i'm thinking of taking the saxophone as a second instrument, behind the piano. is it going to be a smooth transaction in your opinion? do you think its a good choice? i'd also like to learn the different kinds of saxophones and what each one does. any feedback'll be appreciated.

cheers.

Saxophone is worth picking up (although I recommend Clarinet more) but it may not be all that smooth of a transition. It will be easier than learning your first instrument but you'll still have to go through learning a completely new fingering system and breath control. Also, since it's your first woodwind instrument and it's a saxophone, your tone will be a little bad to begin with. However, the piano experience should help there and at least keep your tuning in line.

As for types of saxophone there are four types that are actually played regularly (eight types in all). The two most common are alto and tenor. Alto sax is the classic, higher-pitched sound, it's pros are that it's light and small and usually gets the melody if it's in the saxophones. Cons are that it's squeaky and a bit more restrictive in volume then a tenor. Alto's are keyed in Eb.

The tenor sax is my personal favourite. It has a meatier tone like that of the Bari sax but retains the laser like sound of the alto too. Pros are that it has great volume and sounds great. Cons are that it is heavier than the alto and bigger and it doesn't get as many melody parts as the Alto. Tenors are keyed in Bb like a clarinet.

The Baritone Saxe (Bari sax) is used as a bass instrument and has a range that reflects that. It's an octave lower than the alto and has a very big, meaty sound. One great thing about it is it has a couple of lower notes added on the bottom of the range so it's slightly more versatile than the other saxes. Pros are huge sound, powerful and bigger range. Cons are that the high notes can be hard to hit and it's a huge pain to carry the sax around. It's keyed in Eb.

Lastly there's the Soprano sax. Before I describe it I'll say this: DON'T play this as your first sax. It's pitched an octave higher than the Tenor Sax and has a muffled sound that isn't really all that saxophone like. It sounds awesome in ballads and it's very cool when you're shrieking up high on it but it can be very difficult to play and even harder to get a good tone on it. Pros are different sound, light and easy to move around. Cons are hard to play, expensive and it doesn't work for all songs.

There are four other saxes (Bass, Contrabass, Sopranino and C melody) but they are very rarely used and consequently are extremely rare. In the case of the C meldoy sax, it also sounds horrible. I hope I've helped and I know more about them if you have any questions.

i played clarinet before saxaphone...and its pretty easy...alot of my band members agree that saxaphone is the easiest instrument to learn ^^;
and if u ever feel like trying the flute...its the same fingering except to the side :lol:

just take frequent breaks so your face doesn't fall off. yeah. i went from flute to tenor sax, down to bari, and am now on alto. even the transition from bari to tenor killed my lips a little =__=;

what sax should be used/is best for jazz music?

if you want to solo a lot, alto should be the best bet, though everything from soporano to bass are valueable in a jazz band.

i play both the alto and tenor saxes, but tenor in jazz band. i personally like the tenor sound better for playing jazz but alto is also good. if you are just starting, you should start on alto to learn the basics, then switch around to see which you like.

Playing the sax is an great choice, I feel that the unique sound (via filler like the french horn, and solo like the oboe) offers a varity of playing fields and offers a unique experience...

I would suggest that everybody learns the basics of at least one instrument of every class of instruments (drums, keyboard, aux, woodwind, brasswind, and strings), you become better rounded, and understand music better in general.