Hi, basically I've wanted to play the sax for quite a while and i think its about time I should just do it. But I honestly dont know much about it (playing wise) aside from I love how it sounds, . I've been playing the guitar for quite a while and also played the trumpet for a couple of years (few years ago though). I can read music but very slowly! I have just learnt songs from ear and cheating using guitar tabs. Just wana know where to start, i understand alto is the way to begin? I'm more into jazz than classical so should i go staright to leanring tenor or start at the basics? how much more difficult is tenor to alto? would it be difficult to play considering my lack of music reading? etc? any replies welcome, thanks

Best advice I can give you is to go to your local college and find a student who will give you lessons. Most College students are looking for more students. You will not get much out of saxophone from a book unlike you would a guitar. Saxophone has so many variables, sound, and pitch for example. If you play your horn for an audience, and play every note right, it won't matter if your sound and pitch are bad you will lose your audience. While the saxophone is one of the easiest instruments to pick up and make a note out of, it takes time and dedication to get a good sound out of it. If you can play a flute it sounds like a flute, if you can play a saxophone it can sound like a sweet voice or a mack truck.
On music reading if you want to do anything for music you have to be able to read, a good teacher can help you with that, but keep up playing by ear that is something that we should all be able to do.
Alto or Tenor is fine to start out on, I started on Tenor and didn't use an Alto till college. Now I mainly use Alto for legit playing and Tenor for Jazz.
This is not to discourage you in anyway, but just to let you know the time and dedication involved.
Hope to hear you playing soon

CJ

Thanks, thats been helpful, I'm still at college so I'm gona go to the music department, see if I can find someone who needs a bit of extra cash and a pupil,lol.