Introduction

Getting started with the baritone saxophone can raise plenty of questions. When is the right time to start? What set-up and repertoire are best for beginners? How can I manage the instrument’s size and weight? Should I change my embouchure?

In this article, I share some thoughts and practical advice on getting started with the baritone saxophone, drawing on my experience as both a performer and a teacher. My intention is not to prescribe a single approach, but to offer some guidance that can help you discover the instrument in a natural, healthy and musical way.

I started teaching saxophone quite a few years ago, and since then I have often worked with students who played the baritone in bands and other ensembles. Over time, my approach to understanding and teaching the instrument has been shaped by many people: outstanding classical baritone saxophonists such as Damien Royannais, with whom I studied at the CRR de Limoges during the Cycle de Perfectionnement, and Eric Devallon, at the International Baritone Saxophone Meetings in Ambazac (France); my main teachers, Christophe Bois and Philippe Bracquart; conversations with my colleagues from the SAX 3+1 quartet, other saxophonists and musician friends (particularly musicians who play low-pitched instruments) and, of course, the patience of my students. This article grew out of a desire to share some of that experience.

Even if you are not particularly interested in the baritone at first (which would surprise me, since it is hardly an instrument that goes unnoticed ), I believe that playing it for at least one year can be a very enriching part of your saxophone studies. Practising the baritone saxophone can help you develop important aspects of your playing, such as breathing and air control, stability and flexibility of the embouchure, and greater awareness of your posture.

Why play the baritone saxophone?

1. Air and breathing

The baritone saxophone is an excellent instrument for developing a greater awareness of airflow and how to control it.

To work on this, practise long tones and filed notes regularly, gradually increasing their duration while keeping the sound as steady as possible throughout each note. Rather than simply thinking about “blowing more”, aim for a continuous, relaxed and well-controlled airstream. Thinking of warm air (as if you were fogging up a window) can help you achieve a more open response.

2. Embouchure and flexibility

When it comes to embouchure, avoid biting or putting excessive pressure on the reed. An embouchure that is too rigid can cause problems with response, articulation, intonation and sound quality. The baritone saxophone requires a stable yet flexible embouchure, able to adapt to different registers and dynamics while allowing the full timbral richness of the instrument to emerge.

When we talk about embouchure, we are not referring only to the position of the lips and jaw. What happens inside the mouth (the position of the tongue, the oral cavity and the throat) also has an important influence on the instrument’s response and timbre. Avoid unnecessary tension and experiment with different internal configurations until you find a free response and a sound rich in overtones.

Practising overtones, which tend to respond particularly well on the baritone, is another extremely useful exercise. It will help you develop air control, embouchure flexibility and greater awareness of what is happening inside the mouth and throat. All this work will also be extremely useful later on when you begin exploring the altissimo register.

When should you start playing the baritone saxophone?

There is no exact age at which you should start playing the baritone saxophone. Rather than focusing solely on age, we need to consider each saxophonist’s physical development and whether they are physically ready to hold and play the instrument comfortably and without unnecessary tension.

Personally, I believe that adolescence is often a good time to start, not because of any specific age, but because it is usually a stage when physical development makes it easier to cope naturally with the size and weight of the instrument. Every student develops at a different pace: what really matters is that playing the baritone does not require excessive physical effort or force the body into an unsuitable posture.

The baritone saxophone is a large instrument: the total length of its tubing exceeds two metres, and it can weigh around six kilograms, with considerable differences depending on the make and model. These are important factors to bear in mind, particularly when working with young saxophonists.

1. Posture and balance

With an instrument of this size, developing good body awareness and working on relaxation and balance are essential. Aim for a stable but not rigid posture, with your feet firmly on the floor and your back straight. In particular, avoid allowing the weight of the instrument to pull your body to one side. Keep your shoulders relaxed and avoid unnecessary tension in your upper body.

The aim is not simply to “hold up” the saxophone, but to find a point of balance between your body and the instrument. When playing seated, pay even closer attention to your back and avoid positions that place unnecessary strain on your lower back.

2. Gradual adaptation

Avoid practising for too long during the first few weeks. Your body needs time to adapt to the size and weight of the baritone saxophone and to become familiar with new physical sensations.

Increase the length of your practice sessions gradually, take breaks whenever you need them, and stop playing if you experience discomfort or excessive fatigue. Adapting to the baritone is also part of the learning process: take your time and don’t force your body.

Where should you get started?

1. In your saxophone lessons

If possible, start working on the baritone saxophone during your saxophone lessons, under the guidance of your teacher. They can help you with many of the aspects we have already discussed (breathing, embouchure, posture, intonation…) and spot problems that can easily go unnoticed when you are just getting started.

