The
saxophone[2] (also referred to informally as the
sax) is a
conical-bore woodwind musical instrument. Saxophones are usually made of
brass and played with a
single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the
clarinet.
[2] The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker
Adolphe Sax in 1846.
[2]
He wanted to create an instrument that would be the most powerful and
vocal of the woodwinds, and the most adaptive of the brass—that would
fill the vacant middle ground between the two sections. He patented the
saxophone on June 24, 1846 in two groups of seven instruments each. Each
series consisted of instruments of various sizes in alternating
transposition. The series pitched in B
♭ and E
♭, designed for
military bands, has proved extremely popular and most saxophones encountered today are from this series. Instruments from the so-called
"orchestral" series pitched in C and F never gained a foothold, and the B
♭ and E
♭ instruments have now replaced the C and F instruments in classical music.
While proving very popular in
military band music, the saxophone is most commonly associated with
jazz and
classical
music. There is substantial repertoire of concert music in the
classical idiom for the members of the saxophone family. Saxophone
players are called
saxophonists.
[2]
History
The saxophone was developed in 1846 by
Adolphe Sax, a
Belgian-born instrument maker,
flautist, and
clarinetist working in Paris.
[2] While still working at his father's instrument shop in
Brussels, Sax began developing an instrument with the projection of a brass instrument and the agility of a woodwind. He wanted it to
overblow at the
octave, unlike the clarinet, which rises in
pitch by a
twelfth when overblown. An instrument that overblew at the octave would have identical
fingering for both
registers.
Prior to his work on the saxophone, Sax had made several improvements to the
bass clarinet by improving its keywork and acoustics and extending its lower range. Sax was also a maker of the then-popular
ophicleide,
a large conical brass instrument in the bass register with keys similar
to a woodwind instrument. His experience with these two instruments
allowed him to develop the skills and technologies needed to make the
first saxophones. Adolphe Sax created an instrument with a single reed
mouthpiece like a clarinet, conical brass body like an ophicleide, and
the acoustic properties of both the French horn and the clarinet.
Having constructed saxophones in several sizes in the early 1840s,
Sax applied for, and received, a 15-year patent for the instrument on
June 28, 1846.
[3]
The patent encompassed 14 versions of the fundamental design, split
into two categories of seven instruments each and ranging from
sopranino to
contrabass. Although the instruments
transposed
at either F or C have been considered "orchestral", there is no
evidence that Sax intended this. As only 3 percent of Sax's surviving
production were pitched in F and C, and as contemporary composers used
the E
♭ alto and B
♭
bass saxophone freely in orchestral music, it is almost certain that
Sax experimented to find the most suitable keys for these instruments,
settling upon instruments alternating between E
♭ and B
♭
rather than those pitched in F d C, for reasons of tone and economy
(the saxophones were the most expensive wind instruments of their day).
The
C soprano saxophone was the only instrument to sound at
concert pitch. All the instruments were given an initial written range from the B below the treble staff to the F, one space above the three
ledger lines above staff, giving each saxophone a range of two and a half
octaves.
Sax's patent expired in 1866;
[4]
thereafter numerous saxophonists and instrument manufacturers
implemented their own improvements to the design and keywork. The first
substantial modification was by a French manufacturer who extended the
bell slightly and added an extra key to extend the range downwards by
one
semitone to B
♭.
It is suspected that Sax himself may have attempted this modification.
This extension is now commonplace in almost all modern designs, along
with other minor changes such as added keys for alternate fingerings.
