Saxophone Forum


by bcwins124
(12 posts)
18 years ago

where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

in a regular concert band with all of the normal instruments, where would a soprano sax player sit? I've always thought about it and now that I finally have one I'm wondering where they would sit.

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  1. by connsaxman_jim
    (2336 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

    They sit at home in their living rooms wondering why there isn't more band music written for sopranos!

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  2. by muzikman_wky
    (17 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

    I played soprano a few moths in the band.... until i realized i had nothing in for me.... so, i bought a tenor and transfered.. :)

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  3. by chiamac
    (586 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

    they would sit in the corner of the warm-up room while the band was up on stage. =) (sorry, boring day at work)

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    1. by golferguy675
      (600 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

      Hehehe... To the left of the altos, I believe

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  4. by Radjammin
    (255 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

    First you know your posting in a Jazz Forum right? Concert Band normally=Legit player. That might be why your getting such short answers. Second, there is no soprano sax in concert band. If on the slight chance there is a soprano part, normally the 1st alto would play the part on a soprano. But if if if, you really want to play soprano sax in concert band, you would probaby want to sit with the first clarients, as most of your parts would have to be that. If your band is short on clarients it would't be a horrible idea, other then you wuoldn't be able to play below Bb and then can go down to E. Soprano is more of a soloist instrumet, not in concert band. You could ask the same question why there isn't any Bass Trumpets in Concert band. Mainly because there are more accepted instrumpets to play thouse parts. (Trombone, F-Horn, Baritone, etc.) Anyone got any history on why soprano was never added to concert band? I wouldn't mind hearing that story.

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    1. by GzsKerqt
      (77 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

      Wat abt symphonic bands?

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    2. by syrasax
      (75 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

      Not related to this but while we're on the subject of sopranos, how would you explain to a lay person why a soprano is a difficult instrument to play and why it's tough to keep in tune?

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      1. by Sax_Shark
        (134 posts)

        18 years ago

        Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

        The same way you explain the fact the sky is blue. Because it is...there's this whole thing about water vapor in the air but whatever....the sky is blue because it is. A soprano is all the things you said because it is.

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        1. by Radjammin
          (255 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

          Tell them the Sax Shark will attack them the next time they go swimming in Sax Lake unless they blieve. I couldn't think of anything good to tell them either. If they can't understand the basics the will never understand fast air, embrochure, and silly stuff like air support. Maybe you can tell them that Soprano's are very brittle horns and if you squeeze them too hard they will break? Or maybe you could tell them playing Soprano is like blowing up a ballon the entire time you are playing it. Maybe the imagry of passing out will get threw to them. Or you could just scream at them, "It is very hard to play" over and over again, until they tell you to stop. Then you can tell them that ringing in their ear will come back if they start playing soprano. Or maybe you could punch them in the mouth and tell them that sore felling is what it feels like to play soprano. Or you could tell them it's just hard to play becuase it is. I guess that works too.

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        2. by Sax_Shark
          (134 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

          ROTFLMAO......... Sax Lake?? Still ROTFLMAO............

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        3. by Sax Mom
          (964 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

          I would postulate that the soprano saxophone is more difficult to play in tune because its small size requires adjustments in tone-hole placement so that you don't end up with weak spots in the body of the horn that would soon break and make the entire horn useless. Yet, its small size also means that embouchure adjustments in order to play in tune are not all that difficult. If you have a half-ways decent ear, you soon learn to make the adjustments fairly easily. People who have not yet developed an ear to hear whether the notes are in tune, those who count on fingerings alone, will not be able to play the soprano saxophone well. (They won't play the other saxophones well, either, but they'll be closer than the soprano.)

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        4. by johnsonfromwisconsin
          (767 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

          ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second, there is no soprano sax in concert band. If on the slight chance there is a soprano part, normally the 1st alto would play the part on a soprano. --------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree.

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        5. by martysax
          (148 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

          Back in High School days, I'd show up for band with my soprano and stand in the trumpet section or sit with the clarinets until the director sent me to detention.

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        6. by Tenor_Guru
          (25 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

          You know... Whenever there was a soprano in concert band, 1st tenor always played it... But then again, he was the only one that could play it. And now... The Bari sax plays soprano parts in Jazz Band. Isn't ironic how the band can be so misleved as one of the most exceptional players is the bari player... Wait, I mean players, two are baris, and are exceptional.

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        7. by ashley
          (3 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: where do Soprano saxes sit in a band?

          Hey, i'm a soprano and for the first few weeks of school I was sitting with the altos,but my teacher told me that I had to hand with the clarinets. Does anyone know a good book to buy to learn about jazz?

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