Whilst it may not be as widely-used as its alto & tenor counterparts, the soprano saxophone – aka ‘the straight sax’ – has been an important addition to many legendary jazz recordings and is one of the four main types of saxophones.
It’s great choice for the modern saxophonist who wants to expand his or her range so, in this article, we’re going to look at some of the most famous soprano saxophone players and highlight our recommended choices for buying one.
You can read on for more details, but here’s our quick look at our three top choices when it comes to a new soprano sax…
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Most popular ![The Soprano Saxophone [Complete Guide] (1)](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31BEKHUZsgL._SL500_.jpg "The Soprano Saxophone [Complete Guide] (1)") | Regardless of level, it's hard to go wrong with Yamaha's 'intermediate' range | Check Price on Amazon | |
Best value ![The Soprano Saxophone [Complete Guide] (2)](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51g3DqIl2wL._SL500_.jpg "The Soprano Saxophone [Complete Guide] (2)") | A high-quality curved soprano at an excellent price. Perfect for the beginner or occasional user! | Check Price on Amazonvia Jean Paul USA | |
Low cost ![The Soprano Saxophone [Complete Guide] (3)](https://i0.wp.com/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Mm7qpTCGL._SL500_.jpg "The Soprano Saxophone [Complete Guide] (3)") | Unbeatable price for the entry level beginner. | Check Price on Amazon |
The soprano saxophone is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, with the littlest models being the sopranino and soprillo saxophones.
However, of the four commonly played members of the saxophone family – soprano, alto, tenor and baritone – the soprano is the smallest and highest-pitched.
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Unlike the larger saxes, its body is typically straight, although curved sopranos (which look rather like miniature altos) are also available.
Due to its relative lightness and portability, people commonly make the assumption that the soprano might make the ideal starting saxophone for beginners.
However, the instrument is actually notoriously unforgiving, requiring a trained embouchure to manage its sometimes rather challenging tuning. As such, most beginners would be well-advised to start with the alto saxophone.
That said, with practice the soprano can make a beautiful sound that can be at home in any setting, from raucous New Orleans-style jazz, to European concert music, ethereal contemporary jazz, and plenty more.
This article will take a look at some of the musicians who helped popularise the instrument, as well recommending six of the best soprano saxophones currently available to buy new, across a range of price points.
The Best Soprano Saxophones To Buy New
Whilst buying a second-hand saxophone (vintage or otherwise) can be a good way to get a good deal on an instrument, it’s not without its risks.
As such, unless you’re an experienced player with good local connections to a saxophone shop, buying a brand new instrument – complete with warranties and guaranties – is highly advisable.
As such, we’ve highlighted 6 soprano saxophones well-worth considering from beginner through to professional level.
Yamaha YSS-475II
The Yamaha 280 alto and tenor saxophones are acclaimed as some of the highest quality beginner saxophones on the market. However, the Japanese brand does not make a soprano version in this series, with the YSS-475II instead being its most affordable version of the smaller horn.
This intermediate saxophone isn’t especially cheap – it’s priced at a similar level to some professional sopranos – but Yamaha instruments are known for their excellent design and build quality, and the Yamaha 475shares a number of features with the professional Yamaha Custom EX saxophone.
It has an adjustable thumb rest for optimal comfort, while laser engraving on the gold lacquer makes for a clean, stylish look.
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Jean Paul SS-400
As we’ve covered in more detail a full Jean Paul saxophone review, this American brand are fast-emerging as one of the absolute best-value saxophone manufacturers of the modern era.
Whilst their instruments cover a range of levels, their intermediate soprano is perfect for a serious beginner, or a more established musician looking to have play a little soprano on the side.
Their SS-400 model is slightly curious as, unlike many manufacturers, it only comes as a curved soprano saxophone.
This is an interesting decision from Jean Paul USA (straight sops are generally more popular than curved ones) but does have one big advantage: they allow the player better sound feedback, by nature of the curve changing the direction of the bell.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
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Best value | A high-quality curved soprano at an unbeatable price. Perfect for the beginner or occasional user! | Check Price on Amazonvia Jean Paul USA |
Thomann TSS-350 Soprano Sax
If you’re looking for a super low-risk way to see if the soprano sax is for you, European manufacturers Thomann have developed their own brand of incredibly low-budget beginner instruments.
The Thomann TSS-350 soprano comes in at a fraction of more established brands and, whilst you of course wouldn’t expect the same level of quality compared to an established intermediate or professional horn, it’s an interesting option to check out.
Rampone & Cazzani R1 Jazz Soprano
Rampone & Cazzani are not among the most famous saxophone brands, but this boutique family company has been quietly crafting excellent saxophones in the Italian alps for more than 150 years, so this could be an interesting option for the player wanting something a little bit different from a professional-level soprano.
Unusually, the Rampone & Cazzani R1 Series is designed specifically for jazz. It uses Rampone’s signature “big bore geometry” and has an unlacquered finish for a wide-open sound.
It has an elaborately engraved body and is available in a variety of metals – including solid silver, solid copper and gold-plated – which all offer specific tonal qualities.
