One of the most popular woodwind instruments around the world, you hardly need an excuse to want to learn to play the saxophone.
From classic melodic blues pieces, to playing in a jazz band, or even your local orchestra, a saxophone is a fantastic way to meet like-minded musicians as well as learn a rewarding skill in the process.
But if you’ve never played a woodwind instrument before, let alone tackled the saxophone, looking at the sheer number of them available on the market can seem a little daunting.
Words like alto, soprano, tenor, bass, and baritone might be a bit alien to you, and you have no idea where to start when it comes to finding the best beginner saxophone.
No need to worry - we’ve done all the hard work so that you don’t have to. We’ve scoured the market to find the best beginner saxophones available, and whittled down the vast quantity to the best five beginner saxophones.
We’ve even put together a comprehensive buyer’s guide to help you decide which beginner saxophone is best for you or your child. There are even a few frequently asked questions down below to help you!
In a hurry? Take a look at our top pick below!
OUR TOP PICK
The Mendini by Cecilio alto sax is the perfect instrument for beginners. This alto saxophone is tuned to the key of E flat, and includes a high F sharp key so that you can play pieces as part of an ensemble. This particular brand of saxophone comes highly recommended by teachers thanks to its adaptability for students and even experienced players.
Mendini saxophones feature a large bore. This is specifically designed with younger players in mind so that they can get a full-bodied, rich sound out of their new saxophone. This particular saxophone features fast action keys to allow for easy playability.
It also features high-quality leather pads with metal tone boosters, and comes with contoured keys with faux mother of pearl inlays. A hand engraved bell decoration completes a truly beautiful instrument.
Every Mendini instrument is crafted from over 300 handcrafted parts, which are all made exclusively for the manufacturer.
So you won’t need to worry about buying a saxophone that’s been made from sub-standard pieces! The manufacturer makes sure to put every saxophone through rigorous testing to ensure the quality of each instrument.
This particular saxophone comes with a range of great accessories that will be handy for any beginner saxophonist. Included with the saxophone is a plush lined nylon covered hard case complete with backpack straps for easy transportation.
This will be a must-have addition for protecting your saxophone when it’s not in use, as well as helping you to take it to lessons, jazz band, or orchestra practice.
Other accessories include an ebonite mouthpiece with ligature, cap, and reed, a box of 10 reeds, a chromatic tuner along with metronome feature, a neck strap, and many more.
The Mendini by Cecilio saxophone comes with a year’s warranty against manufacturer’s defects. Just the thing to give you more peace of mind!
Pros
- Alto saxophone tuned to E flat with a high F sharp key.
- Features a large bore for a rich, full-bodied sound.
- Rigorously tested for quality throughout all stages of manufacturing.
- Comes with a range of essential accessories for beginners.
- Comes with a year’s warranty against manufacturing defects.
Cons
- The reeds included with the saxophone aren’t the best quality; other customers recommended purchasing some Yamaha reeds instead to go with your new saxophone.
EDITORS CHOICE
The Jean Paul student alto saxophone has been manufactured with learners in mind. This particular saxophone can offer beginners a superior tone to other saxophones.
The keys are perfectly placed for fluidity when playing to make for a more comfortable, relaxed experience. Jean Paul has designed a saxophone that is easy for beginners and intermediate players to play, making it a welcome addition to any jazz band.
Jean Paul’s alto saxophone is tuned to E flat and features the auxiliary key of a high F sharp. So not only will this be the perfect saxophone for beginners to learn on, but it will also fit in perfectly with an ensemble as you progress with your learning. Perfect if you want to work your way up to the local jazz band!
This particular saxophone features a brass body construction with a lacquer finish. It has power forged keys and tapered pivot keys to be easy to use. It also features a strong bell brace for durability. So you can rest assured that this instrument will be able to endure for many years to come.
A robust carry case is included with this saxophone to protect it when it’s not in use, or when it’s being transported to lessons or band practice. This will be essential for keeping your new saxophone in good condition. The case can be carried either by hand or as a backpack thanks to the comfortable straps.
There is also a small range of accessories included, such as a Rico reed, cork grease, swabs, mouthpiece, cleaning cloth, and gloves. These will be all the basics you need to get started and to help you maintain your saxophone!
Pros
- Designed with learners and intermediate players in mind.
- Tuned to E flat and features auxiliary key of high F sharp.
- Sturdy brass body saxophone with a lacquered finish.
- Comes with a robust carry case for protection and easy transportation.
- Includes a small range of accessories to get you started.
Cons
- One of the more expensive beginner’s saxophones that we reviewed.
BEST VALUE
The Eastar AS-II alto saxophone will be the perfect beginner saxophone for you or your child.