And don’t be in a hurry to show your classmates how many notes per second you can play —and there can be quite a few! Instead, impress them with a full, rich sound, good vibrato, accurate intonation (especially in the high register) and light, precise articulation. You’ll impress everyone the next time you perform, I promise.

2. In a band

Outside your lessons (though not necessarily outside the conservatoire or music school where you study), a band is an excellent place to take your first steps on the baritone saxophone. Band repertoire is generally technically accessible on the instrument, allowing you to approach it in a more enjoyable way and concentrate on sound, intonation and blending with the ensemble, while continuing to adapt to the baritone’s size and weight.

In this context, you will also discover whether you enjoy taking on the harmonic and rhythmic role that the baritone saxophone often plays within a band or other instrumental ensembles. And perhaps, later on, choosing the baritone in a saxophone quartet will no longer be something accidental (or imposed on you!) but genuinely your first choice. Who knows?

How to get started on the baritone saxophone

1. Mouthpiece, reed and ligature

I recommend starting with fairly closed mouthpieces, reeds that are not too hard, and ligatures that provide an easy response. This combination generally provides good control over the different aspects of sound production and avoids adding unnecessary difficulties in the early stages. At first, we particularly want the instrument to respond immediately and naturally (you already have enough to deal with just holding it!) and articulation to feel effortless.

2. Harness, neck strap or peg?

Choose a comfortable harness rather than a conventional neck strap. With an instrument as large and heavy as the baritone saxophone, a harness distributes the weight more evenly across your body and considerably reduces the strain on your neck. It may not be the most glamorous accessory in the world, but your neck will thank you for it.

If your school or band baritone has a peg as an optional accessory, give it a try and see how it feels when you play. It can be very helpful in taking some of the instrument’s weight off your body, but it should never compromise your posture. If you find that it forces you into an unnatural playing position or puts unnecessary strain on your body, leave it in the case.

What repertoire should you start with?

In my view, the best way to start working on the baritone saxophone is with technically accessible studies and pieces that allow you to focus on the fundamentals of the instrument: sound production and quality, control of different types of articulation (especially tonguing), intonation and control across the different registers.

At this early stage, the aim is not to tackle major technical challenges, but to find repertoire that allows you to learn to play the baritone while making music.

1. Original repertoire for baritone saxophone

Although there is not as much dedicated teaching material for the baritone saxophone as there is for other saxophones, we do have a very interesting original repertoire, with more than enough music to get started.

In this article, I suggest 15 intermediate-level works for solo baritone saxophone, baritone saxophone and piano, and baritone saxophone with electronics —why not?—. You’ll find another 4 in this article —including chamber music— and 3 more in this one. That’s 22 works altogether. Not bad, right?

These selections include information such as range, duration and instrumentation, along with a short comment on each piece to help you choose the most suitable repertoire.

And if you want to explore further, my General Repertoire for Baritone Saxophone includes many more original works classified by instrumentation.

2. Repertoire for other saxophones

If you don’t have access to this original repertoire, you can also play works written for other saxophones that work particularly well on the baritone. For example, Bozza’s Aria, Perrin’s Poème, Guillou’s Sonatine, Rueff’s Chanson et passepied or the Telemann/Londeix Sonata, among many others.

This allows you to make use of repertoire you may already know or have available in your lessons while continuing to become familiar with the particular characteristics of the baritone.

3. Transcriptions: expand your options

Another possibility is to explore repertoire originally written for other instruments. Éditions Bar&Co, for example, published two volumes of Pièces Baroques featuring baritone saxophone transcriptions of works originally written for cello, viola da gamba and other instruments.

Listen to the repertoire being played around you (by cellists, bass clarinettists, bassoonists or euphonium players, for example) and ask yourself whether any of those pieces might work on the baritone.

Why not?

And now… start playing!

Getting started with the baritone saxophone means adapting to a different size, weight and response compared with the other members of the saxophone family. Give yourself time to discover this incredibly powerful instrument, both visually and sonically. Don’t rush: a good sound, a clean response and feeling comfortable with the instrument are far more important than playing lots of notes from day one.

Above all, enjoy it. Even if the baritone first comes into your hands by chance —because someone was needed in the band, the quartet or another ensemble around you—, it might eventually become your favourite saxophone.

That’s exactly what happened to me.

If you have any questions about getting started with the baritone saxophone, would like to discuss anything covered in this article or share your own experience with the instrument, feel free to contact me.

Joan Martí-Frasquier
Barcelona
Updated: 19 August 2026