what saxophone should i learn on?

[beetrootgirl]

im new to saxophones and i was wondering what the best :D sax to learn was.

[Anonymous]

There isn't any one answer. But a very good sax for learning that is inexpensive and plays great would be a Yamaha YAS-23. Alto sax is probably the easiest of the bunch to learn on and the Yamaha has the best intonation and sound in a horn you can find used for about $300. I say it is easiest because it is light and small and easy to manage but still plays in tune pretty easily too. Soprano is even smaller and lighter but is a much harder instrument (again in my opinion) to play in tune.

If buying used, be aware that you might have to spend some money to get a used horn adjusted up to proper playing condition. There is nothing worse (in my opinion) than trying to learn to play on an instrument that doesn't play in tune or that doesn't play easily. Mouthpiece is very important too. So ideally you would would have an experienced sax player try the horn out before you buy.

[francois]

Whatever your decision, and a Yamaha would be a good choice to start, don't fall into the trap of buying a brand new study sax. As Blaine said, it's probably better to buy a decent intermediate sax on the used market.

I remember feeling very frustrated with my first sax, even after servicing, and then liberated when I got my YAS-62. Not to mention the latter really helped me progress far quicker than if I were still playing with the study sax I had.