What are the reasons you should learn to play the saxophone? It’s never been easier to learn how to play the sax! There are a lot of quality instruments out there that are very affordable. The saxophone has deep roots as an instrument, but it’s actually considered one of the easiest to learn because it was made fairly recently in comparison to instruments like the piano and violin which have been around for over a century.
A lot of kids are too scared to learn Saxophone at an early age because it’s such a big piece of equipment. Learning the basics is pretty straightforward and you should find it fairly easy to progress once you pick up on things. All that’s needed at this point is optimism (and a bit of practice).
The great thing is that if you want to further develop your interest in playing the saxophone, don’t worry because it has an excellent repertoire which will give you many opportunities to experiment and grow as a musician. If you are interested in getting serious about saxophone, here are the main reasons why you should take up lessons and why it would be worthwhile to start right now.
Top Reasons to Play the Saxophone
The saxophone is one of the top instruments for those who want to join a marching band, jazz group or orchestra. It always has a cool and sexy vibe that people love.
You might have thought it was tough to pick a musical instrument when you were little but now as an adult you have more of an understanding on all of your options. What’s cool about the saxophone is that it reflects what kind of person you are.
Sax is an instrument that’s not just great for improving your image. There are plenty of other benefits like improving cognitive acuity, building relationships, and more.
1. The Saxophone is Versatile
There are nine types of saxophones, with the most popular being the Soprano Alto Tenor and Baritone.
The Alto saxophone, which is the most common saxophone instrument for beginners, is what they learn in public school bands or ensembles.
Different types of saxes can be used to play different parts of a song. The bassline of the Baritone is played by the alto and soprano saxophones, while melodies are played by the alto and soprano saxophones.
The saxophone’s unique sound is adaptable to many genres such as jazz, soul, blues and contemporary pop.
The instrument is versatile and can be used to suit any musical preference. It has dynamic sounds that enable the musician express emotion and show their creativity.
2. Playing Saxophone Make You Smarter
Music does a lot of cool things for kids. We know this from research and it’s not just that they love the music. It helps them develop in math, literacy and reasoning skills and shows in their academic performance too.
Learning to play musical instruments teaches a lot of useful skills, like how to wait and be patient. It can also help you develop important leadership qualities, like how to adapt your message for your audience.
3. Improves Memory
Playing an instrument requires a lot of mental focus, physical coordination and neurological control.
Those who play instruments have been shown to have enhanced mental abilities: they’re able to better control their cognition and motor skills simultaneously.
Playing an instrument is a great way to stay mentally stimulated.
4. Saxophones are Relaxing
Saxophones make a soft, sexy sound that’s really enjoyable to play. You can find many people who say they enjoy playing their instrument just to feel the weight off their shoulders and live in the now.
Playing music or composing your own feels like a break to everyone and soothes the soul. Immersion in this moment is perfect for calming down, getting centered and forgetting any worries of the day. It’s also a great way to de-stress!
Playing music is great for making yourself feel happier or clearing your mind.
5. Playing the Sax is an Evolving Skill
Students love saxophone because there is always something new to learn.
Saxophones are a very versatile instrument, because they don’t play just one kind of music. With 9 different instruments in the saxophone family and no limits to genre, there’s many songs you could learn and musics to master.
6. Saxophones are Timeless
Take a moment to think about the instruments you hear in contemporary Billboard top 40 or classical AM radio.
Saxophones are a musical instrument that people will never get tired of listening to.
The saxophone can play in a lot of different styles of music. Jazz, rock, pop, or soul they all sound good!
Even mainstream musicians like Macklemore and Ariana Grande have been using the saxophone more in their songs lately.
Becoming fluent in the saxophone opens up lots of job opportunities and you can enjoy doing what you love for a long time.
7. Saxophones are Easy to Play
The Saxophone, which is newer than other instruments in an orchestra, has a fingering system that’s relatively simple to grasp.
When it comes to creating the right tone, the sax can be one of the easiest instruments among the woodwind instruments.
The Bb Soprano Sax has the smallest and most distinctive sound, but it is also the most difficult to control in terms of intonation.
Music teachers and composers recommend the alto sax to students. It is a medium-sized instrument that anyone can use, and almost everyone over 10 years old can manage well.
The Tenor and baritone saxes can be larger (4 feet tall for the baritone). It is also more difficult to maneuver, especially if your goal is to be a marching band member.
8. Learning Sax Makes Learning Other Woodwinds Easier
Saxophones are in the same family as clarinets and flutes.