Sax's original keywork, which was based on the Triebert system 3 oboe
for the left hand and the Boehm clarinet for the right, was very
simplistic and made playing some legato passages and wide intervals
extremely difficult to finger, so numerous developers added extra keys
and alternate fingerings to make chromatic playing less difficult. While
the early saxophone had two separate octave vents to assist in the
playing of the upper registers just as modern instruments do, players of
Sax's original design had to operate these via two separate
octave keys
operated by the left thumb. A substantial advancement in saxophone
keywork was the development of a method by which the left thumb operates
both tone holes with a single octave key, which is now universal on
modern saxophones. One of the most radical, however temporary, revisions
of saxophone keywork was made in the 1950s by M. Houvenaghel of
Paris, who completely redeveloped the mechanics of the system to allow a number of notes (C
♯, B, A, G, F and E
♭) to be
flattened by a
semitone simply by lowering the right middle finger. This enables a chromatic scale to be played over two octaves simply by playing the
diatonic scale combined with alternately raising and lowering this one digit.
[5] However, this keywork never gained much popularity, and is no longer in use.
The saxophone family
The primary (military band) saxophone family alternates instruments in B
♭ and E
♭.
The other (orchestral) family patented by Sax, alternating instruments
in C and F, has always been marginal, although some manufacturers tried
to popularise the soprano in C (or
C soprano saxophone), the alto in F (or
mezzo-soprano saxophone), and the tenor in C (or
C melody saxophone)
early in the twentieth century. The C melody enjoyed some success in
the late 1920s and early 1930s as a parlor instrument. One company has
recently revived production of the C soprano and C melody.
[6] Instruments in F are rare.
| # |
Saxophone |
Key |
One octave higher |
One octave lower |
| 1 |
Sopranissimo |
B♭ |
## |
Soprano |
| 2 |
Sopranino |
E♭ |
## |
Alto |
| 3 |
Soprano |
B♭ |
Sopranissimo |
Tenor |
| 4 |
Alto |
E♭ |
Sopranino |
Baritone |
| 5 |
Tenor |
B♭ |
Soprano |
Bass |
| 6 |
Baritone |
E♭ |
Alto |
Contrabass |
| 7 |
Bass |
B♭ |
Tenor |
Subcontrabass |
| 8 |
Contrabass |
E♭ |
Baritone |
## |
| 9 |
Subcontrabass |
B♭ |
Bass |
## |
Description
The saxophone consists of an approximately
conical tube of thin brass, sometimes plated with silver, gold, or nickel, flared at the tip to form a
bell. At intervals along the tube are between 20 and 23
tone holes of varying size, including two very small 'speaker' holes to assist the playing of the
upper register.
These holes are covered by keys (also known as pad cups), containing
soft leather pads, which are closed to produce an airtight seal; at rest
some of the holes stand open and others are closed. The keys are
controlled by buttons pressed by the fingers, while the right thumb sits
under a thumb rest to help keep the saxophone balanced. The fingering
for the saxophone is a combination of that of the
oboe with the
Boehm system, and is very similar to the
flute or the upper register of the clarinet. Instruments that play to low A have a left thumb key for that note.
The simplest design of saxophone is a straight conical tube, and the
sopranino and
soprano
saxophones are usually of this straight design. However, as the
lower-pitched instruments would be unacceptably long if straight, for
ergonomic
reasons, the larger instruments usually incorporate a U-bend at, or
slightly above, the third-lowest tone hole. As this would cause the bell
of the instrument to point almost directly upward, the end of the
instrument is either beveled or tilted slightly forward. This U-shape
has become an
iconic
feature of the saxophone family, to the extent that soprano and even
sopranino saxes are sometimes made in the curved style, even though not
strictly necessary. By contrast,
tenors and even
baritones have occasionally been made in the straight style.
[7][8] Most commonly, however, the
alto
and tenor saxophones incorporate a curved 'crook' above the highest
tone hole but below the top speaker hole, tilting the mouthpiece through
90 degrees; the baritone, bass and contrabass extend the length of the
bore by triple-folding this section.
Materials
Most saxophones, both past and present, are made from
brass. Despite this, they are categorized as
woodwind instruments rather than
brass,
as the sound waves are produced by an oscillating reed, not the
player's lips against a mouthpiece as in a brass instrument, and because
different pitches are produced by opening and closing keys. The screw
pins that connect the rods to the posts, as well as the needle and
leaf springs that cause the keys to return to their rest position after being released, are generally made of blued or
stainless steel.
