Hello saxophonists! I plan on marching with the bari. sax next school year in the marching band, but I`m a little uneasy. Many people tell me that it`s a killer on your neck and shoulders, and when i tell someone I`m marching with a bari. sax, they are just dumbfounded! Is it really that difficult, and if anyone has any advice to give it would surly be appreciated! Oh, and please try not to respond if you have never marched with a bari. sax or haven`t had any experience.

Thanks In Advance

Sorry, but I`ve never marched a bari, but I will say one thing: Get a sax harnss. I`ve heard they do wonders for your back and neck when playing the heavier saxes.

I have for the past three years and it`s really no big deal for me. now granted im 6` 3`` and 215 lbs and strong so its no strain for me. its just sorta hard to like "march fast" with it and turn rapidly but other wise its no biggie. plus the other 3 ppl that march with it too like it as well. one guy is sorta average height and all,and the other two are girls (belive it or not). its no big thing. it`ll be a pain after about a day or so- the biggest thing is how you cant realy lift it up to play like "up in the air" a lot of the times ur head is faceing down cuz it requires a lot of arm strenght to hold it up. good luck with it.

I have march with a bari for 2 years and I have had no problem. But I it is kinda hard to march fast and turn quickly. I would reccomend to get a harness.

I have never marched with a bari. However, I was sax section leader for two years. Our baris used sax harnesses, and a few of them dusted off their altos and marched alto.

GET A HARNESS!!!! It`s a life saver I`m 5`3" and it has kept me from falling down as an upperclassmen. Make sure you keep your body carrage solid during direction changes or you could be making fast friends with the ground.

This is my third year marching bari, and it really isn`t that bad. We move them into an easier carrying form when not playing in close quarters. I`m 6`3", but we had a girl who was about 5`4" last year who marched, and she didn`t have a problem. I use a regular neckstrap, no harness, and it works fine. It`s simply a matter of discipline. You may start out sore, but eventually you don`t even realize. And to be honest, the turns arent` too tough, either.

I used a a strap that goes over my shoulders instead of a neck strap the only thing that was difficult for me was getting it in a good comfortable position with out the bottom of it hitting my legs while I marched. and your right hand will get sore from holding it out away from you but it just takes getting used to.

hi i play oboe and i play pit in marching band this year but i really want to marching and i heard the saxophone has similar fingerings. If i where to march a saxophone it woulod be bari, are they hard to learn since i play oboe? Any advise?

its an easy switch i did it [of course i switched to alto because the bari is way bigger than me because im so small] most notes are the same except some notes and fsharp on oboe is f natural on sax[confusing