If you learn to play the saxophone and already know how to play the clarinet, learning additional instruments (which also use reeds) will be significantly easier.
The best saxophone players are capable of transitioning to the flute with ease. This is because the lack of a reed on the flute makes it relatively easier to produce tone and has a similar register to that of the saxophone. The fingerings are nearly identical too, so there shouldn’t be much adjustment at all.
9. Playing Saxophone is Sociable
People love the Saxophone, and jazz, blues and soul music are becoming more mainstream thanks to the sound of this instrument permeating all genres.
People will be more inclined to let you play the sax once they know you can.
A fun social activity is being a member of an orchestra or band. It teaches you teamwork and determination.
The saxophone creates a cool, sophisticated, and hip ambiance.
Lisa Simpson, a saxophonist herself, was able to raise her profile and transform into a completely new woman while playing.
10. The Saxophone Instills Confidence
As with any other skill or task, learning how to play a musical instrument like the saxophone should inspire confidence.
It is difficult to read sheet music or learn how to play woodwind instruments.
These skills require patience, time and dedication, but once you have them mastered, they will be yours for the rest of your life.
Instrumentalists are more confident in their decision making abilities, musical skills, academic life, problem solving, and social skills.
It can be difficult to learn how to play a new instrument.
There are so many options and so many programs that can be used to learn in different communities all across the country, that it is not surprising that people struggle to choose the right instrument.
Stop by a music shop if you’re unsure about what instrument you would like to learn. Ask questions and get help from the staff. If you are in school, meet the orchestra director or band director to find out how you can be a part of the school ensembles.
Many cities offer classes through parks and recreation departments. Music shops can often point you in the direction of private tutors for adults learners.
11. It Will Increase your Awareness to Sound
Once you have mastered the sax you will find yourself longing for more sounds to explore and play with. This will allow you to expand your musical abilities and also increase your sonic possibilities. The process of learning sound can lead to better musicians. Mastering new sounds can also help you come up with more creative ideas.
If you choose the sax, there will be many opportunities to play solo. Solo playing has many benefits. Solos give sax players autonomy and independence that is often lacking in other ensembles. Solos allow you to control the direction of your career and make it easier to join bands later if interest arises.
To improve your breathing, sign up for sax lessons. You must have control over your breathing to properly play the saxophone. Otherwise, you will not be able to play long phrases without running out of air. Wind players need to be aware of their breathing. Your breath plays a significant role in how you sound. This will help you improve your long-term ability to breathe.
Benefits of Playing Saxophone Duets in Lessons
My teacher used to have us play duets when we first began taking saxophone lessons. The lesson templates included saxophone duets. The format of each lesson was almost the same: scales, solo repertoire, and then duets. Duets were only the fun part of the lesson. They would keep me playing the sax. The lesson must end with the fun stuff. While scales were tedious and monotonous, solo repertoire was sometimes boring. Duets, however, were always entertaining.
As an educator and performer, I now realize that saxophone duos can be more than just a fun part of the lesson. There are many lessons you can take away from playing saxophone duos. Saxophone duets offer many musical benefits. Duets are an integral part of my teaching curriculum.
Benefits of Saxophone Duets
Saxophone duets are not just the fun part of your lesson. They can teach you a lot about playing, all at once. Sax duets are a great way to get good at the instrument are comparable to weight lifting for muscle building. It’s always a good idea to practice duets. When you’re doing so, you’ll work on your time, your sound, your sight-reading skills and your musical sense overall.
Time
Saxophone duets are a good way to train your sense of time. You need to have tight rhythm to successfully perform a duet. When you do solos, if time isn’t perfect you can use other aspects of the performance to make up for it. It takes two people to play duets and a shared sense of time is crucial.
This means if you’re in sync, but the other person isn’t on the same page, then it becomes difficult to keep up a good sense of timing. Once you’re good at playing duets in 4/4 time, you should try practising them in other time signatures.
Sound
Playing music with other people usually helps your sound improve – you’ll start to pick up better tones and rhythms by playing around with someone who has a clearer, more defined tone. Playing duets will also teach you how to blend your sound with others adding a new dimension to your playing.
Become a pro at matching dynamics, articulation and phrasing with the player in your section who is playing at a different volume. If you’re playing significantly louder or softer, the music won’t sound as good – ideally, you should both be performing all notes on legato phrases.
Sight-Reading
Practicing saxophone duets with a friend can be fun, and it’s also an effective way to improve your sight-reading skills. Find yourself a book of saxophone duets to practice with! Try playing through a duet and then switching who’s playing the top/bottom parts. This will help you improve your reading skills over time.
