Saxophone
What is the Saxophone?
The saxophone is a woodwind instrument that is often mistaken for a brass instrument due to its metallic appearance. However, like other woodwind instruments (such as the clarinet), it is played by blowing into a mouthpiece to vibrate a reed which echoes into the cylindrical body of the instrument. Different note pitches are generated by pressing the keys on the saxophone, which open and close holes in the instrument to make the tube longer or shorter.
How hard is it to learn?
The initial stages of learning to play a saxophone are a hurdle to overcome for beginner players. While different notes can be played by learning the fingering, being able to produce a quality sound requires training of the mouth muscles and lungs. In the beginning, practicing can cause pain to the lips and mouth. Additionally, the initial cost of purchasing a beginner saxophone (starting from $800) to practice with is not cheap, and unlike with other wind instruments, there are few cheap plastic versions of the instruments available for beginner practice.
Why should I learn the Saxophone?
The saxophone has an incredibly unique sound, with a
powerful yet mellow tone that is hard to reproduce with any other instrument. While
prominently featured in jazz, the saxophone is versatile across many other
genres, including classical. Due to its similar playing method, it is also
possible to transition to the clarinet from the saxophone later in your musical
career.
Interested? Meet Our Saxophone Teachers!
[wpm_team_showcase id=”9″]