It features an excellent sound quality, and has been professionally tuned before leaving the manufacturer. This will be the perfect instrument to help you learn how to play the saxophone and will fit right in with the rest of your band!
This alto saxophone is tuned to the key of E flat, and features the high F sharp key necessary to allow you to play as part of an ensemble with other instruments. This will be perfect for giving you a whole range of tones to play a variety of pieces.
The Eastar AS-II alto saxophone comes with a range of accessories to give you everything you need to get started with learning to play it.
Included is a carry case for easy transportation as well as storage, a stand, a shoulder strap, gloves, a variety of reeds, a mouthpiece set, and a variety of cleaning accessories. Great if you’re looking for a product that will have everything you need included in one purchase.
This particular alto saxophone comes with a full range of cleaning cloths and accessories so that you can fully clean your saxophone after use. There are various cloths and brushes included for each piece of your saxophone.
This includes a small swab for the neck, a big swab for the body, cork grease to maintain parts of your saxophone, and a brush to help absorb any water from inside your instrument.
Eastar has manufactured this saxophone to last you for many years to come. It uses top quality materials and comes with a lacquered gold finish. It has been painted with multiple layers to ensure that the color doesn’t fade over time.
The saxophone features faux mother of pearl inlaid keys for a beautiful finish, as well as several handcrafted carvings for a truly stunning instrument.
Pros
- Ideal for beginners who want to learn to play the saxophone.
- Tuned to E flat with the high F sharp key necessary for playing in an ensemble.
- Comes with a range of essential accessories for easier playing, including a stand, a carry case, and a shoulder strap.
- Includes a variety of cleaning accessories to maintain your saxophone properly.
- Features several beautiful design details such as gold lacquer finish, faux mother of pearl keys, and handcrafted carvings.
Cons
- More experienced saxophonists recommended purchasing additional high-quality reeds.
RUNNER UP
The Glarry student alto saxophone is the ideal choice for beginners. This particular saxophone offers you great value for money as well as a great instrument to start learning on.
You or your child will get everything you need to get started with this particular instrument.
There is a range of accessories included with this saxophone so that you’ve got everything you need to get started.
Every saxophone comes with a set of gloves, a reed to get started, a mouthpiece, a rod and soft cleaning cloth for easy maintenance, and a neck strap. This will save you from having to purchase all of the different items separately as well as the saxophone itself.
This particular saxophone is manufactured from a high-quality brass material, and finished with a glossy gold paint. You won’t have to worry about the color fading or becoming dull over time.
The paint is designed to stay glossy for as long as possible, as long as the saxophone is properly cared for. The keys are set out to be easy for a child or adult beginner to learn how to play the saxophone.
This easy to play saxophone will produce the rich full-bodied sound that you’re looking for in a woodwind instrument. The well-rounded intonation and warm sound will help you to fit right in with the rest of your jazz band!
The Glarry saxophone also comes with a handy carry case. This will be ideal for keeping your saxophone protected when you’re not practicing, as well as handy for helping you transport it to and from lessons or band practice.
The straps that come with the carry case can be arranged up to four different ways, so you can choose which style you prefer.
Pros
- Perfect choice for beginners that offers you great value for money.
- Comes with a range of basic accessories to get you started.
- Includes a handy carry case with a strap that can be arranged four ways.
- Produces a rich, full-bodied sound to fit in with any band.
- Manufactured using high-quality materials for a beautiful glossy finish.
Cons
- Only comes with a single reed, so you will need to purchase more of these.
RUNNER UP
The LyxJam alto saxophone has been designed with beginners in mind. You will get everything you need to start learning how to play the saxophone with this particular product.
As well as a classic E flat alto saxophone you’ll get ten extra reeds, a strap, gloves, a carry case, a cleaning kit, and a variety of other essential accessories that can be used on stage, in school, or for recording.
The carry case is adjustable for your comfort. It features a plush lined travel bag with a set of convertible nylon straps.
These straps allow you to adjust how you carry your saxophone case. You can adjust them four different ways to suit you, so that your saxophone will be able to be as secure as possible.
LyxJam has included everything you need in the cleaning kit. The bundle comes with a pad saver swab to get rid of any moisture that might build up after practice, as well as a soft cloth for exterior polishing.
It will be important to regularly maintain your new saxophone to get many years of playing out of it, and you’ll have everything you need to do that in the cleaning kit.
The sound quality of this particular saxophone is unparalleled. The manufacturer has used high-quality materials to create a saxophone that produces a beautiful melody.
The saxophone features resilient pads, too. The LyxJam saxophone will give you smooth tonality and an even louder sound projection. The saxophone is tuned to E flat.
There is a beautiful finish to this saxophone. It features a shiny gold lacquer, non-slip palm key risers, faux mother of pearl key inlays, durable ligature, and many more to culminate in a truly exquisite saxophone that will last you for many years to come.