Make sure you play the notes accurately while following. A thing with duets, though, is that they mostly ensure accuracy – as long as you find yourself in similar places and one another, you’re doing well.
Musical Sense
Doing duets can help you improve your musical sense. Playing music is something you get from experience; it’s something that can’t really be done in any other way, so it’s hard to measure. Time, sound and sight-reading skills can all be improved by practicing, but musical sense comes naturally with practice.
When you play duets, it’s sometimes tricky to figure out when one person should be playing the melody and when they should just be arpeggiating chords. Every so often you’ll need to help each other by being quieter or playing louder. As you get better, you’ll be able to mentally monitor what the other player is doing without even looking at them. You’ll know exactly what their next move will be and everything that led up to it.
Conclusion
The saxophone can be a wonderful instrument that can bring many benefits. You’ll find many resources to help you learn the saxophone.
You can even learn from your home with many online saxophone instructors and programs. You should ensure that you find a teacher who is skilled in your preferred style and has a great personality. You will be able to take your lessons seriously and become the best saxophonist possible.
You will be a better musician if you play duets on your saxophone. It’s fun to play duets. You can take a break from the boredom of learning scales, sketches, and repertoire. They are also very effective. It’s a win/win situation. You can’t learn music in isolation. If you want to become a better musician, it is important to listen to music and play music with others. A duet is one way to improve your playing of any instrument.
FAQ for Reasons to Play the Saxophone
What are the benefits of playing the saxophone?
Playing the saxophone is a very rewarding hobby that can also be turned into a profession.
Playing the saxophone can be great for your mental health. It releases endorphins and makes you feel good about yourself. Playing an instrument can also help you learn how to read music, which is beneficial in many other ways. There are many benefits to playing the saxophone – it’s a great instrument!
The saxophone is an instrument that can be played by anyone, regardless of their age or skill level. It’s a great instrument for people who want to learn a new hobby and have fun at the same time.
Why should I play the saxophone?
Playing the saxophone is a great hobby for a person who has the time to dedicate to it. It is fun, and it can also be a way to meet new people. The saxophone is also very versatile, so it can be used in many different genres of music.
It is important that you find an instrument that you enjoy playing and are good at playing. There are many different instruments out there, so don’t feel like you have to play the saxophone if you don’t like it or aren’t good at playing it.
What reasons why people should play the saxophone?
The saxophone has a rich history and is one of the most popular instruments in the world. It is also an instrument that is easy to learn, which means you won’t need to take years of lessons before you can start playing it.
There are many reasons why people should play the saxophone. There are also many benefits that come with playing this instrument, including increasing your lung capacity and improving your concentration.
What reasons why people shouldn’t play the saxophone?
The saxophone is a difficult instrument to play. It can be frustrating and time consuming when a person is trying to learn how to play the instrument.
There are many reasons why people shouldn’t play the saxophone. For starters, it is not an easy instrument to learn how to play. It takes a lot of time and patience, which some people do not have.
Another reason why people should not play the saxophone is that it can be expensive. The cost of buying one can be very high for some people who are on a tight budget or who cannot afford it at all.
How can I learn to play the saxophone?
The saxophone is a woodwind instrument that is played by blowing air through a metal reed into a mouthpiece. It’s usually used in jazz, blues, and rock music. The saxophone was invented in 1846 by Adolphe Sax.
There are three ways you can learn to play the saxophone:
- You can take lessons from an instructor or teach yourself using books and videos.
- You can start out with an alto or tenor sax, which are easier to play than the soprano or baritone saxes.
- You can buy an electric version of the instrument so you don’t have to blow air into it.
What are the challenges of playing the saxophone?
Playing the saxophone is a challenging instrument to learn. It requires a lot of practice and dedication.
The most common challenge that people face while playing the saxophone is getting their fingers to move rapidly enough to sound out a tune. This can be overcome by practicing finger exercises, like scales and arpeggios, which will help improve dexterity and coordination between the fingers.
How long does it take to learn how to play the saxophone?
Learning how to play the saxophone is a long process. It can take anywhere from a few months to 2 years of constant practice before you can become proficient at playing the instrument.
Playing the saxophone is a difficult skill to master, but it’s worth the effort!
How old is it better to learn to play the saxophone?
There are two reasons why it is better to learn the saxophone at an older age. The first one is that the fingers get stronger and more flexible as we get older so it becomes easier to play the instrument. The second one is that we have more mental capacity to learn new things as we get older, which allows us to spend more time practicing and playing.