Saxophones

The saxophone was invented and developed during the 1840s by European, Adolph Sax. This instrument is made of brass and has a series of holes that are covered using flat pads controlled by a sophisticated mechanism. There are three parts to a saxophone including a mouthpiece, a neck, and the body. Since saxophones are sometimes heavy they are most often suspended from a "neck strap."

There are a large number of different types of saxophones. From highest to lowest the saxes would be the Eb sopranino, Bb soprano, Eb alto, Bb tenor, Eb baritone, Bb bass, and Eb contrabass. Each one is larger than the previous one. The larger the instrument, the lower the sound.

Saxophones can be found in concert bands, small and large jazz bands, studio orchestras that record movie and television soundtracks, and saxophone choirs. They are occasionally found in classical music settings where the music is written to include them. Since there were no saxes before 1840, most of the composers of classical music would not have been able to write for them.

Study the image provided and listen to the sound sample of the saxophone to gain an understanding of these instruments.

Listen to a sample of the saxophone: