Saxophone Forum


by BlackEclipse
(11 posts)
19 years ago

High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

Hello everyone, (This is my first time at sax quest). Anyways, I'm in the tenth grade and have been playing euphonium since sixth grade and have made 3rd chair at all-state. So I have decided to play a Tenor because everything I do in band is really boring, even marching band. So i'm thinking about asking for a tenor for my birthday which is coming up and I would like to buy a sax that can last till college and up but is still easy to start with. I want a horn that I can pass on to my kids and then they'll pass on to theirs and so on. Does anyone have any suggestions on which sax to buy ? (I would also like a sax that has the color and tone quality to be able to play music that Ray Charles played, Jazz, R&B, and so forth) Thank You in Adavance :)

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  1. by BlackEclipse
    (11 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

    I also want to know which one is more used, B flat or E Flat sax ?

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    1. by connsaxman_jim
      (2336 posts)

      19 years ago

      Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

      I really think you will enjoy sax much more, and there are so many more opportunities for sax players than euphonium or baritone players. If you're looking to play more jazz and r&b, I think the tenor is the way to go. The tenor and soprano are both in Bb, the alto and Baritone sax are in Eb. Both altos and tenors are very common in jazz. I would think that the tenor is probably more common in funk and r&b. When playing with guitar in keys like G, D, A, and E, the Bb tenor is a little easier to work with than the alto. It's easier to transpose with the tenor; just take it up 2 half steps so C=D, D=E, E=F#, G=A, and A=B. As for what horn to buy, I would suggest playing a few to see which one you like best. For the kind of music you want to play, I would STRONGLY suggest you try a Conn 10M. I think you will really like the sound. There are other great new and vintage horns though. The new Yamaha and Keilwerth horns are very good. The vintage King, Buescher and Martin horns were also great horns, and of course the infamous Selmer Super Action and Mk VI. Even the newer Selmer Super Action 80, Reference series II and III models are great horns. I would just avoid those like the Schill/Helmke, Millwaukee, Monique, and a few others that are priced so cheap. I would recommend a vintage American horn over anything else. Good Luck, and if you have any questions, we're all here to help! Jim

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      1. by BlackEclipse
        (11 posts)

        19 years ago

        Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

        Thank You very much, could you put a link up for me that shows some of those horns like to Conn 10m and the selmers, can't find them anywhere

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      2. by BlackEclipse
        (11 posts)

        19 years ago

        Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

        Jim, Are you talking about this: 10M Lacquer Serial #: 278,XXX I really like this one.

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        1. by BlackEclipse
          (11 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

          sorry that didnt put a picture heres the link: www.usahorn.com/conn/index.html That should take right to it, I really like it ill ask my band teachers about it, both he and she plays Soprano,Alto,Tenor, and Bari. Sax.

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      3. by definition
        (963 posts)

        19 years ago

        Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

        Bb and Eb are pretty much used equally, IMO. Go with the one that sounds better to you. If you want a good beginnier horn, take a look at Yamahas, those are a great deal. Also make sure you invest in a good mouthpiece, that will also really help you development. I would suggest a rubber meyer or a selmer piece.

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        1. by BlackEclipse
          (11 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

          I just wondering about the B flat and E flat saxes because for baritone and euphonium they have different Fingerings if there in a different key and sometimes you can't find band music that is composed in that key. So i was trying to find the one used the most because I'll be playing it in band. Thanks for the info

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          1. by BlackEclipse
            (11 posts)

            19 years ago

            Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

            I also have a money limit so like the horns that are higher than $2000 dollars is sorta out of my range. but i'll go look around at the local stores and see what they have. Thanks

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          2. by definition
            (963 posts)

            19 years ago

            Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

            Yeah that is the type of horn Jim was talkin about! Those are great horns. You might want to check the site run by pete Hales, the sax historian. He has a plethora of information on the various vintage horns. Thing is for vintage horns, they can easiy go past your $2000 price range, the prices on those are on the upward swing these days. As far as new horns go, You can easily get them new and used, and the used ones are normally just as good as the new ones, and a heckuva lot cheaper too. Check out Selmers, Yamahas, Keilwerths, Yanagisawas, etc. As for Vintage horns, look at those Conns, Kings, Martins, Bueschers, and others. You can find a ton of great steals, you just have to look!!

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          3. by definition
            (963 posts)

            19 years ago

            Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

            Oh I forgot to post this, the link to Pete's site is www.saxpics.com

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          4. by tenor562
            (297 posts)

            19 years ago

            Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

            If you think tenors going to give you a more interesting part, it isn't. To get the best sax part, play alto. You can play tenor too, just play alto in band. Tenor parts are quite boring, at least for my band. They do get more difficulty then the bari sax or tuba parts though.

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          5. by karebear1012
            (395 posts)

            19 years ago

            Re: High School Student Wanting to play Tenor

            yeah, in our band the tenors seem to get boring parts...but then again the altos get parts more boring than say a trumpet or something. But if youre in jazz band, tenor is the instrument for interesting parts!

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