, most sources agree that it is no more difficult to play than the tenor.

In fact, being such a low pitched instrument, it is relatively easy to keep playing in tune, unlike the soprano. Saxophone players whose primary instrument is the baritone are very rare and musicians such as Gerry Mulligan , Cecil Paynes or Pepper Adams are pretty much the three major figures of this instrument and are all jazz musicians….

Which might actually be an advantage as you will definitely not have much competition if you choose baritone as your primary instrument…. But on the other hand not many bands look for, or need a baritone saxophone, so definitely also take that into consideration.

So here are the sound influencing factors of a mouthpiece :. When air is blown into the mouthpiece the reed vibrates against the mouthpiece. The air then goes through the saxophone body and ends up creating sound. Different mouthpieces will have different tip openings, depending on their facing curve shown by the green arrows on the image on the right.

In the image on the right, the first mouthpiece has a short facing curve, leading to a small tip opening whereas the mouthpiece on the second image has a long facing curve , leading to a large tip opening. But this difference is enough to drastically change the sound, and tip opening sizes usually range from 1.

In terms of sound though, many players prefer a big tip opening because the sound is deeper, warmer and allows for greater control, such as bending the notes. So the general rule is that beginners should play on a small tip opening, while advanced and professional players play on a big tip opening. However, some sources say that a large tip opening with a softer reed is actually easier to play than a small tip opening with a hard reed, so expect to find conflicting opinions on that subject.

The size of the chamber influences the speed at which the airflow travels to the body of the saxophone. Whether if you intend to play jazz or classical music you might prefer a big chamber to get a mellow, round sound.

But with the emergence of jazz and big bands, saxophonists started modifying their mouthpiece to obtain new sounds. The neck of an alto saxophone also comes up slightly at the end, while the neck of a tenor bends slightly down.

Beyond the aesthetics, the size of the two instruments makes a difference in the notes that they produce. Since the alto sax is smaller, its notes are higher and brighter than those of the tenor sax.

The tenor sax produces a mellow, rich, and deep sound. While expert musicians can get a vast range of sounds out of both instruments, younger musicians who have smaller hands and a smaller lung capacity tend to have an easier time playing the alto sax.

Both the alto and tenor sax are transposing instruments, meaning neither of them sound the same as the piano and other concert pitch instruments. Since the alto and tenor sax are the two most popular instruments in the saxophone family, many professional musicians learn both in order to make themselves more marketable. Although the alto and tenor saxophones use similar sets of fingerings and embouchure, they are significantly different in regards to note register.

The alto saxophone is an E-flat instrument, which means that a written C played by an alto sax actually sounds like an E-flat. The tenor saxophone, on the other hand, is built half an octave lower. While a metronome and a music stand are optional accessories, you may find that your child will enjoy their time learning a new instrument more if these accessories are available. Owing to its reed, it is a member of the woodwind family.

There are seven types of saxophone, from the highest to the lowest: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass saxophone, and double bass. If you look to learn the Saxophone notes, try our Saxophone fingering chart tool. The various advantages and expressivity of the alto saxophone make it the most widely played of the saxophone family. This is also the instrument on which beginners often take their first steps as it is quite light, more accessible, and simpler to master technically than tenor, soprano, and baritone saxophones.

It is the perfect instrument for students, favoring without any doubt a pleasing and encouraging learning process. If you are looking for a saxophone for a child in particular, the alto saxophone is a very good choice as its weight and mouthpiece, which is less technical than the other saxophones, make a big difference.

It should also be noted that there are alto saxophones specially designed for the littlest hands! Do you want to explore the sound of an alto saxophone? You can compare the sound with the sheet music for the tenor and soprano sax further below in this article. Here is the link to the sheet music if you want to play the piece. Around the middle of the s, the tenor saxophone became the most popular Jazz instrument and a real romance was born between the instrument and style.

They are made for each other! It is played more by adults, owing to its greater weight. If you already play the alto saxophone, tackling the tenor saxophone could not be more straightforward.

It is rare, however, that someone begins learning the saxophone with a tenor, as mastering the technique is more challenging. Nevertheless, if you have decided to start the saxophone in order to play some jazz and find the sound so characteristic of these tenor sax giants, go for it! It is quite possible to start with a tenor saxophone, which will simply require a little more work at the beginning.

Do you want to explore the sound of a tenor saxophone? You can compare the sound with the sheet music for the alto and soprano sax in the other sections of this article. Like its big brother the tenor saxophone, the soprano saxophone is tuned to B flat, but an octave higher and covers two and a half octaves.

Its high tone makes it one of the most difficult saxophones to master, as the highest notes are the most difficult to get out. Although there are soprano saxophones that are curved like the alto, it is most often straight and its shape is like that of the clarinet and its sound resembles the oboe. Alto sax commonly exists in jazz bands and wind ensembles, whereas the soprano sax is only occasionally brought out for solos.

Often the alto sax player will double on the alto and soprano sax. Since there are usually two alto saxes in an ensemble and only one soprano, this usually doesn't pose a problem for overall ensemble sound. The soprano sax can play about a sixth higher than the alto sax. This extended range gives the soprano sax a pitch advantage over the alto sax. However, the alto sax is able to play about a fourth lower than the soprano sax. This makes these two instruments perfect for use in a saxophone ensemble.