How do you choose between "alto saxophone" or "tenor saxophone&qu

Question:

How do you choose between "alto saxophone" or "tenor saxophone"?

I've never played the saxophone before, and I'm going to buy my first one soon. I'm not sure which one to go for? What's the main differences between the saxophones?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Size, for starters. I play both saxophones, but I'm also short. I have a hard time handling the tenor because it's huge, but I play it because I want to be just like Coltrane. I mainly play the alto though because I can handle it and carry it around my neck for a much longer period of time than the tenor. (Tenor is much much heavier.)

Put them around your neck and see which one fits you physically the best. If you can handle the tenor, then you should play tenor. It's definitely a much cooler instrument to play I think because it's easier to mimic the smoky male jazz singers using the tenor. If not, the alto is great. You can strive to be just like Charlie Parker and Cannonball Adderly