Thanks to Jim Glass for this very cute picture
The baritone saxophone is a beast!
It’s larger than many children and the biggest saxophone that many people have seen. (despite the rare existence of bass saxophones and contrabass saxophones)
I didn’t even try playing one for a while.
My first instrument was clarinet and I picked up tenor saxophone a few months into that (while continuing to play clarinet). Alto sax may have been a better choice for getting the power on the horn, but for some reason I chose tenor. Probably had to do with my favorite sax players seeming to favor tenor.
A few notable saxophonists have favored the bari sax including Gerry Mulligan and Ronnie Cuber.
It lays down the bottom of a sax quartet and you can get a mean sound out of it.
I also love the sound of a bari sax in Latin music.
A little while back Darrell asked, “Im about to play bari in my schools wind emsemble any tips?”
Xavier Johnson said, “lots of air”
Travis Breeon Cobb said, “drop your jaw for the low low notes”
Greg Beaty: Walk one hour every day and practice using your diaphram as you walk. You are going to need it to push the air through the bari.
His question made me curious about who plays the bari sax, if it’s their main horn, and thoughts on it. So I asked some Sax Station folks about it. Here are some thoughts on the baritone saxophone:
Alex Ring Gray: Played alto for three years, bari for one and now I’m starting my second year of tenor as my primary sax. Never have gotten a chance to play soprano.
Neal: @Alex, cool, soprano can be squirrely in terms of intonation, it also cuts through and it’s easy to get the high notes than doing altissimo, haha.
Alex Ring Gray: My friend plays soprano in our sax quartet every 2nd semester, I’ll probably try it out then. I’ve always noticed the intonation seems harder to control, though.
Duncan Brandt: tenor is deffinately my main sax. mainly because i actually own one and it has much more range in music pieces. however i play bari in my highschools jazz ensemble and lllooovvveee playing bari.
Lori Coleman: Playing bari for our community band, for both concert and jazz music. Love it. Took a while to make it behave, but now I’m glad I volunteered to do so. (Wish I was playing on a newer horn…)
Alex Tate: I can proudly say that I am most comfortable on Bari Sax, always have been, and always will be. I love it and my tone is my own on Bari. Dont let that fool you though, I play them all!
David Hayes: Bari is my main sax though I do double on all other saxes. Bari is great fun to play!
Joe Thrower II: I have in the past in high school, but i havent recently. i would like to buy one in the near furture…well actually i would like to own one of each saxophone
Neal: Sometimes I think I should play some more bari, but that would involve getting a bari too, haha. @David, nice. Seems like people fall in love with the bari after they try it sometimes
Thanks to Jim Glass for the photo at the top!
What are your thoughts on the baritone saxophone? Do you play it? Is it your main horn?
It’s the rare bari sax player who actually plays loud enough in a Big Band scenario if’n you ask me.
Probably true. Playing all the saxophones requires air support and the bari definitely needs more than the others when I have played it. Thanks Jim
I play the bari sax and I’m in 7th grade.
I’m in honors and jazz band, and my band directors say that they can barely here me over everyone else in honors♀️ I’m a girl by the way.
You go girl! I’m a sophomore in highschool, and I’ve been a Bari since 6th grade. It’s extra impressive that you’re a girl (I am too) as well. I am in marching band, and a lot of girls have dropped Bari because of its weight and size, but I’m still going strong. Good luck!
Thanks for sharing Elaina.
I’m in 6th grade, and I want to play the baritone saxophone once I get in seventh. All the saxophone players are currently altos. Im pretty tall girl, but I’m a bit underweight. I don’t know if I’ll actually play the bari sax, though.
Hello Chanmar,
If you get a reed and mouthpiece, you could try it if your school has one that you could try. Might be fine, might be a little too much air required. I don’t think you’ll really know until you try.
-Neal
I play bari and all my band teacher could hear was me out of a lot of trombones baritones and tubas
Neal:
Bari is a great horn, I played it in both the Army and Navy Bands I was in. I played it in the Navy Show Band, Jazz Ensemble and in the Army Jazz Ensemble. I actually find it easier than tenor although I love tenor and it’s my main horn. However I really loved playing bari in big band. You get really neat parts, sometimes your an octave below the lead alto, sometimes your w/the bass tbn or the upright or electric bass. Then sometimes you have a neat counterpart all by yourself. I also got to solo on bari and that is neat.
Try some Runyon Custom mpcs for bari. The last one I played was a # 10 and it worked great w/a RJSelect 3M unfiled. In the Army I borrowed an older Berg Larsen 120/1 and it worked great w/a Rico Royal # 2.5. Pepper Adams played a Berg and Nick Briginola plays a Runyon.
Good luck with it. If you practice it like you do tenor or alto you will do well on it.
Hey Larry,
Cool. That’s interesting you find it easier than tenor. I suppose I find tenor ‘easier’ than alto too. Probably because it’s what I’m used to.
