Soprano or Alto or Tenor Sax 

I started on bari in 7th grade. In 8th and 9th grade marched with tenor, played bari in concert season. Switched to tenor full time in 10th grade. By 12th grade, I played all 4. As an adult, it's all tenor all the time.

The correct answer to the title is bari sax. 😂

Of course the tenor would be my favorite.. I love the low, deep richness of the sound most 😩

I play Tenor in a saxophone quartet for over 15 years. But I've bought a YSS-475 Soprano a year ago and I've played it exclusively since then (No quartet during the pandemic). There is something fascinating with this instrument: Its fast response, its little weight and his tonal character which is slightly different compared to the other saxophone. But I can't understand why everyone is associating the Soprano with Smooth Jazz. Listen to Steve Lacy and Dave Liebman and you know that this instrument can sound lyrical, but aggressive, and strong, too. I will continue to play these two kinds of saxophones.

I’m 35, I was studying bass at music college a bit long time ago. But few weeks ago I realized that I can’t live without playing music! And suddenly I bought an alto sax! I love it! But my heart tends to soprano! Now I’m thinking that I need a soprano too!

I love how the tenor sounds but I always find myself coming back to playing alto.

My favorite is tenor

I play all of them on gigs and the flute as well. I tend to play tenor the most. Some tunes just sound better on one or another. You are a stellar sax player! In grade school started on alto, in seventh grade they moved me to baritone sax in the high school jazz band. Switched to tenor for concert band and marching band. I sort of played all of them in school, sort of all at the same time in different functions of school band.

Tenor is my thing, It's just a hobby, I only play to stimulate the brain and creativity.

Amazing video man your the best sax youtuber hands down great info for newcomers!!!!

I recently bought a $300 soprano … I can’t afford an expensive one right now but I’ve always loved the soprano sax sound so I’m grateful

I'd love see a video about that switch that went in your head when you went from alto to tenor! I've played a few instruments over the years, but never felt a connection with anything like I have with the tenor sax after only playing it for about a year. It's completely changed how I feel about playing music, and how I listen to it. I think about this a lot these days, music has been a massive part of my life and all of a sudden I've got a whole new perspective on it. It's like I understand it so much better. We need some Sirvalorsax story time on this!

“Go where your ear leads you” is good advice. Mine led me to bari, and I’ve never looked back.

Man's killing it with all 3! Smooth!

I started on a soprano 1 year ago and Im making great progress after struggling in the beginning

Thank you for sharing your videos and talent 👏..

At the beginning of covid, with home office and quarantine i had a lot of time to surf around and RU-vid ... and found some beginner sax lessons, thought, it seams to be not that hard, and ordered an student alto and decided against tenor. Anybody recommended alto to beginn. was not that hard to start and learn the 1st things. However, it did not make me totally happy, so i meanwhile got a china tenor too. And man, that thing speaks to me. that's really my kind of sax.

you sound best on the tenor....

Soprano is difficult alright. I can't believe i have to apply the same abdominal pressure for fast air for the soprano that i do for my 🎺. Its ridiculous

Aaaahh , yes I'm really noticing the lack of resistance when playing tenor. I recently switched from alto to tenor, and nobody could explain to me what I'm currently experiencing and why, I hope I will get used to it. Thank you!

Awesome playing, love the soprano in the last set.

My ears are leading to all 3 of them! LOL :D Love them all

I started my sax journey about 8 months ago. (I'm in my 50s btw and you are an amazing teacher and mentor. Even though i I'll ever match your knowledge and skills. I have a tutor IRL) Started with the Alto but always thought I'd end up with a tenor as well. Went really well on the alto, couldn't resist. Got the tenor. About 2 months now with the tenor, struggling with embouchure and blowing. like you say, the 'resistant issue' low end of the scale i still end up sounding an octave too high. It's like the tenor is way less pressure but more air compaired to alto. I want the whole rack of these damn things. Especially a bass sax.

Amazing sound and technique!

Thank you for this video. I play alto and flute am considering getting a Soprano or Tenor sax.

great video!! getting back into sax after a 20 year break playing bass guitar.. you helped me figure it out.. tenor all the way!! thanks and great playing!!

I own and play all three but alto is the best option for me. I hear best in that range and as I'm 5'5" and have small hands, the alto suits me best ergonomically. I play lead alto in a local big band and it really is a good fit. Great video by the way!

I bought an alto, but then I was like man I wish I bought a tenor.

This is a great video. Thank you!

I'm really confused. Since I was the last kid joining the high school band, I was given a Conn C melody sax, Now, as a older adult all saxophones including the sopranino speaks to me. I can't make up my mind or find an affordable well built updated C melody, so I settled for Yamaha yds 150 with all the great saxophones sounds. One of the best choices I've ever made. Thanks for your videos.

Thank you sir for your guidance. This video was very helpful.

Great video!...Great speaker!...Great player!

