 The Fingering Forum
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Author: fm114
Date: 2002-09-24 21:23
My son just turned 10 and is starting the 5th grade. He will now be in band and has a chose of the alto or tenor sax. What do you think?
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Author: Gnomon
Date: 2002-09-24 21:29
I'd recommend Alto. The Tenor Sax is considerably bigger and is quite heavy. I'm an adult and I sometimes find the weight of the alto considerable. The tenor is heavier and your son is only 10. I think this would be too much. The techniques he will learn on the alto are directly transferable to the tenor if he wants to change later.
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Author: BHO Tenor Sax
Date: 2002-09-25 00:53
Gnomon brings up a good point...when I started 5th grade, I entered the band and wanted to play tenor, but the teacher told me I was too small...I brought up the point that if everybody joined band at my age, would there be any big instrument players? Depending on the kind of band, there are advantages/disadvantages to choosing one over the other. In a normal sized 5th grade school band, there will undoubtedly be more altos than tenors, and the alto section will consequently be more competitive...it is likely that your son will be the only tenor saxophonist in the band if he so chooses that instrument...
The alto sax will receive more melodic parts than the tenor, but the tenor tends to have easier (sometimes more boring) parts. However, the tenor does have its moments, and boy, are they sweet. This problem tends to disappear in more advanced bands. As for size, I have never found the weight of a tenor to be problematic when sitting down, especially with a good neck-strap. If your son pursues the sax, he will find that both are good for jazz band, but the alto is obviously more managable in marching band. In marching band, much of the weight of the sax will rest on the right thumb, resulting in "tenor sax thumb." (how original) This has never caused me chronic problems, however. Besides, marching band does not really begin until 9th grade for most students, at which point your son will be fairly used to the instrument.
The main problem I had with the tenor was carrying it around in its case, but I am used to that...
Based on all of this, your son should choose the instrument that best suits his preference, or musical taste.
No offense to Gnomon, but I do not think people should let size determine what instrument they play...there is nothing more charming than a small person playing a tuba, or a hulking giant on a piccolo...
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Author: musicman
Date: 2002-10-11 16:09
In the long run, your son would benefit much more from a tenor sax. When your son grows up it will be much easier to transpose or interpret certain keys. personally I theink the tenor has much more beauty to the tone.
P.S.
Gnomon must be a pretty skimpy guy if he thinks the alto is in the least bit heavy.
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Author: sax playa
Date: 2002-10-13 21:04
Alto would be better to start on becuase on tenor he might not be ready to play as in ready in his embouchere which is how his mouth positioned and its harder to play low notes on Tenor.
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Author: Clement
Date: 2002-10-29 12:17
To me , i'll think for the type of the band first . If the band play modern jazz music , i'll choose the Tenor sax . If it play some more older jazz song , i'll choose the Alto sax . Tenor sax need less preasure than Alto sax , so , it got more skill u show .
This is only my personal ideas , plz don mind .
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Author: Carolyn
Date: 2002-11-01 00:56
From 5th to 8th grade, I played alto sax in band and jazz band. I am now a freshman, and I was asked to play tenor sax for high school because they had many altos, and only one tenor (the director figured that since i was first chair in middle school band, I would easily be able to make the transition from alto to tenor. I personally love tenor, althought i must agree with previous posters that it can be harder during marching band (and I've suffered from the dreaded 'Tenor Sax Thumb'). But I think I liked starting on the alto, because as a previous poster said, the alto gets more melodic parts than the tenor in easier music, which means an alto will get more practice. When you get into high school band (and esp. high school jazz band), the tenor then is expected to play the fast melodic stuff as well. the fast melodic parts come a lot easier to me in jazz band than it does to my friend who has been playing tenor since middle school, and hasn't had the chance to play much of the melody before. So i guess i suggest your son start on tenor...besides...if his school is anything like the ones in my area, he might end up playing tenor anyway. almost all the kids at our school start on Alto, and then when 6th, 7th, and 8th grade band start, the director will approach certain students and ask them to play either the tenor sax or the bari sax, depending on the need of those instruments.
(Another plus of the tenor is that it's easier to transpose music for from lead sheets than it is an alto, but that isn't something your son would have to worry about right away )
Any questions, please e-mail me
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Author: Jeremy
Date: 2002-11-05 21:04
I have been playing the Alto for about almost 10 years now and the Soprano for about 6, looking back I wish I had learned on the Tenor. I think it is easier to move up to an alto later on. Ofcourse their are alot of other factors, Tenors are somewhat more expensive and also most of the other people at his school will probably be playing an Alto. These are all things you and your son should consider togetherfm114 wrote:
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Author: Nathan
Date: 2003-12-10 20:13
I am a sophmore in a small town in Texas. I started playing in band my 5th grade year. At first I was on alto but it not as good as the later years. I received my tenor sax the next year and LOVE IT!!! AS for scholarships it is easier to make it for tenor then alto because of the competition. AS you should know musical instruments are not cheap, and since your son would like to play later on, he needs the bigger instrument to last.(In High School, In pep rallies you are clutered and it is hard to hold such a small horn)
p.s. GET TENOR SAX
NATHAN
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