# Guitarist learning saxophone?



## groovemasta (Jan 23, 2012)

Just wondering if anyone on here that primarily plays guitar learnt the saxophone. I'm growing more interested in getting my hands on one and just was wondering if you felt limited by the 2.5 or however many octaves and also if you found it easy to pick up. I've never tried one if that makes a difference.


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## SirMyghin (Jan 23, 2012)

I used to be a band geek in high school and played sax. Never felt limitted by the range, it is plenty. Easier to get around the thing too , none of that 'this note is the same note as that note nonsense. I have never felt limitted on any instrument though, it was not the limitted range of the 6 string that drew me to try a 7, it was the possibility of what I could do with a few more notes in each position. Also, how would you feel limitted, when no one has told you it can go further? It can't . 

As far as ease, depends what you plan to play, it is different from guitar, you will have no transferable skills aside from theory and it might take you a while to get used to the reed and develop good embrasure. 

Look close at your guitar playing though, how often do you actually use every octave on the guitar, then look at how often you actually need to.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jan 24, 2012)

Stringed instruments are generally considered to be the bread and butter of an ensemble in Western music because of the ease by which they can produce a sound as well as their timbral homogeneity. This is all the more true with fretted string instruments, which afford the player of hardly having to think of intonation. The modern guitar spoils us further by offering a huge range and a layout that allows not only single-line melodies, but entire chords and even elaborate counterpoint. Its advantages are obvious. Given their ease of use and great range, why would anybody ever play anything but stringed instruments? Well, the sound of a string ensemble or two guitars and bass or what have you gets old quick. This is, perhaps, the greatest downfall of rock music: its dependence on the guitar makes the entire genre and all of its various offshoots sound virtually the same. Woodwind instruments, on the other hand, are built specifically to give color to lines. At least in Western ensembles. So, don't think of it as downscaling your range, but of upgrading your timbre. Besides, if you're playing a four-octave melody, somebody's doing something wrong. Furthermore, Boehm fingering makes it easy to switch between different members of the family, so you don't have to sacrifice much range-wise.


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## groovemasta (Jan 24, 2012)

Exactly why I'm looking to pick it up, I feel like it would improve my melodic phrasing alot But the only non-stringed instrument I've ever played it a recorder  Is using the reed and learning the fingerings a hard task?


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## Konfyouzd (Jan 24, 2012)

SchecterWhore said:


> Stringed instruments are generally considered to be the bread and butter of an ensemble in Western music because of the ease by which they can produce a sound as well as their timbral homogeneity. This is all the more true with fretted string instruments, which afford the player of hardly having to think of intonation. The modern guitar spoils us further by offering a huge range and a layout that allows not only single-line melodies, but entire chords and even elaborate counterpoint. Its advantages are obvious. Given their ease of use and great range, why would anybody ever play anything but stringed instruments? Well, the sound of a string ensemble or two guitars and bass or what have you gets old quick. This is, perhaps, the greatest downfall of rock music: its dependence on the guitar makes the entire genre and all of its various offshoots sound virtually the same. Woodwind instruments, on the other hand, are built specifically to give color to lines. At least in Western ensembles. So, don't think of it as downscaling your range, but of upgrading your timbre. Besides, if you're playing a four-octave melody, somebody's doing something wrong. Furthermore, Boehm fingering makes it easy to switch between different members of the family, so you don't have to sacrifice much range-wise.


 
Exactly. Range is nice, but tonality and voicing are equally important. Everything has its place. Further, I used to play saxophone a few years back and after basically giving up everything to play guitar I find myself slowly wanting to play everything I USED to play all over again bc I hear context for them that the guitar just can't fill (not w/o some sort of digital processor).


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jan 24, 2012)

groovemasta said:


> Exactly why I'm looking to pick it up, I feel like it would improve my melodic phrasing alot But the only non-stringed instrument I've ever played it a recorder  Is using the reed and learning the fingerings a hard task?


I wouldn't think so. It's just a matter of keeping with it. I've tried learning clarinet off and on a few times, and the biggest problem for me seems to be the embouchure. That, and I seem to get sick every damn time I start learning to play.


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