Vito Alto

Vito Alto

Model 2234P…..

Saxophones come in varying shapes and sizes. There are some types. The inventor of the saxophone, Antoine-Joseph (Adolphe) Sax patented 14 of them in 1846. They were the E flat sopranino, F sopranino, B flat soprano, C soprano, E flat alto, F alto, B flat tenor, C tenor, E flat baritone, B flat bass, C bass, E flat contrabass, F contrabass and subcontrabass. While the subcontrabass was patented by Adolphe Sax he never built it. Models of the instrument have been developed but they were unplayable. Other types were produced since then including the C-melody saxophone, Conn-O-Sax, F Mezzo Soprano, F baritone, and the sopranissimo (nick-named the world’s smallest saxophone or soprillo).

For the intent of this article, we shall focus on the four types of saxophones widely employed today. From the smallest instrument with the most eminent pitch to the biggest instrument with the lowest pitch, they are the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone.

The soprano saxophone is pitched in the key of B flat. It is one octave higher than the tenor. Some versions are curved while others are straight. Most of the sopranos of today are made straight or straight with a slight bend in the neck, bell or both. While there are curved ones today, these were more mutual for the duration of the 1930s. They look like little altos and have a richer, more “saxophone-like” sound than straight sopranos. In terms of intonation, straight sopranos are normally better. If you are just starting out on the saxophone, a soprano saxophone would not be the best choice for you. Try an alto instead. Sopranos are in general seen as the most unmanageable saxophones to play and master. The little mouthpiece and difficult tuning may make life hard when you primary start out playing. Also, there is not much music written for this type of saxophone as equated to the alto for instance. The soprano is very popular in Jazz music. Popular players include Jazz musicians like Sidney Bechet, Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, and Joe Farrell, as well as smooth Jazz saxophonists like Kenny G and Dave Koz.

The other type of saxophone we shall look at is the alto saxophone. It is pitched in the key of E flat and plays incisively one octave higher than the baritone. This is a medium sized saxophone and one of the most ordinarily played. The alto is the perfective choice for a beginner because of it is comfortable shape and size. Later on, an alto player may always move on to the other types of saxophones since the fingering for all saxophones is basically the same. Compared to the tenor, it’s posing no difficulty to play. Some altos are very cheap to buy and rent. Most altos are curved in a backwards “J” shape but some of them come in a straight model with a more or less tipped bell. The alto is very mutual in jazz bands and a lot of symphonic bands as well. Popular manufacturers include Yanagisawa, Selmer, SML, Vito, Cannonball, Jupiter, and Yamaha. The role played by the alto for the duration of the Swing Era can not be ignored; the instrument played a leading role in the evolution of Jazz. One of the most influential bebop pioneers of the 1940s was Charlie Parker, an alto saxophonist.

Next in line we have the tenor saxophone pitched in the key of B flat. It plays incisively one octave lower than the soprano saxophone. This type of saxophone is more prominent than the alto, the mouthpiece is larger, and the rods and tone holes are longer. Due to the length of it is neck it is very prone to damage. The instrument is popularly believed to be the signature instrument of innovative Jazz, but is also used in rock and pop as well. While most beginners begin and ought to get started on the alto saxophone, if you prefer the tenor and think you may handle it, by all means go for it. It is genuinely just a larger version of the alto. Both instruments use the same fingerings. I in all likelihood would not advise children to start out on the tenor, but for adults it’s perfectly fine. Famous tenor saxophone players include Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Lester Young, and Sonny Rollins.

The final type of saxophone we shall take a look at is the baritone. This is the biggest amongst the mutual types of saxophones. It is pitched in the key of E flat and plays precisely one octave lower than the alto. Music is written not in the bass clef, but the treble clef. Unlike the other types of saxophone, the baritone saxophone ordinarily comes with a very beneficial low A fingering. Since this is an E flat instrument, low A translates to concert C. Actually, there are two types of baritone, one ranging to a low A and the other to a low B flat. Due to size of this instrument, it is very difficult to play and carry around, specially for children. It is the most mistreated of the saxophone family and is very prone to troubles like tone hole damage, rod damage, body twists, and huge dents. In addition, it is very expensive. Notable past and recent performers include Pepper Adams, Hamiet Bluiett, Harry Carney, Gerry Mulligan, John Surman, and Joe Temperley.

Vito Alto Picture

Vito Alto Image

Vito Alto Photo

Vito Alto Picture