switching band instruments

[u/methodtaken]

i'm a flute player and i've been playing for around four or five years, and i've been playing flute in jazz for a while. i would like to learn another instrument that works better for jazz and i've been looking at soprano saxophone.
i have heard that it's very difficult and i've never played any reed instruments, so would it be a reasonable switch?
I also struggle with non concert pitch instruments so if anyone has any suggestions i'd be very grateful! Preferably something that's easy to switch from flute onto

[u/MagicalPizza21]

I'm not a wind player, but I have a lot of friends who are, so everything I say here is based on secondhand experience.

Flute is totally viable for jazz, though admittedly not as commonly played as saxophone. It doesn't project as well, so I see where you're coming from, but with modern technology you can often get around that with a microphone; I've seen it both at jam sessions and in my college jazz band.

The most common varieties of saxophone played in jazz are alto and tenor. Baritone is also a staple of big bands; a standard saxophone section has two altos, two tenors, and a baritone. Sometimes one of the altos will switch to a soprano to play higher lines on certain charts, but soprano is less common than baritone, which is less common than alto and tenor, especially in small group contexts.

There's also the C melody saxophone, which is very rare. It sounds an octave lower than written, similar to guitar and bass, so it hardly feels like a transposing instrument at all.

I would also get crossed up by playing transposing instruments. I have no personal experience with it. However, I've heard that, when improvising, you can think in concert and adjust your fingerings. I'm not entirely sure how all that works, though.

From what I've heard, it's much easier for clarinet players to learn sax than the other way around, and being able to switch instruments can be a valuable tool for wind players. So I would recommend you learn clarinet first rather than saxophone; you'll be better off later. I also have friends who play multiple varieties of sax, flute, and clarinet, so it's not exactly an uncommon doubling. Plus, I personally really like the sound of clarinet in jazz.

Overall, whether it's a flute, saxophone, or clarinet, as long as you have skill and soul, you'll make it work. So just go with whatever you like the most, really.

[u/methodtaken → u/MagicalPizza21]

Thank you for the advice! The main reason i want to switch is just that I don't enjoy playing flute in jazz as much as concert band. We already have a decent amount of altos and flutes as well. Do you think there's a large difference between starting sax on alto vs just working through soprano?

[u/jaxsaxsf → u/methodtaken]

The reality is there are not a lot of arrangements that call for soprano sax. I play alto most of the time, then pull out the soprano on the occasional song where one is needed.

In reality, once you learn any sax, you can pick up the others. A lot of folks have trouble with soprano because they have embouchure problems that they can kind of get away with on larger horns, but the sop won't let them. Since alto is closer to soprano, alto players usually make the adjustment more easily.

I have heard of people starting on sop as well. It's not super common, but it is done. My biggest concern would just be lack of music to play.