Which saxophone is your true voice for playing classicial?

[Merlin]

So which is it? Please elaborate on what horn you like, and why.

[Merlin]

My personal preference is for the soprano. It seems to me that the sop needs someone to champion its fulltime use. I'm generally disappointed by players who use it as a double.

[Steve P]

I would have to say for me, its the alto. i just love the voice.

Steve P

[averageschmoe]

the tenor, such a versatile instrument has never existed before... imagine, the sound and range of a viola with the resonance of a cello, is there anything that could possibly sound sweeter? not to mention the fact that they're just plain pretty to look at.

[Gandalfe]

I have always loved that alto sound. Bari comes next.

[Dr G]

Tenor. My classical training, 30 years ago, was on bassoon: tenor has always been my jazz voice. I was fortunate to be asked to join a classical quartet several years ago and now I wish I'd known of classical saxophone much sooner. When I play in my classical quartet I often feel that I'm channeling either bassoon or cello. What a beautiful sound.

[Gandar]

the tenor, such a versatile instrument has never existed before... imagine, the sound and range of a viola with the resonance of a cello, is there anything that could possibly sound sweeter? not to mention the fact that they're just plain pretty to look at.

Amen. I too like tenor the most when I play and listen to classic music. Though that doesnt happen so often...

[Roger Aldridge]

It's hard to choose! I enjoy classical playing on soprano and alto. But, I've come to really love doing classical work on the c-melody. In particular, since I recently got a new c-melody mouthpiece from Ralph Morgan that's darker and even richer sounding than the first one that he made for me. It has a sound that begs to be explored in a variety of musical settings.

It's been mentioned how a classical tenor can take on a cello-like tonal quality. In a similar way, a "classical" c-melody has tonal qualities that are really amazing. At times I'm reminded of a blend of french horn and bassoon.

Even though it was hard to choose between soprano, alto, and c-melody, I cast my vote for the c-mel.

[Andrew]

Alto definitely...I'm just an alto player period.

[Cameron Wigmore]

For me the Tenor has the perfect range and the perfect tone. As far as I understand, the sax was originally used as a replacement for french horn and oboe in marching bands, and eventually got written into classical scores for the same purpose - to blend. I think the Tenor is the "smoothest blend"! 8)

[WG]

Alto (is there really any other choice ? :roll: ).

[zxcvbnm]

I love the alto sound, just I've always thought that my "voice" for a sax was soprano (not to say my voice is actually that high). I really like classical bari too, so I don't know.

[rs1sensen]

Alto. To me the voice just lends itself best to classical music. The soprano can also be quite good, but isn't as wide-spread and I think that prejudices me against it, to some extent.

I'm going to get flack for this, I know, but I've never felt that the tenor lends itself well to the classical repertoire. There are a few exceptions, but I think the alto is a much more consistent classical instrument. Don't get me wrong, I tend to believe the tenor to be an excellent voice for jazz, R&B, etc. I just don't dig it in classical.

[stefank]

Tenor is my preference for everything - it's just the range I seem to relate to, seem to think in the best. Miles (getting non-classical) had something to say about this regarding trumpet range - he said something to the effect that he thought in a lower range to Dizzy, and that was where he was most comfortable.

[silverselmer]

I love alto because the music always seems to fit it well. Played the alto solo in Rachmaninov's symphonic dances in concert today...one of the most fun classical sax solos to play. Plus I also ended up playing the bass clar part too :)

[TenTenTooter]

I've only ever played classical baritone, though I've begun working on alto. Right now I'm torn between the two, so i'll go out on a limb and say bass clarinet!

[hakukani]

Most of the literature is for alto. Of course, I prefer alto. Soprano is next. Like Dr. G, I played a double reed--only I played oboe. Soprano is enough like an oboe that it COULD be my 'voice'.
I never considered it a 'double'.

[qwerty]

I actually started my saxophone career as a tenor player. Yet, I have done most of my study and performing on alto. I have played soprano and alto in quartets...I would have to say that my classical voice is alto, followed closely by soprano. When I practice, I almost instinctively reach for alto, if that means anything.

[ChuBerry47]

I find Bari sounds very similar to a cello, but comes much easier for classical music. That smooth, vibrating, lucious, tone. It is beautiful. Some people in the past did not believe my tone came from a Yamaha 5C mouthpiece. The silky, dark tone, I find to be so beauttiful, and the low notes it plays, are not those usually to be heard in classical music, nor a lot of the time Jazz.

[Graysax]

In the beginning - I was a Classical Baritone Saxophonist. I enjoy coming back to that flavor the most.

[gary]

Alto. First for the literature, but I think because, maybe for me, the alto can be more intense in "classical" literature than the tenor, giving me a broader pallet.

[silvin]

Soprano for me, no doubt !

[Matero]

It's a tough call, but I'd have to say soprano rather than alto. I'm just totally fascinated by the soprano's voice.

[ste1390]

For me its the alto. It just has that sound that represents me. Jazz on the other hand has to be tenor. I relate to that mellow, smoky, Jazz tenor sound. Like Stan Getz.

