I wrote my last post under various urgencies and neglected to finish the inventory of saxophone types.
Saxophones, like harmonicas, come in different keys and ranges. On a Bb instrument, if you finger a C, you get a Bb, while on an Eb instrument, fingering that same note will get an Eb.
There are numberous sub-types, but the four main models are
Eb ALTO - Louis Jordan, Charlie Parker, Candy Dulfer, Cannonball Adderly, Johnny Hodges, Paul Desmond, Marc Russo
Bb TENOR - John Coltrane, Coleman Hawkins, King Curtis, Sonny Rollins, Clarence Clemons, Ben Webster, Bug Jay McNeely, Lester Young, A.C. Reed, Bill Clinton
Eb BARITONE - Gerry Mulligan, Harry Carney, Pepper Adams
The soprano is the straight one that looks a little like a metal clarinet. The highest-pitched member of the regular family, it has a range similar to that of a G-harp (lowest note Ab). Becuase it's in the same keys as the tenor, many tenor players do9uble on soprano (Coltrane, Marsalis, Dexter Gordon, to name three).
The alto is pitched a fifth lower - its lowest note is Db just above the low C of a four-octave chromatic or a No. 365 Marine Band. Its bell curves upward, and the mouthpiece bends back away from the main column. It has a lighter sound than the tenor, and is almost invariably the sax used in soundtracks where the pretty girl is shown in some sexy, sultry situation.
The tenor is bigger than the alto, and there is an arch in the part that pulls back from the main column to the mouthpiece. The tenor has the funkiest, grittiest sound of all the saxophones. It is pitched an octave lower than the soprano, and many tenor players also play soprano because the fingerings are the same, while the same fingerings on the alto or baritone will put you in a different key. Its low Ab is four semitones below the low C on a 64, or the same note as fourth fret on the low-pitched E-string on a guitar.
The Baritone is bigger still, and has some convoluted tubing at the top. This is the sax that does those low grunts and rhythmic shots on old James Brown records. It also has a big, wooly sound, and anchors the classic saxophone section. Its low Db is three semitones below the low E-string on a guitar.