Pros
- Classic E flat alto saxophone that will be perfect for beginners.
- Includes a sturdy carry case with an adjustable strap.
- Comes with a range of accessories, including a cleaning kit.
- Constructed with high-quality materials to produce a smooth tonality.
- Features a shiny gold lacquer and faux mother of pearl key inlays.
Cons
- It is recommended to purchase a set of high-quality reeds in addition to the saxophone.
Best Beginner Saxophone Buying Guide
If you or your child wants to learn how to play the saxophone, it can often be confusing knowing just where to start.
With so many different members of the woodwind family to choose from, and no less than five main types of saxophones, how do you choose?
We’ve put together a comprehensive buyer’s guide to help you decide on the best beginner’s saxophone for you so that all you need to worry about is learning how to perfect your embouchure.
Don’t just buy the first saxophone you stumble across! Finding the best saxophone to help you or your child start to learn how to play will need a bit of thought put into the buying decision.
Seeing as saxophones are pricey instruments - depending on the model you buy - you’ll want to ensure that you’re buying the right saxophone for your needs.
Take a look below to see what you need to consider before you hit purchase!
Which saxophone?
Choosing the right saxophone for a beginner may seem more complicated than it actually is due to all the different saxophones available. There are five main saxophones that woodwind players can learn to play: soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, and alto.
The alto saxophone is by far considered to be the easiest instrument out of the five for a beginner to get to grips with.
If you want to learn how to play one of the other three instruments, it’s recommended that you start with an alto saxophone and work your way up to them once you get to grips with the basics. All alto saxophones are tuned to the key of E flat.
High F Sharp Key
So now you know that alto saxophones are the best beginner instrument for those wanting to learn how to play the saxophone.
As all alto saxophones are tuned to the key of E flat, this means that music has to be transposed for them so that they can play in the same key as other orchestral or band instruments.
Because of this, if you plan on using your saxophone in an ensemble, you will need to look for an instrument that features a high F sharp key. This will mean that your instrument can cover the full range of octaves it needs to allow you to properly play the music you’ll learn in band or orchestra practice.
You will still be able to play as part of an orchestra or ensemble without this high F sharp key, however, choosing a saxophone that already comes with one will make it much easier for you to play the music as it’s written.
Carry Case
After spending all that money on the best beginner saxophone, you’ll want to keep it safe from harm. This could be when you’re not using it, or it could also be to help keep it safe while you’re traveling to lessons or band practice.
Look for a saxophone that comes with a sturdy carry case. Most of these will be adjustable, so that you can carry it either by hand or as a backpack style case.
You should ensure that the carry case can sufficiently protect your saxophone while it’s inside.
Range of Accessories
Most of the beginner saxophones that you can find on the market will come with a handy range of accessories to get you started.
These might include extra reeds for you to replace as they wear, a neck or shoulder strap for you to use while you’re playing, or cork grease so that you can maintain your saxophone properly.
Take a look at the range of accessories your chosen saxophone can offer you. The more accessories you can get included, the better, as this will mean that you won’t have to spend more money to get them on top of what you pay for the saxophone itself.
It will be worth looking for a saxophone that also comes with a range of cleaning accessories. To keep your saxophone in top condition, you will need to care for it after every use to prevent an unwanted buildup of moisture.
Look for a cleaning kit that includes a range of cloths and a brush so that you can clean your new saxophone efficiently.
Value for Money
One of the most important things to remember when choosing the right beginner saxophone for you is that this is just an instrument for you to get started with.
You don’t have to fork out on the more expensive, more professional models to find a quality instrument that will help you learn.
You should look for a saxophone that can offer you all the basics you’ll need to start learning how to play, but will also be good value for money.
Similarly, you won’t want a cheap instrument that isn’t going to last you very long due to poor quality. Look for an instrument that’s made from durable materials, but is still an affordable price for a beginner.
Best Beginner Saxophone - FAQ's
Which is the best saxophone for beginners?
The best saxophone for beginners is the alto saxophone. That’s because the alto saxophone is much lighter than its bass, tenor, and baritone counterparts.
You also won’t have to stretch your fingers as much between the keys to get a decent sound.
While the smaller soprano saxophone may seem a tempting choice, it is notoriously difficult for mastering embouchure, sound, and tuning.
Which is the best saxophone for jazz?
The best saxophone for jazz will be entirely down to personal preference. There are pieces of music written for all of the main different types of saxophone, but seeing as you’re looking for the best beginner saxophone, we’d recommend sticking with the alto sax for now until you get the hang of the technique.
Which saxophone is the best for blues?
While there are blues pieces written for many of the different types of saxophone, the tenor saxophone is considered to be one of the best when it comes to blues music.
