Metal Saxophones?

[TeresaTenor]

I've been playing the Tenor Saxophone since last summer. Since then, I've practiced everyday for 3 hours in my own little corner space in my basement. I've been practicing with the music I've gotten from school, and songs my friends have re-written so I could play them(some Slipknot, Metallica, Bullet for My Valentine, Bring Me the Horizon, etc.) and lately, I've been considering writing some metal pieces for a tenor saxophone, and the contents of a regular heavy metal band(bass, guitar, drum set, custom percussion and vocals) but I've been having trouble thinking of anything for the saxophone.
Should I keep the Tenor parts lower or higher?
Any assistance would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[ido1957]

Higher on solos is my personal preference. I like the guy that plays for Springsteen.

 

[mshilarious]

Clarence Clemmons.

You really ought to listen to Ornette Coleman for ideas:

 

[mshilarious]

More:

 

[mshilarious]

And if the bandmates have trouble figuring out how to fit that tonality into shred, try this (note the spelling should be "Holdsworth"):

 

[grimtraveller]

That's always going to be a hard one to answer. It's hard to answer questions about songs that exist that one hasn't heard ~ it's even more so for songs that haven't been written yet !
Also, it so depends on the song{s} in question, the dynamics and interaction of the instruments at various points.
I think the tenor sax could be a great heavy metal instrument {no pun intended} and in the past, some heavy bands used saxes, if fleetingly. However, it might be worth listening to a song or two from some old jazz fusion groups like Away, Amalgam, Return to forever, Unity and some of the more harder rocking ones of the late 60s, early 70s, not because I'm trying to turn you on to that kind of thing, but because it'll perhaps give you some ideas for how saxes can be used in a hard edged electric context.

 

[mshilarious]

The irony is that Coleman was known for playing a plastic saxophone, heh . . .

 

[guitaristic]

I think the tenor sax could be a great heavy metal instrument {no pun intended}

I saw the thread title and I was like, "Aren't most saxophones made of metal?"

Haaaa

 

[mcmetal]

The only horns that belong in metal are the devil horns!


That's just my personal preference though.I've never been big on ska or anything like that.I'm not saying it can't work and there's been plenty of sax in rock n roll over the years but metal needs to be aggressive.If it doesn't have a certain level of aggression it just isn't metal.Maybe if you mic it into a high gain amp...

 

[RCHBass]

I played tenor sax from middle to high school. I've played bass in a bar band . Try running it thru an effects pedal and try some research and developement , trial and error ! Maybe you'll come up with a unique sound.

 

[grimtraveller]

I'm not saying it can't work and there's been plenty of sax in rock n roll over the years but metal needs to be aggressive.If it doesn't have a certain level of aggression it just isn't metal.

Mc, let me tell you for no money whatsoever, the sax can be as aggressive, if not more so, than the guitar. And some jazzier elements as aggressive, manic and heavy and wild as metal. As one of many examples, there's this 8 sided live Lp, "Wipe out" by Amalgam, the music is for the most part, relenlessly heavy, there's little let up. These guys are intense.....
It can be a good idea to put the sax thru various effects but in a way, it defeats the object of having another voice. Quite a number of jazz rock horn players experimented with guitar effects or pick ups on their horns but I felt it was something of a wasted journey just trying to make a horn sound like a guitar.

 

[Jeff_D]

If you want to play heavy music with a sax, get hip to the Voodoo Glow Skulls.