Get the Facts on the Sax
The saxophone began as an experiment, as the product of a curious craftsman with a strong musical ear. It first appealed to musicians because its timbre is close to the sound of the human voice, but in time it emerged as a distinctive solo voice and became a chief source of exploration and innovation in jazz. The saxophones that survive to this day are just a few of Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax’s idea for a family of instruments that would create balance between brass, woodwind, and string sections. Combining a brass body with a woodwind mouthpiece, Sax borrowed mechanical ideas from the flute, clarinet, oboe, and now-obsolete ophicleide.
After his original C bass saxophone, introduced in 1841, came a whole family that included a total of 14 saxes—Eb sopranino, F sopranino, Bb soprano, C soprano, Eb alto, F alto, Bb tenor, C tenor, Eb baritone, Bb baritone, Bb bass, C bass, Eb contrabass, and F contrabass. Those pitched F and C were designed for orchestral use and those pitched Bb and Eb were for military band use. Today four instruments—Bb soprano, Eb alto, Bb tenor, and Eb baritone—are the most commonly played.
With their conical bore, flared bell, and largely uniform keywork, the members of the saxophone family were designed to blend together. Later innovations to Sax’s original key work, such as the inclusion of low A keys on altos to match the baritone sax’s range, have helped to match the instruments even more closely. Other developments customized the sax to player preferences. As a woodwind instrument with a brass body, some of the same experimentations in coloring and finish developed for brass instruments have been adapted to the sax, including darker silver bodies, brightly colored bells, and keys contrasting with the rest of the instrument. It’s truly become a showman’s instrument, something far different from Sax’s original utilitarian design.
Because of Sax’s original design and the instruments’ capacity for smooth blending, it is now common for saxophonists to perform as a quartet, using soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone instruments. The principle behind this kind of ensemble is the same as a string quartet: a homogeneous sound, with the voices locking together to form a cohesive whole. This kind of playing relies on the internal rhythms of individual players and the sense of ensemble that develops from close proximity and careful listening.
Soprano |
Alto |
Tenor |
Baritone |
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| Often a vertical instrument, but also appears in arc and curved models. | Slight curve in the neck, with an upturned bell. It is the most widely played sax. | Larger than the Alto, featuring a longer neck and similar upturned bell. | Upturned bell and a doubled pipe leading to the mouthpiece. |
| Click here to download a sample of the Soprano Sax. | Click here to download a sample of the Alto Sax. | Click here to download a sample of the Tenor Sax. | Click here to download a sample of the Baritone Sax. |
