Have you always wanted to learn saxophone?
We have everything you need to get started playing saxophone. If you’re not sure where you start, don’t stress. In this guide for beginners, you’ll learn all about the essential gear you need, and the first steps to start playing the music you love on sax.
Choosing a saxophone
Obviously, to get started playing saxophone, you’re going to need a sax! Buying your first sax can be daunting if you’re unsure what to look for. Take a look at our tips on buying a beginner saxophone (and don’t forget to download our free PDF buying guide).
A used saxophone can be a great option for getting a better quality horn for your cash. Find out whether a used sax could be a good choice for you here.
If you are not ready buy your own sax right away, many music shops have instruments to rent. Some stores offer a rent-to-buy scheme too. Music shops will often include maintenance programs with their instrument rentals. So if something goes wrong, with your sax, they will fix it for you as part of the agreement.
Should you start with alto, or tenor, or something else? Check out our advice on how to choose the right type of saxophone for beginners, here.
Whether you buy or rent, it is always a good idea to get a new-to-you (even brand new) instrument checked out by a repair technician. Your technician will make sure that your horn is in good working order. This will help set you up for success. And if you playing an instrument that is leaky or out of adjustment, it will make the process of learning sax so much more difficult than it needs to be.
Saxophone Mouthpiece
Your saxophone will usually come with a mouthpiece. It is important that you have a mouthpiece that’s right for a beginner. This will be easier to play, to help you make much faster progress.
Some of the cheaper saxophones have cheap stock mouthpieces that are very hard for anyone to play. Plus, a used instrument may come with a mouthpiece that is really great, but a bit difficult to control when you are first starting out.
One of the most popular and inexpensive mouthpieces to help you get started playing saxophone is the Yamaha 4C. Read why this is a great choice for beginner players here.
Ligature
If you buy a new mouthpiece, check if it comes with a ligature. The ligature is the part that holds your reed onto the mouthpiece. It’s usually a band of metal, leather or stiff fabric with one or two screws to tighten it around the reed and mouthpiece.
If a ligature isn’t included, you will need to get one separately. The basic inexpensive ligature is fine for a beginner. Find out more about ligatures here.
Reeds
Choosing the right reed is really important as a beginner! And the wrong choice can make playing your sax really frustrating.
Saxophone reeds come in different sizes. And when you are starting out on saxophone, a soft reed with strength 1.5 to 2 is a great choice. A reed that’s too strong will be too hard to play and hold you back. Take a look here for more information about how to choose the right reed when as you get started playing saxophone.
Neck Strap
A neck strap takes most of the weight of the saxophone off of your fingers and helps keep the instrument in the correct position for you to play. Depending on the weight of the saxophone, you might prefer a harness or sax holder.
The simplest option is a webbed strap which goes around the back of your neck, with a hook which attaches to your saxophone. Some designs often include padded cushioning over the strap(s) which many people find more comfortable. Find out more about neck straps here.
If you don’t want to take the weight of the sax on your neck, a harness or saxholder is a great choice. Take a look at this review of the the Jazzlab Sax Holder.
How to get started playing saxophone
So you’ve got your saxophone and now you’re ready to jump in and start playing. We’ve got loads of free resources to help you get started playing saxophone and having fun.
Learn how to set up your sax and play your first notes here.
Our free Ultimate Saxophone Toolkit bundle has everything you need to practice efficiently, have fun and learn your first tunes. Get access below.
FREE Ultimate Saxophone Toolkit
If you are excited to start jamming, check out this easy and fun saxophone jam that is suitable for even absolute beginners:
Saxophone lessons
There are lots of ways to learn to play saxophone.
- in-person individual or group lessons with a teacher
- learn with music book for technique and songs
- search for free lessons on YouTube
- Learn online with Sax School where you can learn at your own pace, wherever you are, with proven, structured lessons.
Inside Sax School, our “Starter Pathway” for total beginners will help you make quick progress and start playing easy tunes.
With Sax School you’ll have access to hundreds of lessons and songs, plus support and encouragement from our worldwide community of saxophone learners.In this blog, Sax School member Jerrid shares how he got started as a total beginner with Sax School.
Thousands of students use Sax School every day to help them enjoy making music on their saxophone. Supported by our pro tutor team, our members make great progress and have fun! Ready to get started? Click below.