In addition to the classic model, Rampone & Cazzani also make a curved version of the R1 soprano and a semi-curved ‘Saxello’-style model.
Selmer Paris SA80 Series II
Selmer Paris is perhaps the most illustrious name in the world of saxophone manufacturing.
The French brand have been making woodwind instruments since 1885 and have crafted some of the most iconic saxophone models of all time, including the famous Mark VI, and have been played by all manner of legendary artists.
As a result of this best-of-the-best reputation, and the fact that they continue to do the majority of their craftsmanship by hand in a factory outside Paris, their saxophones are some of the more expensive products on the market.
The Selmer Super Action 80 Series II soprano is a long-time favourite of professional classical and jazz players, and is noted for excellent intonation and a tone that is rich with harmonic colour.
Yanagisawa
Handmade in Japan, Yanagisawa have established a reputation as one of the leading manufacturers in intermediate and professional saxophones.
Whilst they make the full range of saxophones, it’s the Yanagisawa soprano which gets the most attention from established players – especially those also playing alto or tenor – as an excellent choice of second instrument.
There are a range of horns to choose from, our top pick is the Yanagisawa S-WO10 Elite Soprano Sax which comes in a gold lacquer finish, a choice of straight and curved attachable necks and their classic hand-engraved finish.
Elkhart 100SS Soprano Saxophone
Originally based in Elkhart, Indiana, the company now focuses on making products for the student market, with their brass and woodwind instruments often bought in bulk by schools and music services.
As one of the cheapest soprano saxophones on the market, it’s a great choice for the student learner on a budget, but Elkhart instruments have been praised for offering superlative value for money.
Traditionally, sopranos were made of a single piece of tubing, but modern models may have detachable necks. The 100SS is in the latter category, and comes with two neck options: a straight neck and one which is slightly curved.
Conn-Selmer Avant DSS200 Soprano Saxophone
The instruments manufactured by Conn-Selmer have little connection to the more illustrious Selmer Paris company.
But in recent years the American brand has carved out a reputation as a maker of student and intermediate products that provide excellent value for money, becoming the USA’s largest manufacturer of band and orchestral instruments (although production largely takes place in China).
The DSS200 is made from high quality materials – it’s available in resonant red brass or with silver plating – and is designed with smooth ergonomics in mind, making it perfect for the advancing student or budget-conscious professional. It comes with a professional-standard ebonite mouthpiece made by Rosseau.
Famous Soprano Saxophone Players
It may not be the most common instrument in the saxophone family, but there are a handful of legendary jazz musicians who’ve brought it to the fore over the years…
Sidney Bechet
New Orleans native Sidney Bechet was one of the very first major soloists in jazz. He started life as a clarinettist but made the soprano saxophone his primary instrument after discovering it in London.
His distinctive tone is marked by an extremely wide and expressive vibrato.
Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy began his career playing Dixieland before moving into more experimental terrain. He’s a rare example of a saxophonist who exclusively played the soprano and his album, The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy, refers to the instrument’s distinctive shape.
John Coltrane
Miles Davis bought the great tenor player John Coltrane a soprano saxophone while the pair were on tour in Europe in 1960, and the somewhat piercing sound of the smaller sax worked perfectly with Coltrane’s intense modal experiments during this period.
His version of “My Favourite Things” is probably the most famous soprano saxophone recording in jazz.
There’s a long history of saxophonists – and particularly tenor players – “doubling” on soprano as a second instrument; Wayne Shorter, Dave Liebman, Joshua Redman and Branford Marsalis are all part of this tradition.
Part of the reason behind this is the fact that both the tenor and soprano are in the same key of Bb. As such, it’s easier for improvising musicians to switch between these two horns compared to the alto saxophone, which is in a different key (Eb).
Jan Garbarek
The Norwegian’s otherworldly, ethereal tone on the curved soprano, and distinctly European approach to jazz, is perhaps the archetypal sound of ECM Records.
Grover Washington Junior
A pioneer of the radio-friendly smooth jazz genre, Washington Junior played soprano saxophone, as well as alto, tenor and bari.
Kenny G
Kenny G might not get much love from jazz musicians for his ultra-smooth commercial style, but it’s hard to disagree that he brought the soprano saxophone to the consciousness of millions of people around the world.
He’s recognised as one of the best-selling artists of all time, with more than 75 million album sales worldwide!
Soprano Saxophone Playing Examples
The soprano saxophone is a member of the standard saxophone quartet line-up in classical chamber music, and 20th Century composers such as Heitor Villa-Lobos have written works to feature the instrument.
It’s not a standard member of the orchestra, but is featured as an extra instrument in a number of orchestral works, including Maurice Ravel’s Boléro.
It also features occasionally in pop and rock music, with the Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti providing an example of its use outside of the jazz and classical spheres.
Thanks for stopping by and hopefully this gave you some good insight or inspiration for playing the soprano saxophone!
If you’re looking for more info about the sax, you can find all of our articles on the topic here.
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