Alto Saxophones
Alto saxophones are one of the two most commonly used saxophones around.
Alto and Tenor saxs' account for the majority of saxophone sounds heard on music today and if you're in the market for a saxophone alto could well be what you are looking for.
The alto sax is a relatively cheap and easy way into learning to play the saxophone for a beginner. A good student sax alto can cost around £500-£600.
A couple of good points about a good make of student sax are that if looked after properly with regular servicing, it will last you many years. A good named brand also holds its value well and generally demands a high re-sale value.Yamaha Alto Saxophone
Probably the most common brand of alto saxophone around today is the Yamaha. This is because they offer a saxophone that has become renowned for build quality, reliability and playability. Not to mention they offer good value for money in the current saxophone market.
Cheap Alto Sax
There has been a sudden influx of cheaper models of no specific branding being available for as little as £170. This can be even cheaper if you take a quick look through ebay.These sax's can be almost of equal quality to a good named student alto saxophone. However 'buyer beware' is required here. Some offer remarkable quality for the price and some most definitely do not.
If you do find yourself being tempted by one of these take the time to read reviews on the web, some of which are impartial (SH Woodwind) and some of which try very hard to mislead you into buying a specific brand. Again, beware.
Other Altos
What type of Alto saxophone you buy depends on what you can afford. There's no point in buying a Selmer Paris Alto sax for your budding youngster only to find they get bored of it 2 weeks later. They cost well over 1K and although you would get some return on re-sale it just isn't worth it.
- Student - Entry level sax.
- Intermediate - Mid range sax.
- Professional - Top level sax.
Anybody can play Alto Saxophone. And I do mean anybody. Alto is probably the easiest of the saxophone family to learn on. If you are a parent with a budding youngster who longs to play sax an alto may well be the answer.
They are small enough and light enough that any child of a reasonable age, say 7 or 8, could happily pick up and start making a sound within a few minutes. The key fingerings are quite close together, plus the breath support required is much less than a Tenor. (They're also much quieter!)
If you are unsure whether an Alto Saxophone is what you are looking for have a listen to the sax sounds pages on this website and see if you can determine it from there. If not go to Youtube and search for saxophone alto will be returned in the results. This will give you ample choice of music so you can then make an informed decision about sound. Good luck.Search This Site And The Web
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Sax Scales
Listing the major scales for saxophone.
If you want to take your playing to another level you really do need to learn your scales.
Cheap Saxophones
Do you really get what you pay for with the cheap saxophones today?
Famous Players
Listing some of the most famous players around.Just who is the greatest? Is your favourite on there? If not let us know and we will add them
Fingering Charts
From bottom B to top F you'll find a fingering chart for all the keying positions right here.
So relax and take your time to study and learn all the positions necessary to utilise the full range of your sax.
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