If you play the sax you might be wondering how far there is to go in terms of progressing through grades and pieces. If you’re wondering this, then at some point you’ll probably start thinking about what the hardest piece ever written is for the sax – what’s the maximum standard? I’ve had a look into this and have come up with some answers.
There isn’t a single accepted “most difficult” piece written for saxophone. Some contenders include Ibert’s Concertina da Camera, Desenclos’s Prelude, Cadence and Finale and Denisov’s Sonata.
Picking a “hardest” piece for the sax can be pretty difficult as different people struggle with different aspects of playing. For example, some great players find altissimo (the upper, overblown register) one of the most difficult aspects of sax playing, whereas some have never struggled with it that much. Some saxes are also easier to play the altissimo register on than others, so it often depends on whether you have the right sax for your playing style.
Another relevant factor is the style of playing – the saxophone is a modern instrument so doesn’t have a lot of classical music repertoire in comparison with other, older woodwind instruments. The music written for sax can often be very experimental, with a lot of extended techniques. There is also jazz saxophone repertoire, which can incorporate many unusual scales and lots of altissimo playing.
When I was researching what the hardest piece to play was, there were three pieces that came up more than most. These were:
- Ibert – Concerto da Camera
- Desenclos – Prelude, Cadence and Finale
- Denisov – Sonata for alto saxophone
These were written in the mid-late 1900s – a very experimental time for classical musicians. I’ll talk a little bit about the pieces and what makes them so difficult next.
Ibert – Concerto da Camera
This piece is extremely fast and technically challenging, particularly in the first movement. One of the more difficult aspects of the piece is the pitch range required – the piece goes right up to the top tones of the sax, making extensive use of the altissimo register. A wide range of dynamics is also required.
The piece is written for alto saxophone, and while it’s difficult, showy and chromatic, it wouldn’t be my choice of hardest piece written for saxophone. It’s mostly reasonably scalic, and although very fast, it’s not necessarily the most difficult piece to master fully once you have the notes under your fingers. It’s also pretty rhythmic, helping out with the interaction between saxophonist and orchestra.
Desenclos – Prelude, Cadence and Finale
This piece is also a very showy, fast and technically difficult one to play. It requires use of double tonguing, which is pretty technically challenging on the sax. This doesn’t require use of much other extended technique for the sax, but does also require the saxophonist to play slow passages with a lot of expression – it’s not all a lot of notes as quickly as possible.
Again, it’s a piece for alto saxophone. This will make the quick playing a bit easier than on a different sax for most people, as the size of the alto is often just right for people to optimise their technique for fast playing. It’s a technically difficult piece, but doesn’t make full use of the extended techniques available on the sax and wouldn’t be the piece I would personally pick as the hardest ever written.
Denisov – Sonata for alto saxophone
This sonata is more influenced by jazz than the previous two classical pieces. This more much more use of the altissimo register and also a large amount of pitch bending, growling, multiphonics and quarter tones. Rhythm and timing with the piano are also some difficult aspects of this piece – there are a lot of awkward timings – e.g. 5 notes spaced in place of 4 and unusual and quick-changing time signatures (e.g. 5/16). There are also the usual really fast technically challenging aspects, along with a slower, more expressive movement.
In my opinion, the extended techniques used in this piece give it a level of difficulty above the previous two pieces. The use of contrast in pitch alongside difficult rhythm and extended techniques all contained in the same piece mean that an extremely versatile and able player is required to get through it successfully.
What makes a piece difficult?
Difficulty in pieces can be specific to the person playing them. Someone who has never struggled with things like growling and pitch-bending may not struggle so much with the Denisov piece as one of the other two pieces. However, I would say that versatility can be one of the most challenging things. Swapping between slow and fast sections and going seamlessly between altissimo and the other registers can be the hardest part of playing.
The sax you feel most comfortable on will also influence which pieces you find the most difficult. If you’re better on one of the bigger saxes, say baritone, you’re much more likely to find pieces with fast passages containing loads of notes very technically challenging, in comparison with someone who plays alto or soprano.
Which extended techniques are the most difficult on sax?
There are a huge range of extended techniques you can play on the sax. The obvious ones are growling and pitch-bending. Pitch-bending is usually one of the easier ones, but again, it depends on your sax and which reeds you choose. Growling takes a bit of mastering but can be easy once you get the hang of it. I’ve often found it to be much more difficult on higher pitches than low so it might be that this is easier on the bigger saxes.
There are lots of more unusual sax techniques, such as slap tongue and multiphonics. Composers that experiment with these include Denisov (the sonata is a great example of this), Lauba (e.g. Jungle) and Messiaen (e.g. Le Merle Noire). Having to learn these techniques in addition to learning the piece itself can significantly slow some players down and make them struggle more with this than quick, technical passages.
Is jazz saxophone music difficult?
Jazz saxophone music can present some really difficult challenges. Some of the most difficulty found in jazz music is in transcription and reuse of other’s solos. One such solo, James Coltrane’s sax solo over his composition, Giant Steps, is thought to be one of the most complex, virtuosic and inventive solos ever played.
The chord structures used in jazz can add difficulty for players interpreting them. The more complex the structure of the chords making up the piece, the harder it will be to construct a solo that fits over them, and therefore the more advanced the player needs to be. Players also use improvisation as a time to showcase the extended techniques they have learnt, including altissimo, ghost tones and pitch bending.
Sax can be a really difficult instrument to master, and there are a lot of different factors that influence a player’s ability to play particularly pieces. I hope I have given a reasonable roundup of some of the important things to consider when trying to play some really difficult music and about what actually makes a piece difficult. It’s not always about playing the most notes in the shortest time, it’s about delivering the best performance.