[hgiles]

I am primarily a tenor player, but am considering doubling more on either alto or soprano. Right now, I really don't know which would be more useful. I think soprano would be easier since, I don't have to learn the tunes in new keys. But I do not have a soprano, yet.

I do have an alto, but I have enough of a hard time getting enough repertoire on tenor, much less alto...

Anyway, what's your thought?

 

[mlscnr]

If the question is, "which is most popular", then the answer is soprano.

If you're asking for advice, I say work with what you have. Learning tunes in both Eb as well as Bb will help develop your ear much more than sticking with Bb.

 

[Scott Ramminger]

I think it Depends. . .

I think it depends on what kind of music you are playing. Obviously in jazz, you see a lot of guys playing tenor and soprano. And, of course, they have the advantage of being in the same key.

In rock and blues, it seems to be more tenor/bari, tenor/alto, or tenor/flute. And, of course alto/bari. I remember seeing Roomful of Blues last year. The three piece horn section had two saxes in it. One guy was playing tenor and alto. The other guy was playing tenor and bari.

I play tenor and bari for the most part (more of a blues/rock/r&B guy.) It would certainly make life easier to play alto and bari. But I just really don't dig playing alto that much. I have an alto to take on trips with me to give me something to practice. But I don't reach for it very often other than that.

The different keys are less of a big deal in blues/rock/R&B stuff, because there really aren't too many heads to learn. And they are pretty simple.

One thing is that if you play an Eb sax and a Bb and play both rock and jazz, you really do end up playing in every key.

The more interesting challenge/problem with me comes with jazz stuff. I'm in a rehersal group playing tenor, which is my preferred horn. But when I go to a jazz jam, I tend to take the bari. The jazz jam I go to is full of tenor and alto players -- many of them very good. I'm the only one who shows with a bari.

Interstingly, I have heard a number of guys where I thought their alto/bari or tenor/bari play sounded pretty good. Not so many where I dug both their alto and tenor playing. This seems to be particularly true of alto players who try to pick up tenor once in a while.

I'm not that good at memorizing heads. And the Eb/Bb thing just compounds the problem.

 

[gary]

What is the most popular 'double' for tenor sax players

Scotch on the rocks.

:twisted:

 

[hakukani]

Is playing another sax really a double? Is trumpet/fleugelhorn considered a double? It wasn't in the old days...

 

[A Greene]

I don't think playing either alto or soprano is REALLY a double. Soprano is easier if you're improvising on a Bb instrument or reading parts with a trumpet player.

If you're really trying to expand your playing opportunites learn clarinet and flute. You can both a clarinet and flute (good used student models) for the price of a soprano saxophone.

 

[mlscnr]

Whether it's truly a "double" is not the point, nor does it help hgiles. Geez, that must be how some of you get such high post counts. But I, myself, digress...

Try working out with the alto for a while. Won't cost you near as much as a new soprano. Besides, everybody and their brother plays soprano. Unless you have gigs that require soprano, then by all means pick one up.

 

[Carl H.]

Whether it's truly a "double" is not the point, nor does it help hgiles. Geez, that must be how some of you get such high post counts. But I, myself, digress...

Defining a double helps clarify the original question. I don't consider a 2nd sax a double either. The first question we see in this thread is about a double, not a secondary sax, so clarifying the terminology IS relevant to the question.

 

[mlscnr]

Defining a double helps clarify the original question. I don't consider a 2nd sax a double either. The first question we see in this thread is about a double, not a secondary sax, so clarifying the terminology IS relevant to the question.

Wow, you have a lot of posts!

 

[hakukani]

Wow, you have a lot of posts!

It's easy when you know how. I learned from the best (gary)

Don't know about Carl...he may be a natural.

 

[whaler]

Sonny Stitt seemed to be the only jazz guy that recorded a lot of sides splitting his time between alto and tenor. Almost everyone else does the soprano/tenor thing. Brecker did the EWI/tenor doubling for a long time.

 

[BobbyC]

Playing more than one type of sax is not doubling.

In fact, isn't it the goal of every sax player to own a complete set from Bari to Soprano and for the elite few, contra-Bass to Sopranino?

I'm still working on getting a Bari.

 

[Carl H.]

If you are interested in doing pit work on tenor, get a bass clarinet, a soprano clarinet and a flute. Some of the Bass clarinet licks can be done on tenor, but transposing the octaves really screws with the harmonic structure. Often the flute part is also written out for Bb clarinet in the same book, but flute is REALLY desirable. Buy a student clarinet and start saving for a decent bass.

 

[RootyTootoot]

I am primarily a tenor player, but am considering doubling more on either alto or soprano. Right now, I really don't know which would be more useful. I think soprano would be easier since, I don't have to learn the tunes in new keys. But I do not have a soprano, yet.

I do have an alto, but I have enough of a hard time getting enough repertoire on tenor, much less alto...

Anyway, what's your thought?

To answer your question in its own terms without entering upon the "true double" debate/argument: I think alto. Ok the sop is maybe attractive because of tune learning but i think impro is different on tenor and sop. I think you'll find very few sop/tenor players of any repute who play them both the same way for impro. There are more technique issues too interms of sound production/tuning yadda yadda. Alto/tenor are closer than sop/tenor in spite of the Bb thing. Put it another way: if you want big contrasts - sop, if you want subtle variety - alto. The relearning tunes would be good for your ear playing and transposition - it's only up a 5th.

IMHO .

 

[DannyZ]

tenor double

For shows and jazz ensemble, tenor usually doubles on clarinet. Alto sax doubles on flute and bari doubles on bass clarinet. At least in my experience.

-Dan

 

[RCNELSON]

Bb clarinet and flute (not sure which is #1) are the obvious answers. But a number of Broadway shows have the tenor chair as the oboe/English Horn specialist.

 

[heath]

Why double if you don't have the Tenor mastered. Starting Flute or Clarinet is no small undertaking and both will take a lot time away from you Tenor. I played both for years and drop both of them. Clarinet being the worst instrument of torture every made and flute eventually drove me crazy trying to get the voice just right in all the registers. Save yourself the headaches and play your Tenor very well.

For me I've always questioned the need for doubling. I don't know how many students I came across when I was in college that thought playing more than one instrument was a badge of honor, the problem was they couldn't even play their main axe very well. What's the point. Anyone ask Coltrane, Rollins, Bergonzi to double, of course not.

 

[A Greene]

Heath,

I hate to disagree but I find practicing clarinet to make my TENOR play WAY better. Sidney Bechet said something like this:

Practice clarinet and the saxophone will take care of itself.

 

[stu the sax player]

Heath,

I agree with A Greene. Those guys don't have to double because they are monsters, if any of us here played half as well as these guys neither would we. But pro gigging musicians need all the gigs they can get.

stefane

 

[gary]

I am primarily a tenor player, but am considering doubling more on either alto or soprano. Right now, I really don't know which would be more useful.

Haywood, it depends on what kind of ensembles you want to play in.
If you want to play in wind ensemble and/or big band then I think alto is better because it doubles the opportunities of playing in one of these.

OTOH, if you're playing primarily tenor in jazz combos, then I think soprano is a better choice because with tenor and soprano you've covered (altissimo excepted) the widest range to work with.

I play all three and personally, really like the addition of flute to the arsenal, regardless of what genre. I've played all three of these in pop bands.

IMO, you have to start backwards - what situation(s) do you see yourself playing in, and then work backwards to equipment.