Do You Need Big Hands to Play The Saxophone?
It is difficult to play a woodwind instrument if your hands are not physically large enough to fit around the keys. I’m going to try to give you an idea of whether this is likely to be a problem for you on the saxophone.
You do not need big hands to play the saxophone. While you do need hands large enough to fit around the instrument, it is more common to have hands which are too large for the saxophone and necessitate adjustments on some keys.
Most children of age ten or older will have hands large enough to comfortably play the alto saxophone. While there will always be exceptions, I think the exceptions tend to be rare.
That being said, let’s discuss how you can tell whether your hands are of an acceptable size.
How large do your hands have to be to play saxophone?
Your hands are large enough to play the saxophone if the total distance from your thumb to the bottom of your palm and back to the top of your index finger is at least 6 (15 ¼ ) inches.
I came to this conclusion through some rough measurements that I did on my alto saxophone, and it is by no means set in stone. However, this may be a good general guideline if you are trying to figure out whether hand size will be a problem for you.
My reasoning for this number is that I measured a total length of about 6 inches (15 ¼ cm) from the octave key to the palm keys and around to the front keys of the instrument. Your left hand really only needs to be able to span this length. The right hand needs even less length than this.
Also, your hands are curved. This means that you get to add the full length of your hand to the distance from the tip of your thumb to the bottom of your hand. In the image below, the sum of the two red lines (if they were translated onto your hand) should be at least 6 inches to ensure that your hands are large enough to play the saxophone.
As I stated above, it is far more common for someone’s hands to be slightly too large than too small. In instances where the musician’s hands are too large, the saxophone often has to get extensions or adjustments on their keys to fit the larger hands.
So even if your hands are small, I don’t recommend giving up on the possibility of playing saxophone.
Hand size compared to a piano
If you don’t exactly have a ruler or tape measure on hand, you can also check by comparing your hands to a piano keyboard.
Your hands should be large enough to play the saxophone if you can comfortably play fifths with your thumb and index finger. Not sure what a fifth is? Press down any white key with your thumb, and then use your index finger of the same hand to press the fourth white key ahead of it (such that there are three white keys between them). If you are easily able to hold both keys at once, your hands are probably large enough to play the saxophone.
If you can play sixths (one key greater in distance than a fifth), with your thumb and index finger, then you are definitely set.
If you have doubts: Go try a saxophone
If you still aren’t sure whether your hands are large enough, your best bet is to just go out and try a saxophone. This is, after all, the most surefire way to tell whether your hands are large enough to fit around the instrument.
Many people don’t seem to realize that music shops will often let you try out instruments without buying them. Granted, I’m currently writing this during the COVID pandemic, so as of right now that may not be much of an option.
In ordinary circumstances, however, music shops are often willing to let you hold and even try instruments if you ask. Anyone who works at a music shop can probably instruct you on how to hold the saxophone, or you can check out our article on the subject. Holding the instrument will give you a much better idea of how the instrument fits in your hands than any measurements ever will.
The best saxophone for smaller hands
If you have smaller hands, you should start out on the alto saxophone. The alto saxophone is the easiest to pick up, and its keys are closer together than those on the tenor or bari saxophones.
Generally, people with smaller hands should not be trying to start out playing the tenor or baritone saxophones. These instruments require slightly larger hands, and you don’t want to have to deal with the additional challenge of trying to fit your hands around the instrument.
The soprano saxophone technically has keys that are even closer together than the alto saxophone. However, the soprano sax is often considered to be one of the more difficult saxophones to get started on.
Conclusion
If you are looking to play saxophone, it is most likely the case that the size of your hands won’t hold you back. It can happen, but it’s uncommon. I firmly stand by the idea that you should always try to visit a music store if you have doubts – you will most likely find that the size of your hands doesn’t hold you back after all.
If you are under ten and your hands are too small, don’t worry about it too much. You’ll probably grow and eventually be able to play the saxophone. And I believe that it’s well worth the wait.
