Alto saxophone and tenor saxophone are popular types of saxophone, a musical instrument belonging to the woodwind family. It can be difficult to differentiate between the two by merely looking at them, so let’s examine their differences.
Saxophones come in various sizes, including soprano, alto, and tenor. Tenor is the largest of the three, while soprano is the smallest, and alto is in between. Alto sax is typically used in classical pieces. The range of this saxophone is from Dâ™3 -Aâ™5. In terms of sound, alto has a high sound. For beginners, the alto sax might be a good instrument to start with.
Key Takeaways
- Alto sax is smaller than the tenor saxophone.
- Alto has a higher sound compared to the tenor saxophone.
- The alto saxophone’s range is from Dâ™3 -Aâ™5 while tenor sax is on Bâ™2 up to E5.
As mentioned earlier, the tenor sax is larger than the alto and soprano saxophones. Tenor saxophone has a much lower size among the three; in fact, the smaller the saxophone’s size is, the higher its sound. Its range is on Bâ™2 up to E5; an octave lower compared to soprano sax. Because of its lower sound, some people think that tenor sax is more relaxing to listen to.
Choosing which one of the two is better is not easy; it really depends on individual preferences. According to size, the tenor sax is larger than the alto saxophone, so if you are a skinny kid, it might be awkward for you to carry a tenor sax. One may also choose based on their preferred sound. Alto has a higher tone, which may appear to be energetic and upbeat when listened to. On the other hand, tenor has a low and deep sound, kind of sounding as lazy and relaxing; sometimes, the sound of the alto sax can be annoying.
Alto and tenor sax differ in size and, with that, comes some differences, they differ in sound and in their ranges, as well.
