The Steel Guitar Forum

OK, pedal steel can keep you busy and many steel players play guitar. Does anyone do double duty on sax? Thinking about taking a shot at playing this instrument. Any insight is appreciated.

I don't play sax as well as steel.

Danny Naccarato plays both with Gene Watson. And, very well I might add.

Big Jim Murphy played both very well.

I play sax a lot better than I play steel. Could be cuz I've been playing sax for 40 some years and steel for about 10 months. Truth be told, I'm not that great on either. To answer your question though, the sax is fairly easy to start making something like music on in a short amount of time. The two middle octaves share the same fingering for both octaves making it fairly intuitive to find most of the notes. It takes a little bit of time to develop the muscles in your mouth (your embouchure)to be able to play consistently in tune and, as with any instrument, a good bit longer to develop good tone. It's a little easier to learn on an alto sax but if you plan to play rock, rock-a-billy or in a swing combo you're probably going to want a tenor. I think sax is a great contrast to steel guitar and makes a good instrument to double on. You might not want to take my word for it though, my main instrument is harmonica!

Chuck Lettes and John Heinrich do

Bill,

Thanks for the response and I also play a bit of harmonica so maybe the breathing part will be helpful. Any suggestions for an intermediate sax rather than an entry level model?

Len, my son has a Conn alto that's available. Let me know if interested. (If I recall correctly, I think it's known as the "Naked Lady" model, due to the etchings...)

A Conn "Naked Lady" is a well-regarded vintage horn. That sax spanned a couple of decades though, and I don't know what differentiates the pricey models from the not-as-pricey ones. As I recall, Jim's son has a degree in sax so I'm sure he knows. A local band instrument repair facility might be a good place to inquire about various models or maybe even rent one for a couple of months to see if it suits you. I have an early 60's Buffet Super Dynaction tenor - which is a better horn than I deserve. My alto and soprano are late 20's Buescher models that suit me just fine as a weekend player. Modern horns are generally better ergonomically but I'm not an especially fast player anyway. Without jumping on anything, peruse ebay for a couple of weeks to get an idea of what's out there. I'd be happy to give any assistance I can in your decision making. You can email me at: bills -at- linkelectric -dot- com

I have played both all of my career. It works out great and I have rarely been out of work. I play tenor and alto , but the tenor works best for me. Although I play a Bundy, if I were to purchase a new horn it would be a
Yamaha. Great value.

Thanks to all for the insight and info on the saxophone. At 66 I think I am going to rent one for a bit to see if I can get the rudiments down and get the basics.

Len Amaral wrote:At 66 I think I am going to rent one for a bit to see if I can get the rudiments down and get the basics.

Mastery requires a lifetime, but I think you will find it very easy to get started on sax. Within a few seconds you will probably play better than any U S president. And within a few minutes you will probably be able to play a few scales slowly.

I haven't played sax since high school. I have not played a steel guitar since last month.

Earnest Bovine wrote: Within a few seconds you will probably play better than any U S president.

What Earnest says is true. A friend in NYC gave me a C melody sax long about the time I fell in love and the universe and all its abilities were mine.

I could play it right off, and with absolutely no practice didn't progress on it a bit.

There is a calling... 'Learn to work the saxaphone, I'll play just what I feel.'

Eddie Rivers with Asleep at the Wheel plays Sax as well as Pedal Steel and Non Pedal steel

I play sax too. The C fingering is just like a recorder's.

I took to it instinctively.
I usually play a Yanagisawa tenor, but I was lucky to snare a Keilwerth alto from a pawn shop.
I get headaches sometimes, so I am more inclined to stringed instruments.
I use a C* jazz metal mouthpiece.

Ever heard of a pedal steel guitar?
It was derived from a plank with strings.


Picture with my sister on her 50th birthday bash.



Send it brothers!

I play alto Been thinking of getting a clarinet which is what I started on back in 5th grade. Same fingering for many orchestral instruments actually (Boehm).

Jan,
That's a gorgeous silver tenor but your 50 year-old sister knocks it out of the park!

Didn't Sol Hoopii also play the sax?

Bill Sinclair pretty much nailed it. I was a Sax major in college and played Tenor and Pedal Steel in a road band after. When Disco hit and took out the whole funk/big band thing I went exclusively to Pedal Steel and only briefly looked back at the saxophone several years later.

The musculature (embouchure) required to do even an adequate job on sax is much harder to acquire/reacquire than any stringed instrument I've ever played.

Topic: Anyone play sax as well as steel?

By that, do you mean play sax 'as good as' they play steel
. . . or do you mean play sax 'in addition to' play steel?
In any regard you can add Wally Murphy to the list
of 'Saxophonic Steelplayers', or, to the list of
'Steelophonic Sax Players', as the case may be.
~Rw

When I was a kid I always wanted to play saxophone in the worst way. And now I do.

This song played with a good backing track would be nice for steel and sax, if you like that style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHOjhGAQKu8

Len, so glad you asked that! I, myself, play sax AND steel! Sax is my primary instrument, but I've also been playing pedal steel for 35 years. I've always had a passion for the steel guitar, even though I've been playing saxophone since I was 10 years-old, and studied music with that instrument in college. Hmmm.... other sax and steel players??? Big Jim Murphy ("God rest his soul!") was a FINE steel and sax player! Also, there's a western swing "cat" (a Hispanic gentleman, but can't think of his name) that
does. Eddie Rivers (current steel player with Asleep at the Wheel) also does, and does quite well. Further, a gentleman who is one of my Facebook friends, who used to perform with Billy Crash Craddock years ago, also does. Sorry, can't think of his name, right now, either! There are more of us than what people realize. I think it has a lot to do with the sax (of course) and steel being two instruments that lend themselves well to jazz, blues, etc.

Chuck Lettes in Denver plays a Tenor sax, pedal steel, lap steel, etc.

Wish I could play any of the above.