Soprano saxophone?

HI guys i just bought me a soprano saxophone ( cecelio brand ) brand new for $229 from an internet, even though its my first time and never played a sax and i dont know nothing about a soprano sax, any advise about soprano sax

A soprano sax that costs $229 is probably going to be your biggest problem! One of the most important thing about playing sax is how well the keys cover the holes on the body. If theirs leakage, notes won't come out or you'll get a lot of squeeks! It doesn't matter how great your emboucher is if you're pads aren't properly covering the keys. The sax you are going to play probably has about $10 raw material and another $10 in craftsmanship. Most beginner or entry level instruments cost about $20 to make, they sell it to the music store for $150 , then the store does the remainder of the the markup. I'm sure the sax will work fine in the beginning, however make sure to take extra special care of it, as the metal will bend easily, because it is not a high quality metal, The pads will either come out or wear away quickly as they aren't nice pads.

BUT, for your first sax, maybe it's not such a bad idea. If you get real good, then you'll buy a nicer sax!

Now, the soprano sax is not very difficult to play. Here are some basic steps I teach my private and band students which always leads them to success.


#1 - Reeds.the reed is what vibrates in order to make the sound. A bad reed = a bad sound. Make sure to start out on a soft reed like a 1.5... a one is worthless... and once you get a sound on that mover to a 2 or a 2.5. Good reeds are Vandoren Java's, Rico Royals. You won't need a great reed to begin however so pick up a couple of basic rico reeds for a buck.

#2 - Emboucher. Emboucher is a french word coming from the root "Boucher" or mouth. Your emboucher is how you place your mouth on the mouthpiece. The best advice I can give you is while biting down on the top of the mouthpiece cover (don't fold your lips) over your teeth and keep your mouth in a circular shape (like your saying "ooooo"), which means you'll need to keep your chin pointed down. Make sure you have enough reed in your mouth that the reed can vibrate but not too much! Too much reed and you'll skwak, not enough reed and you'll squeak!

#3 - Air. Keep your air steady like you turned on a faucet with water. Don't breate in more then you need. Most problems with the soprano sax are due to intonation (not being "in tune") So if your sound isn't good make sure your air is full and fast.

#4. Fingers. Don't stress your fingers out. It'll be easier on a soprano. Keep them loose and not stressed.

#5- Listen. Listen to a lot of soprano sax players. Find the sound you want and try to mimick it!

#6. Teacher. Get yourself a teacher. And they'll tell you all of these things, but show you how to do them.

The soprano sax is not to hard to begin on, but to master takes a lifetime. I would disagree with the idea that it is hard to start on, even if it is non-conventional. I find my soprano sax students progress much quicker then my other saxes... consistently! I wouldn't call it the hardest instrument ever to play, especially compared to the Bassoon! Enjoy and have fun!
You'll be fine!

What I can tell you is that you just bought if not the, then one of the hardest sax's to play.

The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument. The soprano is the second in size of the saxophone family which consists, as generally accepted, (from smallest to largest) of the sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, and contrabass. The soprano sax can be compared to the clarinet; it generally has a louder and more penetrating sound than the clarinet in the extreme high notes. Due to the smaller bore of the soprano, it is less forgiving with respect to intonation, though an experienced player will use alternate fingerings or vary breath support, tongue position, or embouchure to compensate. Due to its similarity in tone to the instrument, the soprano saxophone is sometimes used as a substitute for the oboe.Advice : You will want to start with a lighter read (1-2) and a classical mouth peice to produce the best sound you can, and dont over blow. If your getting to many squeeks trying wetting the reid more or slightly bringing the reid forward on your mouth peice.

Get some professional instruction.You need to learn from someone who has experience with the saxophone. As the other people said the soprano sax is very difficult to start with. A friend who is a sax teacher says he would not have a beginning sax player start on the soprano sax.Find a teacher somewhere in your area and start from there. The price you paid for your sax was very low,but what condition is the horn? Also you should listen to soprano sax recordings by players who play well. Start with the artists like Sidney Bechet and hear how he played the soprano sax. Modern playing by John Coltrane will be helpful in developing in your mind what can be done with the soprano. Wayne Shorter is another artist for you. He did a CD with pianist Herbie Hancock that is just a piano and soprano sax duet. Good Luck and Good Playing.

I agree with the other answers. I'd start on the alto if it's your first time playing the sax. The soprano has a harder embouchure to get down. It is a fun instrument to play though. So get a teacher and get funky.