| As a music student coming from a non-musical family, I | | | | will be the same but the body will be unfurled. |
| get asked a lot of interesting questions sometimes. I | | | | Baritone-- This one is very easy to identify. The body |
| have found, as a saxophonist, that many people do | | | | is quite long and the bell actually doubles back up along |
| not realize the physical differences between | | | | the body. The top part curves down and then back up |
| saxophone types. Here is a quick run down on the | | | | slightly along the body, becoming the neckpiece. Of |
| more common types of saxophones and how one | | | | course, there is also a straight baritone which, if you |
| can identify them easily. You will be a | | | | actually ever see one in person, consider yourself |
| saxophone-identifying-pro in no time! | | | | lucky; straight baritones are even more hard to come |
| Soprano-- Most commonly referred to as "the straight | | | | by than straight tenors, of course. Honestly, it looks like |
| one," "the gold clarinet," or my personal favorite, "the | | | | a didgeridoo with the same curved bit at the top. |
| one Kenny G. plays." However, a word of caution: not | | | | There are, of course, many, many more kinds of |
| all soprano saxophones are straight! Straight ones are | | | | saxophones but the ones listed above are definitely |
| more common but not long ago, curved sopranos | | | | the most commonly seen. In case you are curious, I will |
| were pretty popular as well. A curved soprano is very | | | | touch on briefly some of the more uncommon |
| small... a grown person holding it, in my opinion, looks | | | | saxophones. |
| kind of funny just because it looks like an alto | | | | Smaller than a Soprano-- In Italian, when "ino" is added |
| saxophone that got put into a dryer. However, at the | | | | onto the end of the word, it means in English, roughly, a |
| very top, where the mouth goes, it is often a bit more | | | | "mini-blank". So, naturally, the first saxophone smaller |
| straight even if it is a "curved" soprano. If it is really | | | | than a soprano is a sopranino. It looks exactly like a |
| small, assume that it is a soprano (or something even | | | | soprano just a few inches shorter. And of course, |
| higher pitched... which we will get to later!). | | | | there is something even smaller. The soprillo is the next |
| Alto-- By far the most commonly played saxophone. | | | | one and it is absolutely tiny! It is also sometimes |
| The size of this one seems to fit a human more | | | | referred to as the sopranissimo or the piccolo |
| naturally than a curved soprano. One telltale sign that | | | | saxophone. Without the mouthpiece, the soprillo is only |
| you are looking at an alto is to look at the neckpiece | | | | a foot long! |
| (also referred to as the crook). It is the angular bit at | | | | Larger than a Baritone-- First comes the bass |
| the top of the saxophone where you blow into it. The | | | | saxophone. It is not considered to be very common |
| piece is just short of having a 90-degree angle and the | | | | but it is seen occasionally in large ensemble works. It is |
| top part that is parallel to the floor is straight. There is a | | | | built exactly like the baritone saxophone just much |
| possibility that you will come to see a straight alto. | | | | larger in all directions. The curve is larger, the neckpiece |
| These are really not played that often and are used | | | | is larger, the bell is larger, etc. The next one is the |
| more as a novelty. Where it is likely you may see a | | | | contrabass saxophone. Again, it is exactly built like the |
| curved soprano, it is less likely that you will see a | | | | baritone and bass just even larger. Finally, there is the |
| straight alto. Luckily the only real difference is that the | | | | subcontrabass saxophone, also known as the tubax... |
| neckpiece is the same but the body is just unfurled. | | | | you can probably guess why. This saxophone is simply |
| Tenor-- Considered by some to be one of the more | | | | a monster. It is about 57 inches tall and folds over itself |
| jazzier, raspier sounding saxophones. This one is | | | | about three times. |
| slightly bigger than the alto but still looks pretty natural | | | | There are also many other saxophones out there but |
| when held by a fully-grown adult. The neckpiece at the | | | | these are the big ones. You may come across a C |
| top, however, has a bit of a dip in it. The angle is still | | | | melody saxophone, or other saxophones that have |
| the same, but the part that is parallel to the floor in fact | | | | lost their popularity over time. But that is an article for |
| has a bit of a valley. Again, there are straight tenors | | | | another time! |
| but these are very hard to come by and are truly | | | | Happy saxophone-spotting! |
| more of a novelty. Like a straight alto, the neckpiece | | | | |