How to begin to play the saxophone

The first thing to do is to get the right saxophone for you. A baritone is heavy and unless you are very strong it will have to stay in one place as you play it, usually sitting on a chair. Mostly it is played in big bands.
A tenor sax is portable but if you play it for too long it can put strain on your back. It is usually used in jazz and blues bands.
The alto is the most popular sax as it is easy to carry and hold for a long time without strain. Used in all bands as it has the most versatile sound.
The soprano is a small sax which is very light and has a bright sound.
It comes in two shapes: the curved and the straight, like the clarinet.
It is usually a second instrument for jazz and blues.
Once you have your sax and before you leave the shop get a few soft reeds, usually one and a half. The reed should be moist before playing it by putting it in your mouth to soak, or in a glass of water for a few moments.
The music shop will often be glad to show you how to assemble the sax, or will give you the name and phone of a good sax teacher. If you can afford it then taking one or more lessons from a good sax teacher can be invaluable in your beginning stages, and can save a lot of problems later.
Buy a book on how to set up the sax and follow the pictures on how to put it together. The sax has to hang comfortably by the strap around your neck. This is important. Stand or sit comfortably with your back straight, head up. Put left thumb on button at back of sax at top. Right thumb hooks under hook at back of sax on bottom.
The sax should now be held by the strap and your two thumbs.
The mouthpiece goes in mouth about half an inch over bottom lip which is supported by your lower teeth. It is the pressure from your lips that changes the tone up and down, but in the beginning stages you should keep your lip with a firm even pressure. Do not press your teeth into your bottom lip as this will put a groove there and this is wrong and could cause damage to your lip. Your teeth only support your lip gently. After time your lip will become strong enough to support itself, but this takes time. Only play for a few minutes at start until you build up your muscles around your mouth.
Hold yourself still, as it is only your fingers that move. Your air comes from your lower abdomen and the muscles there must be firm.
Lips firm up and blow a steady note. If after trying for a while you find you can't get any sound then change the read and don't forget to make it moist. Sometimes a reed is no good.
Once you are able to sustain one long note you are ready to play the next note this time using your first finger of your left hand. This is the b note. Using your book to see where your fingers go blow each one firmly with a consistent flow moving only your fingers. Try breathing using air from your lower abdomen to blow a long breath out to make a firm note that is consistent. This helps to firm up the lips muscles.
Remember to play for a few minutes only at a time and only about ten minutes a day to start. After the first week you can play a bit longer if it feels comfortable and your lip does not hurt. The lip should be firm and slightly pushed back over the lower teeth but make sure the teeth do not sink into the soft underside of the lip.

Buying a used instrument

When buying anything that has been used by someone else you have to determine four things: 1. Is it fit for purpose? 2. Is it worth what the seller is asking? 3. Does it belong to the seller? 4. Is it really what you want?
These four questions can be used when purchasing anything that comes second hand, but in this instance I will be talking about finding and buying a saxophone.
So you've decided to buy one to play and you know what size saxophone you want, and you have your budget.
If money is not a problem then you would buy a new instrument.
The Yanigisawa bronze range are at the top and these are used mostly for professionals and come at a big price. Selmer saxophones have a good name and have been going for a very long time; the Selmer mark 6 is considered the best of all.
A lot of beginners go for a Yamaha as these have a good tone and are not as expensive as the professional ones. But to play on a budget a new one may not be possible, so second hand is the route to go.
Searching online is the most widely used way to find what you want.
The local newspapers sometimes have a bargain. Music shops have notice boards, and also have sell-offs of a range they no longer want to stock, but you have to be lucky to find these.
So you've seen an instrument for sale, it's not too far away, and it's in your price range, and the seller says: yes it's still for sale but other people are interested in it. Sometimes this is true, there are others interested, and you will have to wait to see if they buy it first. But sometimes this is a ploy to hurry you there and snap it up before anyone else gets it, and of course you can't haggle too much off the price. You have to decide if it feels right. Take your time. You may really want it, but if you ignore those feelings that say: walk away, then by the time you get it home you may regret it. Always get a receipt for your money and ask to see any receipts for work done on it.
Play it before you buy it.
So the sax is in front of you in its case, (without a case you can expect at least a quarter off the price) and on inspection it looks good: no dents, scratches, blemishes, leather pads are good, and all seems to work as it should. Now it needs to be played to make sure all the valves seal and it does actually play. If you can't play it then ask the seller to play it. If it doesn't get played for any reason then you take responsibility for any problems after you buy it. Buyer beware. Unless the seller gives you a guarantee, you have few rights buying privately. Take someone with you who can play it for you if you and the seller can't or won't play it.
All saxophones come with their unique number stamped into the plate. If you feel it is worth it then this number can be used to find out its history. Music shops will help with this for a fee.
If the price is a little too high then say so and if the seller doesn't want to drop the price, prepare to leave. This is when the seller will call you back if they are willing to lower the price. They will then ask how much you can afford. This is when you give a low figure, and if the seller accepts, you will get a bargain. If not then you add a little until you both come to an agreement. Pointing out any defects helps to lower the price.
Always buy the best you can afford. Using a very old saxophone that has a loose or broken action with one or more keys sticking and no top f sharp key means you will pick up habits playing that later on you will have to spend time undoing.
It is very important to begin playing correctly, so you don't get into any bad habits that later will slow you down and be hard to put right.
If you can find and afford a good saxophone teacher to show you how right at the start then this can save you a lot of problems later and get you off to the best start in your saxophone playing.
Remember, it is supposed to be fun.
Part one of five