 The Fingering Forum
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Author: wannabe tenor sax playa
Date: 2004-04-13 23:08
I'm a C flute player..band is gettin borin cause i don't like my instrument..i want to play tenor sax sooooo bad..but i'm not sure if i can learn how to play it. i have rented to own my flute and still payin it off.I want to switch sooo bad. But i don't know if i can switch.What should i do about the switchin part??Is it hard to switch from flute to tenor sax??Are the fingers goin to be hard to learn???Can i learn how to play the tenor sax over the summer by myself??I'm goin to be the only tenor sax in my school band.if i get nervous while playin my instrument and mess up will the band hear me.i hate the flute.and i want to switch.how much does one tenor sax usually cost???(need to know,and how much does a box of reeds cost??)can a flute player really switch to tenor sax and learn how to play it durin the summer before school starts? Help me??
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Author: mls
Date: 2004-04-13 23:56
I was first flute, and I really wanted to be in jazz band, so I picked up tenor sax. I taught myself over the summer, with help from this site and the Standard of Excellence series. I'm actually pretty good now, I automatically get all the solos in jazz band because no one wants to challenge me. So that's proof, you can teach yourself!
I'm not sure about the price. I got lucky, because at my school they really needed tenor saxes, so they let me borrow one free of charge. Maybe your school has a similar system?
It was a breeze to switch. The fingerings are almost the same thing, with a few changes here and there. You can look at the fingering charts on this site, if you want to see how similar.
I just buy one reed at a time, and they're usually $3 a piece.
If you mess up, tenors mostly have the lower, background parts in concert band, so no one should notice... but that's no excuse not to practice! 
As I said before, it is possible to teach yourself over the summer. It takes a lot of work though, so make sure you really wanna learn it and take that time. Good luck!
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Author: Eric B.
Date: 2004-04-14 00:42
My Yamaha tenor sax costed $1400 and the store i bought it from has a trial purchase, so i pay $50 a month. It IS possible to learn the sax on your own but it will take a lot longer without lessons. You would have to be very dedicated. It took me 3 years to get very good at the sax and i practiced everyday for at least an hour.
"if i get nervous while playin my instrument and mess up will the band hear me"......
Well that depends on how loud you play. If you play softly and shy, you will not be noticed and then what would be the point of playin it then? ALWAYS PLAY WITH CONFIDENCE!!!!
I THINK, by your flute being a c instrument the fingerings would be a lot different. Anybody can learn how to play any instrument! Some people say that if you play the oboe that it should be the only instrument you play. That is soooo untrue because my older brother in college plays the oboe and alto sax and he is very very good at both of them. I bought 4 vandoren reeds for $11. Hold on to that flute don't give up on it! U never know when it may come in handy. i got bored with my alto sax which i played first and it turned out that i just needed to play harder music. The more instruments that u r good at the better your career of music,if u r thinking of pursuing a music career that is. Well i hope i answered your questions in a well enough and i will be more than happy to answer more!
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Author: Eric B.
Date: 2004-04-14 00:56
Actually, the flute fingering is similar to the saxophone!
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Author: KT
Date: 2004-04-14 20:37
This is a little off-topic but I was wondering....is it hard to switch from clarinet to alto sax? I play the clarinet in symphonic band but I wanted to pick up alto sax for jazz band next year since there are no clarinet parts. My teacher offered to teach me over the summer, about 5 lessons. If I choose to do this how long do you think it would take me to become as good at alto sax as I am at the clarinet?
Thanks-
~*Katie*~
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Author: Theboy_2
Date: 2004-04-14 22:33
to learn and play an alto sax from clarinet, will probably take 6 months or so, for a decent tone and learning the different pitch of the instrument. jazz band is fun and offers different challenges and sounds that symphonic bands don't usually have. to switch is not orverly difficult. theres still challenges, like having a looser embouchure. the clarinet requires a tight embouchure to produce a warm tone, whereas a sax needs a looser embouchure to produce the quality. go for it, just make sure when you practise, to prctise your clarinet a little more, or it could lag along and not develope as best it can. hope this helps.
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Author: oboe girl
Date: 2004-04-28 02:58
Personally I think you could be spending your time more wisely by just learning to play tenor instead of asking other people if you can. I played flute in the first few weeks of beginning band, switched to oboe for the rest of middle school, and during my 7th and 8th grade years i began to desire the saxophone. Flute, oboe, and sax fingerings are very similar, but not identical. You will learn quickly. I started marching the tenor sax my freshman year, and I did not have the benefit of learning it over the summer. Fortunately there are some wonderful musicians in my section who helped me along. I got some lessons over the next summer, and my new section leader Mike constantly challenged me to do my best. I'm now a sophomore in hugh school, and I made jazz band, beating some players who have been playing for 4 years longer than I have ;P I also still play 1st chair oboe in symphonic band. Just goes to show you can do it if you set your heart on it. Sorry for rambling, hope I could help.
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Author: dave
Date: 2004-05-01 21:50
I have just rented an alto sax. It may cost me my life. If it does I will have gone out happily blowing away either on flute, piccolo, oboe, sax...... mandolin, guitar. Go for it and good luck. What I have found is not to double up on music played on each instrument. I have oboe pieces for oboe, flute pieces for flute. Then I don't confuse each instuments fingerings with any other.
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