I love your sound on soprano saxophone, it is lovely. I would love to listen to your intepretations of Coltrane's compositions on soprano. But in general from my own point of view, I think that tenor saxophone is the most pleasuring to play on from those three. I have switched from student alto to pro tenor two months ago and the tenor sax sound and feeling is just something else. With good mouthpiece it is so easy to control the sound, even for the noob like myself, that every practice is just a total fun. Lol, even my neighbours are not complaining as much as before. And if they were complaining on alto, I don't want to imagine how much would they complain on sax like soprano with higher register :)

great musicians you're man.. is a pleasure to fallows your video, thanks 🎶👍

Great video I remember back in 6 form I got drawn to a piece of music after a play rehearsal, and that's how i met saxophone. I start lesson and lean a Alto, I start losing interest in few months and eventually stop learning after 6 months because it is not the sound that interest that night. 20 winters pass and I come to learn saxophone again, I ignore all the advice of not to start with Soprano, I might have struggle at the start but I have not give up because it is what my heart want.

Nice! Can definitely tell you like that tenor! 🙂 I think alto is going to be my main horn, buti have a tenor and want to play it too. It's much more different from the alto than i expected. Getting all sorts of grief from the "special" notes, second octave d and g#. But slowly getting there.

Tenor for life ❤ I started on Tenor and it always was my definite favorite. You have a very warm and beautiful sound on the tenor!

I'm 7 year old in P2 and have been focusing about alot of things about soprano, I have even been trying to straight my right arm.

the pop off att the end was great 🤣🤣🤣💪🏾

So my son just turned 7 and he wanted a alto but it was just too big so we got him a Lade curved soprano and surprisingly he is getting great sound for just mimicking what he hears. He’s not hitting the right notes but he’s able to play pretty good. I feel it’s the size of the mouth piece that makes it easy for him

The tenor saxophone is my favorite of all the saxophone family. It speaks the best and the most experience. I have a vintage conn since high school. I also have a curved soprano saxophone and a baritone saxophone and it’s a vintage low Bb horn.

I started on alto in high school. But the transition to tenor was not to difficult. I have tried baritone once but the weight is something to consider. I have never played a soprano saxophone. I think it could be good in classical music as well as the alto. In the smooth jazz genre, soprano and alto are very much favored, especially if you are playing the music of Kenny G, Dave Koz ,David San born, Charlie Parker , Phil Woods , Toshiyuki Honda or Paul Desmond. And others. I guess if I were to have a go-to sax, it would be the tenor. For a doubling instrument, alto. Even saxophonists that are extremely proficient in all of the saxophone family, can’t bring all of them to gigs. They would need an armored truck to carry and protect from break ins if the vehicle is parked far from the gig.

When I switched from alto to tenor (just three months ago) I didn’t struggle with the resistance at all. I think that may be a personal thing because I never noticed a whole lot of resistance on alto. I’m about to get a soprano soon. I’m gonna have to wait and see how that goes.

Gotta say, I've always loved the Tenor sax. I started with a Clarinet, but got bored of it, and when I tried Tenor: smitten. The Sound of a good Tenor Saxophone is so beautiful compared to the Alto and Soprano. I don't often feel the resistance with the instrument but if I'm playing a piece and a whole note is final, I can belt it out for over 10 seconds with ease.

HERMOSO Y MUY VALIOSO VIDEO 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 MUY SINCERO. GRACIAS MAESTRO

Soprano and tenor are both playing in Bb scale , alto it plays in Eb scale

Thanks. that was amazing. They spoke to me at different points in that play. 1st part of the play, Tenor was it for me along with Alto but Tenor sounded better. In the Second part, Soprano sounded better to my ears then Alto and Tenor. I am confused because I like them all. But I think I'll take your advice to start with an Alto, then move to Tenor and finally to Soprano. Let's see if I succeed. Thanks again.

My favorite is tenor but certain songs sound better on alto and you never know when you might need an alto but I love the low end of tenor and it’s versatility!

Thanks for sharing!

This is great! I started learning the tenor almost a year ago, it was just the right one for me. Now I'm almost at the end of my beginners course, so I just purchased your book. Can't wait to go into the realm of altissimo!

I started Alto around 2 and a half years ago in 5th grade band and now I think I might want to try Soprano but I don't know how it will go hearing everybody say it's very difficult, however I find it's sound the best out of the 4.

I will go for tenor and soprano

Feliz sábado yo tengo un sax tenor,y soy principiante.

I love the higher nots of the tenor i just hear gato barbari on that with saprano i think of coltrane and my favorite things alto had the most music probably but doesnt have as much of a distinct sound as the others. Tenor sac is prob my favorite instrument and i like saprano and alto both pretty equal i dont know.

I dig the alto sound because of bird jackie mclean cannonball have a good week my man.

Vendí mi saxo alto y espero pasarme al tenor, es el más me gusta su sonido,saludos

Mine is the Bundy 2 alto saxophone from conn/Selmer company

Never played but use to play the b flat clarinet. The Tenor sax is speaking to me but I'm also getting some vibes from the other two. Can the tenor also be used in like rock music like instrumentals? Like doing a cover of songs like Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi and the like?

Nice playing and nice video

Thanks!

Nice video about soprano, alto and tenor saxophone. I prefer the alto saxophone.