Since 1920, most saxophones have 'key touches' (smooth decorative
pieces placed where the fingers touch the instrument) made from either
plastic or
mother of pearl.
Other materials have been tried with varying degrees of success, such as the 1950s
Grafton plastic alto saxophone and its recent successor, the
polycarbonate saxophone,
VibratoSax. There is also the wooden
Sawat saxophone created in Thailand on a small scale. A few companies, such as
Yanagisawa[9] and
Bauhaus Walstein, have made some saxophone models from
phosphor bronze because of its slightly different tonal qualities.
[10] For example, although their designs are identical apart from the metal used, the bronze Yanagisawa A992
[11] saxophones are said to sound "darker" than the brass versions. Yanagisawa and other manufacturers, starting with the
King Super 20 around 1950, have made saxophone necks, bells, or entire instruments from
sterling silver.
[12] Keilwerth and
P. Mauriat have made saxes with a nickel silver body like that of a
flute.
[13][14] The effect of material on sound is controversial among sax players, and little solid research has been published.
After completing the instrument, the manufacturers usually apply a thin coating of clear or colored
acrylic lacquer, or
silver plate, over the bare brass. The lacquer or plating serves to protect the brass from
oxidation, and maintains its shiny appearance. Several different types and colors of surface finish have been used over the years.
[15] It is also possible to plate the instrument with
nickel or
gold, and a number of gold-plated saxophones have been produced.
[15]
Plating saxophones with gold is an expensive process because gold does
not adhere directly to brass. As a result, the brass is first plated
with silver, then gold.
Some argue that the type of lacquer or plating, or absence thereof,
may enhance an instrument's tone quality. The possible effects of
different finishes on tone is a hotly debated topic, not least because
other variables may affect an instrument's
tone colors
e.g. mouthpiece design and physical characteristics of the player. In
any case, what constitutes a pleasing tone is a matter of personal
preference.
[16][17]
Mouthpiece and reed
The saxophone uses a single-reed
mouthpiece similar to that of the
clarinet. Most saxophonists use reeds made from
Arundo donax cane, but since the 20th century some have also been made of
fiberglass
and other composite materials. The saxophone mouthpiece is larger than
that of the clarinet, has a wider inner chamber, and lacks the
cork-covered tenon of a clarinet mouthpiece because the saxophone neck
inserts into the mouthpiece whereas the clarinet mouthpiece piece is
inserted into the barrel. The most important difference between a
saxophone embouchure and a clarinet embouchure is that the saxophone
mouthpiece should enter the mouth at a much lower or flatter angle than
the clarinet. The embouchure for clarinet must also be more firm than
that for saxophone.
The muscles in the lip and jaw develop naturally, the more one plays,
and the "long tones" exercise helps a great deal with this aspect of
playing.
[18] Mouthpieces come in a wide variety of materials, including
vulcanized rubber (sometimes called
hard rubber or
ebonite),
plastic, and metals such as
bronze or
surgical steel. Less common materials that have been used include wood, glass, crystal, porcelain, and even bone. According to
Larry Teal,
the mouthpiece material has little, if any, effect on the sound, and
the physical dimensions give a mouthpiece its tone colour.
[19] Mouthpiece design has a profound impact on tone.
Mouthpieces designed for classical playing are usually warm and round
sounding, while mouthpieces designed for jazz playing are commonly
edgy, buzzy, and bright sounding. Mouthpieces with a concave
("excavated") chamber and little to no baffle are more true to Adolphe
Sax's original design; these provide a softer or less piercing tone, and
are favored by some saxophonists, including students of
Sigurd Raschèr, for classical playing. Saxophonists who follow the French school of classical saxophone playing, influenced by
Marcel Mule,
generally use mouthpieces with smaller chambers than Rascher style
mouthpieces, but they still have little to no baffle. Conversely,
mouthpieces with a smaller chamber and a lower clearance above the reed,
called high baffle, produce a brighter sound with maximum projection
and are favored by many jazz and funk players. Most saxophonists who
play both jazz and classical music have different equipment for each
style.
