Hi. My name is Piano Dude 15. I am 15 years old.

This is my first post and I need some help on what to do? I currently have piano lessons once a week and have recently taken my grade 6 exam and I am wanting to start another instrument. However, I don't know what to do and which instrument to start.

Firstly, I would like to start a woodwind instrument something like the saxophone but I don't know how to ask my parents that I would like to start another instrument. I would have to get a job to pay for the lessons but this point isn't the problem.
The problem is that I already have an electric guitar but I don't want to play this. Next, I wouldn't know what type of saxophone to get for a beginner and how much it is going to cost.
Finally, I don't know where to get a teacher from so if anyone could give me some advice of where I could get a teacher from. I live in Beverley, East Yorkshire.

Any advice will be welcome.

Thanks

Just say that you want to start an instrument casualy.
I was very shy when I told my mum I wanted to start the oboe 8 months ago.


It depeds what music/tone of instrument you like realy

Flute
about 3 octave range
Not too expencive for a begginer instrument
Not too difficult to start
need a lot of breath

Clarinet
3~4 octave range
a tiny bit expencive. not too much though
not too difficult to start
Don't know how much breath/puff needed for clari and sax

Sax
about 3 octave range
about same price as clari, if not more
similar technique to clarinet

Oboe
2 and a bit octave range
expencive
difficult to start
not that much breath, but a lot of air pressure

Bassoon
about 4 octave range
VERY expencive
a bit difficult to start i think
a lot of air pressure


If you're not sure you know the tone of an instrumet, listen to a CD, or search on youtube, and listen to a GOOD player playing the instrument

If you don't want your guitar, maybe you can sell it?

I wouldn't say sax and clarinet have the same technique - the embouchure required for both are more different than people realise.

For a decent beginner sax, I always recommend the Yamaha 275, which is about £500 ish, depending on where you get it from. If you order through school you can most likely get it VAT free which will save a fair bit .

Thanks for all the advice keep it coming please.

I was also wondering what type of saxophone to get because a have found that there are lots of types?

If anyone can help it will be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Piano Dude 15

You never know your parents might be a lot more supportive than you tink.

My Dad asked me if I wanted to start and instrument and then when I decided I wanted to play the saxophone as well, I told my Dad and he was really supportive.

Just give it a try you never know until you try.

Sorry i cant help on any other points.

Have you considered selling your guitar to provide proceeds for a sax or similar? That and getting a job shows willingness! Or consider renting, that way maybe you can prove to your parents that you really are going to work at it before they have to pay the whole hog. (You can rent-to-buy from some shops).

Hanson clarinets have a good reputation and are quite reasonably priced, I don't know if their saxes are the same good quality but it's something to look into.

What you want to play-wise - go for something that has a sound which inspires you and makes you think "oooh I wanna sound like that!"

A good beginner saxophone as I said in my previous post is the YAS 275. You can't really go wrong with that. There are others, maybe try to get along to a music shop and try some out?

I have the YTS 275 (tenor sax.) and it is great, especially compared to the Earlham I used to have.

Yamaha is a good make to go for in saxophones and is very popular.

A girl in our orchestra had a new Hanson Sax as a present for her good GCSE results.
She's very happy with it (she's good too).

Do avoid Elkhart saxophones though whatever you do, in my experience they're not very good...

There are some good secondhand saxes around, although I would be wary especially as you don't play yourself. If you know anyone who plays who can check out a secondhand one for you, that would be great, otherwise I would stick to well known new saxes. Hanson I know have brilliant customer service, and I know for clarinet, if you start and give up then they will buy the instrument back off you, less a certain amount depending on how long you've had it, perhaps its the same for saxes?

What kind of music would you like to play?

Ha ha! It's all a matter of opinion. I bought my youngest an Elkhart Series II from a cash recycle place for £100. My eldest has a Yam 275 and I didn't want to be stuck with too expensive student saxes. I've upgraded the Elkhart mouthpiece and it sounds fine, so for £210 we've got a sax equally as goodas the Yam.

I've heard the Hanson Saxes are good too and when we upgrade that's what we'll be looking at! As you are in Yorkshire you could call them and go along try them out to see what they are like.

I'm perfectly aware it's a matter of opinion and experience, hence me saying "in my experience". We have Elkharts at school - all break very easily, don't sound too great, although that could possibly be the students.

Elkharts are by no means the best make of sax around, however, they would do a younger player/beginner.
Changing the mouthpiece is a good idea.
I know that with flutes, you can have a cheap silverplated yamaha with a solid silver headjoint and it can sound pretty good.

Alto is less costly than tenor. Tenor is bigger/heavier to carry around. But it depends what sound you like best. Try them both out before you decide

If you can get your parents to bring you over to Bradford, The Woodwind Exchange seems to be a pretty good shop for both new and secondhand saxes. I haven't been there myself but I know a forum member who has, and was very impressed with it.

Hanson are going to be exhibiting at the Leeds forum users concert in June. If you want them to bring some saxes with them for you to have a look at, they will be happy to do so. This might be an option if your parents can't take you to their premises during the working week. They're offering an alto for £249 currently, which is liquidated stock so once the stock has gone, the offer will be over.

Sax teacher - look on www.musicteachers.co.uk, try Yellow Pages (the printed copy), ask your music teacher if s/he can recommend anyone....

Welcome to the forums by the way, hope you enjoy it here