Saxophone Lessons for Beginners

Deciding to learn music is not a light decision. You will have to put in great effort and devote plenty of time in listening and practicing. Once you have decided to take the plunge, there will definitely be rewards and you will go from strength to strength. However, it is a good idea if you were to make adequate preparations at the beginning of your saxophone tutorials.

Decide the kind of saxophone you want to play

Before purchasing or beginning lessons on playing the saxophone, you must decide what kind of saxophone to play. There are about a dozen types of the instrument, each giving a different music experience, and it is up to you to decide which would suit you best. The Alto is often used for beginners since it is the easiest. The most difficult is the Soprillo, which is pretty rare, expensive and tough to play and can be used by experienced players. There are a number of other instruments you can play in between. Theoretically, if you learn to play one type in your saxophone classes, you will easily be able to play the other types as well.

The sound and playing of the saxophone is also affected by the finishing it has. If your saxophone has silver or gold plating, then it will produce different sounds from the standard lacquer plating. Silver plated instruments provide a higher tone while gold plated ones produce a heavier tone. The instrument can be coated with lacquer in different colours, but that does not often affect the sound.

Purchase the instrument

Once you have decided on your instrument, you must decide whether to rent or purchase your instrument. If this is your first foray into music, it might be better to go for a rental option, and most reputable music shops have rental programmes on offer. Make sure that the place from where you rent can help you with any adjustments required.

If you are purchasing your own saxophone, always buy those of reputable brands. The main problem with obscure and off-brand saxophones are not that they are bad, though some of them can be unreliable, but that it will be difficult to get them serviced down the line. Some of the reputable brands are L.A. Sax, Yamaha, Yanagisawa, Selmer, Conn, Guardala, and Keilworth. You can enquire with the music store for other reputable brands.

If you choose to purchase a used instrument, make sure that you get it tested by someone who is knowledgeable. Online purchases must always be considered only if the product is refundable. It is better to be safe than sorry because even second hand saxophones can be quite expensive.

Buying accessories

Once you have purchased your instrument, you will also need to purchase accessories to go with it. First in importance are reeds, of which you must buy at least a box with different strengths from soft to hard. The reeds will not last forever so get adequate supply to last for a while. Get a reed holder as well to keep yourself organised.

A strong neck strap is another important requirement, as well as a music stand for holding the music sheet. Don’t forget to buy a swab for wiping off moisture from the saxophone after playing.

You can take the help of your saxophone teachers to help you make all these decisions prior to beginning formal lessons as they will obviously be more knowledgeable and experienced.