Like
clarinets, saxophones use a single
reed.
Saxophone reeds are proportioned slightly differently to clarinet
reeds, being wider for the same length, although some soprano
saxophonists use clarinet reeds on the soprano saxophone. Each size of
saxophone (alto, tenor, etc.) uses a different size of reed. Reeds are
commercially available in a vast array of brands, styles, and strengths.
Players experiment with reeds of different strength (hardnesses) and
material to find which strength and cut suits their mouthpiece,
embouchure, tendencies, and playing style.
Cases
Saxophone instrument cases serve as essential protection and covering
for saxophones during transportation and/or storage. Some cases provide
protection from weather changes or environments that may be hazardous
to the instrument. Usually, purchased saxophones come with factory cases
that are manufactured or distributed by the saxophone company. Some
saxophone case providers include Pro Tec, Bam, SKB, Reunion Blues, and
Gator.
Uses
The saxophone first gained popularity in the niche it was designed for: the
military band.
Although the instrument was studiously ignored in Germany, French and
Belgian military bands took full advantage of the instrument that Sax
had designed specifically for military bands. Most French and Belgian
military bands incorporate at least a quartet of saxophones comprising
at least the E
♭ baritone, B
♭ tenor, E
♭ alto and B
♭ soprano. These four instruments have proved the most popular of all of Sax's creations, with the E
♭ contrabass and B
♭ bass usually considered impractically large and the E
♭ sopranino insufficiently powerful. British military bands tend to include at minimum two saxophonists on the alto and tenor.
The saxophone has more recently found a niche in both the
symphonic band and in
big band music, which often calls for the E
♭ baritone, B
♭ tenor and E
♭ alto. The B
♭ soprano is also occasionally used, in which case it is normally played by the first alto saxophonist. The bass saxophone in B
♭ is called for in band music (especially music by
Percy Grainger) and big band orchestrations, especially music performed by the
Stan Kenton Mellophonium Orchestra. In the 1920s the bass saxophone was used often in
classic jazz recordings, since at that time it was easier to record than a tuba or double bass. The B
♭ tenor and E
♭ alto have since been used in many varieties of
jazz, as a 'front line' instrument.
The saxophone has been more recently introduced into the
symphony orchestra,
where it has found increased popularity. In one or other size, the
instrument has been found a useful accompaniment to genres as
wide-ranging as
opera,
choral music and
chamber pieces. Many
musical scores include parts for the saxophone, usually either doubling another
woodwind
or brass instrument. In this way the sax serves as a middle point
between woodwinds and brass, helping to blend the two sections.
Selected works of the repertoire
also thrift shop
Selected saxophone quartets
Famous orchestral pieces with saxophone solos
Ensembles
A well-known implementation of the saxophone is modern
jazz music,
with the saxophone being one of the signature sounds of jazz. This is
usually as a solo instrument with a rhythm section, but sometimes in the
form of a saxophone quartet or big band. The alto sax was popularized
in jazz music in the 1940s and 1950s by the pioneering virtuosity of
Charlie Parker,
whose bebop style of playing would deeply influence the next two
generations of jazz musicians, in particular saxophonists. The alto sax
was also popularized in the 1950s by top saxophonists such as
Sonny Stitt,
Cannonball Adderley,
Sonny Criss and
Paul Desmond (latter of the
Dave Brubeck Quartet).
The tenor sax, which some consider to be the more popular form of
saxophone as a solo instrument in jazz, was popularized by jazz greats
such as
John Coltrane,
Sonny Rollins,
Stan Getz and
Zoot Sims.
The baritone sax, featured more in big bands and military bands than as
a solo instrument, was popularized in jazz as a solo instrument win
small groups by musicians such as
Serge Chaloff,
Gerry Mulligan and
Pepper Adams.
