Saxophone Lessons

Learn to play the saxophone. Sax tutors throughout the UK; more welcome.

The saxophone (or sax) is a member of the woodwind group of instruments - ie its sounds is generated by air being blown over a reed which vibrates. The pitch of the note produced is then controlled by the opening or closing of holes in the body of the saxophone.

The sax is, mechanically-speaking, a highly complex instrument as can be instantly appreciated by just looking at the number of keys and levers. Many of these are, in fact, alternatives and achieve the same end - the preference lying with the saxophonist as to which one he or she chooses. These options allow the experienced player to choose which one is best suited to a particular piece of music.

There are four main types of saxophone - soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. The two most popular are the alto and tenor saxes. At first glance the difference is simply the size but a more careful examination shows that the neck is a different shape for each instrument. Learners are usually well-advised to choose either an alto (slightly cheaper) or a tenor saxophone.

Expect to pay around £500 (US$1000) for a reasonable quality new alto saxophone and about £100 (US$200) more for a tenor sax.

There are six main parts to a saxophone:

Mouthpiece - usually made of either a rubber-based compound (for 'classical' saxophone music) or a metal alloy for jazz-type music where a sharper and cleaner sound is required.
Ligature - this holds the reed in place and is a metal brace with two butterfly-type bolts which cause the brace to contract and lock in the reed. The mouthpiece should just extend beyond the reed if the ligature is fitted properly.
Neck - shaped differently according to the saxophone, it connects to the mouthpiece via a cork-covered tube at one end and to the body via another butterfly bolt at the other end.
Body - the main structure of the instrument. This contains most of the keys, levers and pads which produce the individual notes.
Bow - this is the bottom curve of the instrument and is permanently attached to the body.
Bell - the 'business' end of the saxophone through which the sound is issued.

Brass is the standard metal from which a saxophone is made although some more expensive instruments may be produced from bronze or nickel-silver.

To further complicate matters, reeds are of varying hardness and these are not standard across brands so it is very much a question of each player finding the combination of mouthpiece and reed which suits him or her best.

Reed hardness is given as a numerical value which starts at 1 and continues to 5 in 0.5 intervals. For an adult beginner, a starting reed of about 1.5 or 2 should be chosen (softer reeds are more appropriate for children). A professional player will probably choose a reed with a value of 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 or 5.0 but a beginner would find those difficult to play and should start with a lower reed value.

It takes a considerable amount of co-ordination to master a saxophone. The only finger which isn't used (for example) is the right thumb (for a right-handed player) as this supports the instrument. Other fingers control anything from 1 to 4 notes (the left little finger) and the sides of the hand are used to operate levers too.

Care of your saxophone

Release the ligature, take out the reed, rinse and dry it before putting it away.
Clean out the mouthpiece and the neck with a clean, dry cloth and allow the parts to dry thoroughly before putting them in the case. Ideally let them 'air-dry' for a while first.
Drain any fluid from the body (as you become more proficient this will reduce) and use a special cloth and tool to clean out the insides. It is a good idea to invest in a saxophone stand so that the instrument can safely dry out naturally.
Clean fingerprints and dust from the keys and the body.
Once a month or so, lightly oil keys using special 'key oil' making sure that any surplus is wiped off immediately.

While it will sound perfectly correct to play 'C' music on a saxophone, you should remember it is an E♭ instrument and will sound out-of-key alongside a true 'C' instrument therefore it will be necessary to either transpose or purchase specially-written saxophone music.

This is a great instrument to master - we hope our free guide has given you the confidence to go out and buy a saxophone.

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