I play both alto and tenor saxophone. I would like to try soprano because it looks cool

I have an alto that the main one saprano is cool too reminds me of coltrane but tenor is my favorite

Love the tenor sax solo in Steely Dan's 'West of Hollywood

Thanks man, i played alto as a kid but quitted when i got into sports... Now 20 years later i bought a ladyface tenor and yesterday an yts 280...time to dive into it

Great vid bro!

I started on a soprano. I agree.

Personally I have the best concept of sound on the Soprano. Even with practice and gigs mostly on the other horns I still sound better on the Soprano. Something I did during my developmental phase of picking up Soprano did a really wonderful sound develop.

Over 23+, I have developed the 'ear' for Nino, SATB but it is not permanently for any. I practice (not equally) and switch between them as I like and am able to voice each as a different instrument like you demonstrated here. I now kind of recognize which one might be best for a particular song.

Very good

Tenor is what I want but the $ is fixed, so what do you think of the American Co. Jean Paul U.S.A. for an entry Tenor? (I want in silver although I will be paying it off knowing you mentioned another starter) Coming from a Clarinet lowest note, it certainly does speak to me at 76' . Another smart vid on the subject, thanks For me it's tenor with lower notes or I'll stick with my clarinets.

Funny because my ear is leading me to bari, even though I've never played one before (just alto and tenor, and soon soprano). But I really want to play bari.

The embouchure is another issue too

I am in 7th and all of my teachers think that i am really good at alto but idk if i should switch to supreno because i like the sound better but i think that the alto has better range

I started on tenor in 6th grade and have stuck with it

Good Sir, do you think the Allora sops you are on play across the g/a break consistently? or do you think you scored a singular sweetheart? It's hard to find enough stocked horns these days to try multiple horns of same make/model.

AWESOME.....BUD....THANKS A MILLION..........'CORRECTED FOR INFLATION' !!!!!

Thanks for the vid! I am curious...I just started sax and there is a Cannonball at my music shop that I am in loooooove with. If I plan to commit to sax, is there any reason I cannot jump to a more high end instrument now? Are they harder to learn on?

Saludos desde Gómez Palacio Dgo Mexico.

Awesomely...! , thanks Mate..

Tenor! Ohhh that tone! Yes!

Ugh of course I loved how the tenor sounds 😊😅.

This channel SLAPS! Phenom content bro. Thanks for all your work. Could you teach us all beginner how you Improvise? I learn better when teachers use a friend puppet to teach me, like Dr Wally's Ollie puppet. Could you start teaching us using a friend puppet?

Hi I play the cannonball vintage reborn tenor I get a a change in back pressure between hi G and G# is it the same with yours

My son is 11 and this is first year playing, we rented an alto and he is loving it but wants to move to tenor saxophone for next year

Alto is my favorite

Tenor all day 😎 Saxophone is supposed to be soulful and sultry.

How about one of each plus sopranino and bass?

Hello Adriene, can I ask you where do you buy big mouthpiece cushion which you use on your metal mouthpieces (tenor). Thank so much for your answer.

I play soprano and baritone saxophone 😌

Damn I need a Tenor. I'm stuck with Alto right now, which isn't too bad of a thing but... you know, it's not quite the sound I want.

I'd say my favourite is the tenor and then the soprano.

I love all.

I started with Alto this year in the grade 7 band switched to tenor because alto was to small best decision ever.

I have played all over my 40 years of sax playing, but my ear takes me to Alto for the sweet tone, and Bari for the growl - I guess I am an E-flat guy. I will say that the Soprano feels more like a sports car. Agile, quick and easier to play fast. The Bari is a bit of a lump - especially my vintage one. I found with tenor, I was looking for higher, and lower notes......never got the hang of altissimo.

When I was a kid, I wanted to play soprano, cause it looked cool in the Film "Heavan can wait" with Warren Beatty. But there was no teacher and so I lerned to play the clarinett. I was learning for 6 Years, playing in a Marchingband in summer and classic in winter. When I started to work I quid playing musik. 35 Years later I had to much time and I decided to give it a new try. So I bought me a soprano, cause it looks similar to a clarinet and I like the song "Englishman in New York". It wasn't realy difficult to learn it on my own. I bought a lot of Playalong music. But it is almost no way to find a band or so as a sopranoplayer. So I switched to the tenor, cause it has the same tuning (Bb). The embouchure between soprano and tenor is totally different, as I play it. Soprano I play more like a clarinett with more pressure on the reed and support with the teeth, tenor with just pressure from the lips around the mouthpiece. If you know what I mean.

all three plus a baritone!!!

Excellent reviews. What was the price on the tenor?

What is the name of the song you played with all three instruments at the end? Love the feeling of it, masterfully played! ✊

Soprano demands precise embouchure and intonation issues will afflict those unaware of it Alto check Eric Marienthal and Paquito d'Rivera , two of many monsters Tenor the sultry sexy siren, try Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon All saxes are the best. You can make money on trades if you are aware of prices. Some mouthpieces are worth serious coinage Blow only beautiful notes