The soprano is cool! I`m an alto player and I just got a new soprano. I`d go to a good music store and try out each type an pick what you want. If you can get to Indiana ,I think, The Woodwind and Brasswind store is there and they`re like one of those "instrument superstores."I havn`t gotten the chance to go in one yet but its worth a try. (I`m going by what I have been told by other people.) Otherwise, any music store with a selection would be good. Don`t buy a horn before playing it! Every sax has slight differences and someone who plays that sax should test it and check if it plays in tune without much trouble.

Website:www.wwbb.com (I think)

www.wwbw.com

Sorry, I was one letter of on my last posting.

glenn miller, benny goodman, oscar peterson, eric delany, johnny dankworth, courtney pine, louis armstrong, sid lawrence..........

You said that gerry mulligan is about the only recognised jazz musician. Not all of these are saxophonists but they sure are jazz musicians.

none of them played bari sax i bet. if u like the spot light then then u might want the alto sax. I personally love my tenor and wouyld suggest that. but tenor solos r rare and hard to come by in a cancert band scene. in a jazz band you will most likely have the 3rd most solos (i know this form life experience) unless your a good improviser. use the abersolds like some guy sed a page ago. First alto usually gets the most solos. Lead trumpet next. and then u and second trumpet r tied for 3rd. expect in latin pieces. then second trumpet wins. sry.
Tenors rule newayz.

What a fasciniating dicussion. Listen to the sound. Try them out. Where are you goung to play? The tenor is super, is versatile. If you get really good then you could always buy an alto , sop or bari etc. But get going now. I started on the oboe years ago and took to the tenor like a duck on water in January. Mine is a Yamaha 475 which a friend who is a professional player covets! But it did not cost the earth. Quite!

Well from me i`d say the best sax is the alto but i also like the soprano. It really all depends on you and what you like but if i may (don`t get the tenor) i say that becouse its not the lightist if ya know what i mean. But since all of the sax`s are fingured the same pick one you like and buy it and when ya wan`t to play the others rent or ask. just make sure you keep in mind your payin your money and there not cheep so get the one you wan`t, not the one your friends wan`t

Alto, it is the best because with barry you cant really improvise, well youu can but it sounds dumb. Soprano is also very good, same with tenore, but not barry.

I suggest you play the Soprano..and I am not saying this just because i play it, but because it is easy to learn and it has a great sound

you should play wat u really wanna play not wat every one else says

I play bari sax its definitly the coolest of the saxes. its so much fun to play, im sure you would be happy with it, jazzy jessica.

i have played 4 saxes in all, alto, tenor, bari and bass, but out of all of them, bari HAS to be the best. it adds so much voice to the music.

I suggest playing whatever you feel comfortable with. I play tenor, you need to have a lot of air to play the bigger instruments (tenor and bari) louder. Alto is a good in-the-middle saxophone - you can get low notes, but you can also get the great high notes that everyone tries for. If soprano is anything like the piccolo, you don`t want to play it. They`re very hard to keep in tune. In a jazz band, bari`s do get the most boring parts, altos get the leads and tenors get cool harmonies. Our bari player gets mostly long notes, which do get boring. Kind of like playing sax in concert band!

I`ve noticed a lot of these posts are really biased against bari`s. I was wondering, how many of you actually play the bari? I play the bari and love it. I also play tenor and wouldn`t give it up for the world, but with the bari you have this great rich, dark, tone that I can`t get from my tenor. True, it`s big and bulky and needs a lot of air, but I actually have fun playing it. Bass lines can be fun, if you make them.
--Drew

I play bari and alto. Alto`s awesome for the school band, Tenor`s best for anything, and bari rocks at solos and just playing around. I think the bari has the coolest tones on the low notes (A-Bb).

well I think that you should not get a Bari because that is the all time most boring sax!!!!!! I hated it. and You shouldn`t get a soprano because usually you only get to play it if it is in the music, but if you just want to have fun, then get it, but tenor is good too.