Flute player interested in the tenor sax

[CHS05]

Hello!

I play the flute and I was really interested in starting Tenor Sax. I heard it would be a little simpler because flute and saxophone fingerings are very similar.

Did any of you saxophone players start out on flute? If so, how was it? What's the best saxophone to get? If I ever get one, I was planning on getting a YTS-475. Do any of you know if that one is any good?

Thanks for your time :)

P.S- Would it be a bad idea if I tried to teach myself how to play instead of getting a teacher?

[saxmanglen]

Many years ago,when I was in junior high, a girl who played flute took up baritone sax to be able to play in the Jazz ensemble. It was remarkable how quick she learned the instrument.

Go for it!

Yamaha is a good choice as it will hold it's value should you ever want to sell it later on. Selmer, Yanagisawa and Keilwerth hold their value better too.

[tenor562]

I liked the 475, it beat the Selmer USA TS200 and the Jupiter 889SG, just not as nice as my 62II. The 475 has a good tone, great ergonomics, just the annhealed bell on the 62II really helped me out. Since you're a mainly flute player, you probably don't want to get a 62II, because they're kinda pricey, for 1800. I know people who own the 475 and they like it a lot, and many of my teachers have reccomended it, it blows away any student horn, and is better than a few pro line horns.

[Jynx3dx1]

hmm, i started out on the flute too. =D Well, my jr high band teacher forced me into tenor sax, but after a while, i LOVED it, and now, after 3 years, im in my highschool jazz band. =D Cool huh??? Yea, go for it. Keep goin at it, its worth the extra effort.

[martysax]

I started playing flute at six, then woodshedded a cheap alto for about a year when I was 12. I wish I had kept up with my flute studies, because now I'll always sound like a doubler.

Switching from Flute to sax is relatively easy. Many of the things learned for flute will come in handy. It's easier to make altissimo sing, blow overtones, and use flutter and double tonguing.

Start shedding, but don't give up the flute!