And so you've finally made a resolution that your goal is to start playing the saxophone. Except before anything else, you've got a variety of judgment calls to muse on. Saxophones aren't the most budget friendly of woodwind instruments. Therefore you'll have to think carefully about selecting the right one for you.

When it comes to saxophones, there are four basic types of saxophone. These are soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. Soprano is the highest pitch and physically smallest of these four. It is in the key of Bb. After soprano, each saxophone increases in size, but is lower in pitch. There is half an octave between the key that each of these is tuned in. This makes the alto sax one-half octave lower than the soprano saxophone. Therefore, the alto is in the key of Eb. The tenor sax is half an octave lower than the alto and in the key of B flat, but at a full octave below the soprano. Lastly, baritone saxophone is an octave lower than the alto and therefore also in the key of E flat.

Music students are often counselled in school to get started with the clarinet ahead of signing up for the saxophone. The clarinet carries more troublesome fingering that requires great discipline to master. It's assumed that if you perfect this you might make short work at developing on the saxophone. On the other hand, there's definitely another belief which states that the saxophone is the perfect place to start when you're a newcomer to woodwind instruments. For a start, the embouchure of the sax is thought to be far easier to get the hang of. Embouchure indicates the method by which you submit your mouth to the mouth piece to produce the notes. The standard spread of keys on a sax are also easier to work than both the flute and clarinet. This helps a beginner saxophonist to get an agreeable tone from their horn with relative ease.

But which of the four saxophones should you choose? The alto sax is definitely the type that countless first-timers are recommended to begin with due its pitch. A novice will usually find that they can strike up an effective range of tones from an alto. This is harder on the higher and lower pitched saxophones, which require more strenuous breathing. In addition, the physical size of the keys is scaled-down on an alto sax and thus kids should have no difficulty in comfortably holding the instrument. The alto sax is actually the most regularly chosen kind of saxophone in classical arrangements and consequently there is a mass of sheet music published for it on the market.

The most essential part of choosing a saxophone is to get one you fall in love with. This might not be the cheapest or most expensive. But it will feel right in your hands and you will like the tone. Remember that your music teacher and shop staff will be able to give you lots of good advice too. It's even possible to rent some saxophones before outright buying them. Make sure you shop around to find what sort of deals are on offer before making your big investment. But most of all, have fun practicing!