 The Doublers BBoard
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Author: dc55
Date: 2012-04-23 03:46
hello im a 15 year old clarinet player and ive recently wanted to take on a second instrument and im thinking about an alto sax. does anyone have any advice/tips on whether or not the sax is the right instrument and if so which brand/models should i be looking at?
thanks everyone
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Author: davyd
Date: 2012-04-23 14:47
Alto sax is definitely a good choice for a first double. It's different enough to be challenging, but not so different as to be overly so.
As for brand/model: what's your budget? You might get a good deal on a used instrument if one of your fellow students is upgrading theirs.
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Author: dc55
Date: 2012-04-23 14:56
budget hopefully under $500 a used instrument would be fine for me. i currently play a used pre-R13 clarinet from the mid '40s so id probably want a good used instrument.
Post Edited (2012-04-23 16:05)
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2012-04-25 15:05
Alto sax is the perfect choice for a second instrument after clarinet. And you'll most likely find that it's easier than clarinet.
A used Yahama student model or Vito should be easy to find at around $500 or less. There's tons of them out there looking for good homes. Try ebay. At this point, you don't need anything fancy. Be sure to stay away from "bargain" horns from non-familiar companies.
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Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-05-14 04:24
How about tenor sax? It is more versatile, and a common doubler. I.e.- Rock, jazz
And before I get a lot of hate posts for that reply, saying alto is just as effective in those environments. To 99% of non musicians, tenor sax is the tone they know as the sax.
Yamaha all the way. Or a vintage conn 10m or buescher aristocat or martin. Jupiter brand is ok.
No vito. No chinese brand.
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Author: rcnelson
Date: 2012-05-16 17:29
If you are having any thoughts as to the alto vs tenor debate, keep this in mind: if you think you may play both alto AND tenor someday, then alto would be a better choice to start with. Many have found that going from the looser embouchure of the tenor back to the alto to be very challenging. There are exceptions to this , and I'm sure someone will debate me that is doesn't matter.
Ron
Selmer Mark VI tenor (1957), Selmer Mark VII alto (1975)
Buescher True Tone soprano (1924), Selmer CL210 Bb Clarinet, Gemeinhardt 3SHB Flute, Pearl PFP105 Piccolo
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Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-05-17 08:58
I guess the debate is, "What are you more interested in, ease of playing all instruments in the future or usability of the instrument you purchase." I guess it really depends on your aspirations.
Alto sax is a nice instrument, but it has limited acceptance in musical genres. Basically you get Big Band, Smooth Jazz, Classical, Jazz (But tenor is the better choice), and a few historic pop tunes (you do get the "Careless Whisper" solo, which is totally worth purchasing the instrument. I am not being sarcastic here, I love those 4 measures)
With Tenor sax, you get Rock, Fusion, Jazz (all forms), R&B, Big Band, and Pop solos. (The Jazz and Fusion realm is quite expansive, and encompasses a lot of music)
I started Alto, and the transition to Tenor was/is easy, I don't know if going the other way would make it harder. But truthfully, I don't know if I would have played Alto if I had a Tenor first, and my musical career would have been completely different if that were true. I am a semi-professional theatre musician now, but I played Tenor in every Rock/Pop/Jazz ensemble because it is the necessary tone. I have a lot of fun with all forms of music, but I definitely had a blast on the Tenor in Rock bands and Jazz solos. Alto just doesn't do that for me.
Drew S.
http://www.youtube.com/user/DrewSorensenMusic
Miyazawa 602 flute, Drelinger Headjoint
Burkart Resona Piccolo
Yamaha YAS-82Z alto
Buffet R-13 Greenline
Loree C series Oboe
Bansuri (Key of G by Jeff Whittier)
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