Does seem like bari has some cool parts and I wish I had one sometimes. Might check out your equipment ideas when I do get a bari sax. Thanks
Hey everybody i have a question, so i just recently returned to the bari my first instrument is the alto sax i have been playing for 6 years( on my sixth). I usually play alto sax and since my freshman year (Im a senior now) but played the bari sax several times in our jazz band im in and i am currently playing it in our schools wind ensemble and i have never had this problem but the middle d and up have been really airy and doesn’t have a great tone, i was wondering if anybody knows of anything like practice routines i can try or anything to improve the upper register on the bari. Thank you.
The trumpet is my main instrument. I have wanted to play the Bari for 2 years now. Is it a hard transition from brass to a woodwind? I have no experience in woodwind, only in brass, percussion and strings.
I absolutely love the sound of it, especially down in the low ranges. 🙂 It’s such a beautiful sounding instrument.
I played Bari Sax in 7th Grade.
We went through a playing test, and I was top sax.
Other than that, bari sax does take a lot of air, but I had managed to play Thrift Shop on it. That was a year ago.
I’ve played Bari for almost five years in middle school and high school and I march it. I love Bari! It has a great sound when played right, rich and smooth. I march it too and man, that takes some lungs!
I have played alto for four years, and now my band director wants me to play bari, does anyone have any tips? All help is greatly appreciated. 😛
Go for it. Sounds like you haven’t tried it yet. See what it’s like for yourself.
I play tenor its the one for me
Should I try baritone sax next year? i just got my tenor and never played it yet, and i played a year of alto
You might try it to see if you like it. Your call.
I have played Bb clarinet for 3 years, alto clarinet for two. My band director wants me to pick up the bari sax for our next marching season. Will it be a hard jump? I am 5’7, am I tall enough?
It will take quite a bit more air than either clarinet or alto clarinet, more than tenor saxophone actually. I would say try it out and see if you like it and can handle it.
Height is part of the equation, but not really the only factor. Your strength, lungs might be more important than height.
I have been playing flute for 3 or 4 years now, and I REALLY want to play bari sax. Do you think it would be hard to transition? I am also pretty short (about 5 feet) so do you think that would make it harder? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Lisa,
It will be a bit different. Trying picking one up (grab by the bell). You might want a harness if you play it. Playing on reeds is a bit different than playing flute. The girl who played bari sax in school with me was about your height, it can be done.
I march Bari for marching season and I play it for concert and jazz. I play it in my ensemble/mini band. I love the Bari saxophone, but I am really small and struggle with air control. I’m like 5’3 and barely weigh over 100 pounds. It’s a pain sometimes but I love it and I plan on sticking to the bari (unless I get my hands on a bass sax!)
I play the bari as my main sax. I’m a freshman in highschool, but I want to play it in my adulthood professionally. I played clarinet for a year, and alto for 3. This is my 2nd year playing bari. I play it for my school’s jazz, pep, concert, and marching band. I love the baritone saxophone, it’s got a lovely sound. Sure, I may only be a 5 foot 3 teenage girl, but that’s not stopping me! I wish more people appreciated the horn, it’s really quite wonderful. It’s range is phenomenal.
Wow, I just realized I commented on this blog last year too! I’ve rapidly improved since starting to play it. Thanks for the great post, I guess I like it enough to read it twice!
Thanks for stopping by again Joanna, one of my friends played bari sax in middle school and high school, I think she was about the same size as you. Glad you’re enjoying the horn and keeping it up.
That moment when you realize your only 4′ 6” in 8th grade and play bari but band director says your to loud…
It’s good you can play loud, you also want to be aware of when it’s appropriate.
I started playing bari in high school in wind ensemble (late 1970s). Tenor was my main sax in college, but I played a lot of bari and now it is my axe of choice.
Three words best sum up the bari sax: Tower Of Power
When you listen to TOP, you realize bari is the only game in town 🙂
Thanks Kurt, I’m a fan of TOP
I just started playing in jazz band, Im in 10th grade. I started on a 3 reed. And It was easy, It wasnt that harder than everyone said it was. Ive been trying to play it ever since the 6th grade. I started on alto sax in 6th, a week later I became a instrument enthusiest, I wanted to play bari but I was too short I guess, so years go by and my knollege of music and instrument grow and grow. in the 9th grade during marching band the one bass clarinet player lets me play her bass clarinet and I love it, so I practice it everyday at lunch. Later on my band director ask me If I want to play it in wind ensemble and alto sax in concert band. so I do that, but I have always been obsessed with low woodwinds and wanted to play one of the contra clarinets. Our school didnt have one but another school did and never used it. So they gave it to me to fix up and I was ready to play it in concert band and wind ensemble but then covid-19 came…so I never got to play it in a ensemble yet. Hopefully we go back to in person school soon, So now I play Alto sax in marching band, Contra-Alto Clarinet in Concert/Wind ensemble and Bari Sax in Jazz. I AM THE LOW WOODWIND MASTER
If you have been playing alto saxophone four years, I wouldn’t think it would be that hard to switch to bari.
Sounds like you enjoy playing saxophone. Have any videos online of yourself playing?