[Johnvw]

Hi to All,
Well I am back again, still blowing with my Soprano.
All information suggested that I should not have started on the Soprano because it is hard ( try learning the violin, for hard ), too bad I like the sound. Next point, get a teacher so as not to form bad habits, good point.
Now in Sydney, Australia there appears to be an abundance of alto teachers, some tenor, NO Soprano. So....if the Soprano is soooo difficult with tight embouchure and appears to be avoided like the plague, what kind of teacher would possible be of assistance that would be familiar with Soprano technique and not just be a good Sax teacher, or does it not matter in the first couple of years.
I am trying to learn online ( early stages ) but guided tuition would be of great assistance.

Your early Sax experience would be of great interest. Many thanks in advance for the sharing of your collective knowledge.

Regards
John

 

[Maddcow]

Any decent sax teacher should be able to teach soprano sax. Have all the alto and tenor teachers in Sydney told you they don't teach soprano? I wouldn't be surprised if a number of teachers you've spoken to don't want to teach soprano to a beginner because it IS considerably more difficult than alto and tenor, both to teach and to learn. I'd certainly try to dissuade a beginner from learning soprano as their first sax. Have you tried contacting the Sydney Conservatorium about possible teachers? Or the Music Teachers' Association of NSW? https://www.musicnsw.com.au/

Also, the first couple of years are the most crucial in terms of correct embouchure and technique development so do try to find a teacher who focuses on these things and not just learning Kenny G tunes.

 

[turf3]

Sydney is hardly the sticks. You've surely got two or three universities - at least - with top notch music schools. Any saxophone professor or saxophone major will have done considerable study on soprano. A very large fraction of saxophone quartet repertoire is soprano lead. Ergo, saxophone students at those music schools are learning, practicing, and performing on soprano. You just haven't inquired to the right people.

Yes, the standard advice would be to start on alto - but the standard advice is most applicable to young beginner students who don't even know yet what they want to do. You're a grown adult with a strong preference. No reason for you not to start out on soprano.

A lot of music teachers have trouble dealing with grown adults who have a knowledge of life and minds of their own. That's going to need to be a big part of your interviewing. There have to be dozens of qualified saxophone teachers in Sydney who can instruct you. The principles are the same whether it's soprano or bassax.

 

[rzzzzz]

a good percentage of serious sax players own more than one kind of sax, and sopranos are hardly rare. yes, the embouchure on a soprano can feel a little more exacting, but there are no significant differences other than maybe taking in a larger portion of the mouthpiece. sopranos were really popular 20-30 years ago, and you'd see a lot of young folks starting out on them as their first horns at the local Music and Arts shops. and yes, a teacher who mainly plays tenor can help you get started with the correct form and good exercises to develop control.

 

[Paul Cohen]

It's a myth perpetuated by uninformed players that the soprano saxophone is unsuitable for a beginner. A serious soprano player/teacher should be able to work with a beginner - young or old - in learning to play the soprano saxophone. A pre-requisite will be an appropriate mouthpiece, and it may be a mouthpiece that will not be the final choice, but one conducive to learning a new horn and voice. I do this all the time with players of all ages and all experiences.
Paul Cohen

 

[J Dos Passos]

It's a myth perpetuated by uninformed players

I agree completely.

 

[lydian]

It's a myth perpetuated by uninformed players that the soprano saxophone is unsuitable for a beginner. A serious soprano player/teacher should be able to work with a beginner - young or old - in learning to play the soprano saxophone. A pre-requisite will be an appropriate mouthpiece, and it may be a mouthpiece that will not be the final choice, but one conducive to learning a new horn and voice. I do this all the time with players of all ages and all experiences.
Paul Cohen

A myth? Why is it that all of my sax playing peers have difficulty starting on soprano even when they are already excellent players on the bigger horns? My own children had a much easier time starting on alto than soprano. It's a more difficult instrument to play in tune. That's a reality, not an uninformed opinion. It is unsuitable simply because it's more difficult, making the student more likely to give up or fail. I would always try to steer a beginner to alto for at least a few months before tackling soprano. That at least rewards them with the satisfaction of sounding like a saxophone as they learn the fundamentals.

I agree there is no such thing a soprano sax teacher. Just get a sax teacher. It helps if they're also good soprano players, but not a requirement. The fundamentals on all saxes are the same.

 

[Paul Cohen]

Sorry to disagree. The acoustic realty of the tuning characteristics of higher instruments (yes the soprano is higher) is not an obstacle to starting younger players, if they start with an appropriate mouthpiece, have a well-regulated instrument, and works with someone who has considerable, non-doubling soprano saxophone experience. That's been my 40 yrs experience in teaching soprano saxophone to generations of students, young and old, beginner to advanced.
Paul Cohen

 

[skeller047]

When I was a kid, back before the dodo bird went extinct, I started on clarinet. Clarinet embouchure is more exacting and demanding and tiring than soprano sax, so I agree that it's perfectly fine to start learning on that horn.

I think most of the objection comes from the fact that many people end up switching their primary horn at one point or another, and switching from soprano to, say, tenor will be interesting from an embouchure standpoint.

In finding a teacher, try to make them understand that you are following your own path rather than the well-trodden road of alto to some other saxophone, which is what most university people will be familiar with. In other words, interview your respective tutors, and find one that is wiling to teach YOU, rather than one that has a standard formula. Good luck!

 

[Dr G]

My path started with clarinet in 5th grade. I started tenor in 9th grade, and added bassoon and sop the following year. Tenor remains my favorite voice 50 years later, with sop and alto flute tied for second.

You don’t need a teacher that specializes in sop, but it would be nice if they played it well, and produced a sound similar to what the student would like to hear.

 

[Johnvw]

Any thanks always to All,
Your advice and experience is well receive.
Regards
John

 

[J Dos Passos]

You don't need a teacher that specializes in sop, but it would be nice if they played it well

Depending upon what exactly a student needs to learn ( how to hold it, finger it, and on and on), what is needed from a soprano teacher is to know that the soprano is not any more difficult than any other sax. If the teacher thinks it is, stay away. Yes, the teacher should have a good sound and control of the soprano, as it demonstrates first hand what is possible. If not, then everything becomes hypothetical and that is not a good place for a student. Sound is the most compelling aspect, in my opinion and a teacher needs to have that for certain. I think that Paul Cohen's knowledge in this area is the most useful and dependable. Others may have a different experience, but do any have the depth and breadth of his experience? Highly unlikely, I think.