[Colin]

Has to be baritone for me. It seems to have all the influence over the mood of the piece we are playing. It almost lead's from the back. (when I manage to get it right)

Col.

[RootyTootoot]

Well "true voice" is a bit strong considering i'm not much cop at the classical stuff but i'm easily most comfortable on alto when i try.

[georgefurlow]

I have been an alto player for many years but the soprano caught my fancy in 1988 and I have loved playing ever since. But... literature wise, alto is a hands down for me. This is my first reply ever on saxontheweb. Hello to all my fellow saxophonists out there.

[Heise]

Bass. None other can command such power with its mere presence, not to mention the richness of sound.

To be fair, I have never had the opportunity to play a contrabass, but I have never seen a contrabass part, either.

When there is no bass sax part (which is most of the time), I play bass clarinet.

-DH

[zxcvbnm]

I have been an alto player for many years but the soprano caught my fancy in 1988 and I have loved playing ever since. But... literature wise, alto is a hands down for me. This is my first reply ever on saxontheweb. Hello to all my fellow saxophonists out there.

Welcome to Sotw! :wave:

[snowgoose]

Bass. None other can command such power with its mere presence, not to mention the richness of sound.

To be fair, I have never had the opportunity to play a contrabass, but I have never seen a contrabass part, either.

When there is no bass sax part (which is most of the time), I play bass clarinet.

-DH Interesting. I've always felt bass clarinet, on which I've doubled since junior high school, to be analogous to tenor sax, not bass sax. However, I've recently been playing quite a bit of tenor, I think due to the fact that there are few tenor players locally, and am beginning to feel that the two instruments are quite different. I can't yet put into words just what it is. Alto sax is turning out to be my "natural" voice in the sax world, whereas it is clear to me that bass clarinet is where I belong among clarinets.

Just incidently, I played the Dies Irae section in Sinfonie Fantastique on contrabass clarinet a few years ago. Berlioz calls for something called an ophiclide. We used contrabassoon, but I volunteered to bolster the harmonic richness with my "paperclip" contra, in addition to playing the piccolo part. Lotsa fun! :shaking2: <= me getting my teeth shook by the contra.

[Heise]

Interesting. I've always felt bass clarinet, on which I've doubled since junior high school, to be analogous to tenor sax, not bass sax. However, I've recently been playing quite a bit of tenor, I think due to the fact that there are few tenor players locally, and am beginning to feel that the two instruments are quite different. I can't yet put into words just what it is. Alto sax is turning out to be my "natural" voice in the sax world, whereas it is clear to me that bass clarinet is where I belong among clarinets.

Just incidently, I played the Dies Irae section in Sinfonie Fantastique on contrabass clarinet a few years ago. Berlioz calls for something called an ophiclide. We used contrabassoon, but I volunteered to bolster the harmonic richness with my "paperclip" contra, in addition to playing the piccolo part. Lotsa fun! :shaking2: <= me getting my teeth shook by the contra.

I don't think I would consider the bass clarinet to be analogous to bass sax, either, but that is an interesting thought to consider. I simply find each to be where I best "fit" within each section (clarinets or saxophones) -- my "voice", if you will. I enjoy the flexibility, power, range, and sweetness the bass clarinet can provide, but on saxophone I'm perfectly happy to provide that foundation and "bottom end" of the bass sax (too bad more literature does not make use of it!).

You make me jealous with your talk of a contrabass clarinet. I would very much like to have one of Mr. Eppelsheim's models! (I would also like his bass sax, and contrabass sax, and......)

-DH

[snowgoose]

You make me jealous with your talk of a contrabass clarinet. I would very much like to have one of Mr. Eppelsheim's models! (I would also like his bass sax, and contrabass sax, and......)-DH Hi, Heise. I priced contrabass clarinets and there was no way.... BUT somehow or other I got in touch with Rufus Acosta, who is also on this forum, and he was restoring several contras, he said to fund some kind of bassoon purchase (sounded excellent to me). Anyway, it was wildly nuts, but I bought one. It is very nice. You sound like a kindred spirit!

[hakukani]

Interesting. I've always felt bass clarinet, on which I've doubled since junior high school, to be analogous to tenor sax, not bass sax. However, I've recently been playing quite a bit of tenor, I think due to the fact that there are few tenor players locally, and am beginning to feel that the two instruments are quite different. I can't yet put into words just what it is. Alto sax is turning out to be my "natural" voice in the sax world, whereas it is clear to me that bass clarinet is where I belong among clarinets.

Just incidently, I played the Dies Irae section in Sinfonie Fantastique on contrabass clarinet a few years ago. Berlioz calls for something called an ophiclide. We used contrabassoon, but I volunteered to bolster the harmonic richness with my "paperclip" contra, in addition to playing the piccolo part. Lotsa fun! :shaking2: <= me getting my teeth shook by the contra.

Check out Roger Norrington's recording of the Berlioz. The orchestra used original instruments.

There's NOTHING like an opheclide.