The saxophone also commonly features in blues music, soul, rhythm and blues, reggae, ska, and is a staple of funk music.
The saxophone quartet is usually made up of one B
♭ soprano, one E
♭ alto, one B
♭ tenor and one E
♭ baritone
(SATB). On occasion, the soprano is replaced with a second alto sax
(AATB); a few professional saxophone quartets have featured non-standard
instrumentation, such as
James Fei's Alto Quartet
[22] (four altos) and
Hamiet Bluiett's Bluiett Baritone Nation (four baritones).
There is a repertoire of classical compositions and arrangements for
the SATB instrumentation dating back to the nineteenth century,
particularly by French composers who knew Adolphe Sax. A list of well
known current saxophone quartets includes the Amherst,
[23] Amstel, Anubis, Apollo, Aurelia,
[24] Carlsbad, Prism, H2, Habanara, Hanumi, Mana,
Raschèr,
[25] Rova, and Zzyzx Quartets. Historically, the quartets led by
Marcel Mule and Daniel Deffayet, saxophone professors at the
Conservatoire de Paris,
were started in 1928 and 1953, respectively, and were highly regarded.
The Mule quartet is often considered the prototype for future quartets,
due the level of virtuosity demonstrated by its members and its central
role in the development of the quartet repertoire. However organised
quartets did exist before Mule's ensemble, the prime example being the
quartet headed by Eduard Lefebre (1834–1911), former soloist with the
Sousa band, in the United States
c.
1904–1911. Other ensembles most likely existed at this time as part of
the saxophone sections of the many touring "business" bands that existed
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More recently, the
World Saxophone Quartet has become known as the preeminent jazz saxophone quartet. The
Rova Saxophone Quartet, based in San Francisco, is noted for its work in the fields of
contemporary classical music and improvised music.
There are a few larger all-saxophone ensembles, the most prominent including the
Rascher Saxophone Orchestra and
Urban Sax, which includes as many as 52 saxophonists. The six-member
Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra owns one of the few E
♭ contrabass saxophones.
[26] Very large groups, featuring over 100 saxophones, are sometimes organized as a novelty at saxophone conventions.
[27]
Miscellaneous saxophones and related instruments
A number of saxes and saxophone-related instruments have appeared
since Sax's original work, most enjoying no significant success. These
include the saxello, essentially a straight B
♭ soprano, but with a slightly curved neck and tipped bell; the straight alto; and the straight B
♭ tenor.
[28]
Since a straight-bore tenor is approximately five feet long, the
cumbersome size of such a design makes it almost impossible to either
play or transport. "King" Saxellos, made by the
H. N. White Company in the 1920s, now command prices up to US$4,000. A number of companies, including Keilwerth, Rampone & Cazzani (
altello
model), L.A. Sax and Sax Dakota USA, are marketing straight-bore,
tipped-bell soprano saxophones as saxellos (or "saxello sopranos").
The "contralto" saxophone, similar in size to the orchestral soprano,
was developed in the late 20th century by California instrument maker
Jim Schmidt.
[29]
This instrument has a larger bore and a new fingering system, and does
not resemble the C melody instrument except for its key and register.
Another new arrival to the sax scene is the
soprillo sax, a
piccolo-sized
straight instrument with the upper speaker hole built into the
mouthpiece. The instrument, which extends Sax's original family, as it
is pitched a full octave higher than the B
♭
soprano sax, is manufactured by Benedikt Eppelsheim, of Munich,
Germany. There is a rare prototype slide tenor saxophone, but few were
ever made. One company that produced a slide soprano saxophone was
Reiffel & Husted, Chicago, ca. 1922 (catalog NMM 5385).
[30][31][32]
Two of these variants were championed by jazz musician
Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who called his straight Buescher alto a
stritch and his modified saxello a
manzello;
the latter featured a larger-than-usual bell and modified key work.
Among some saxophonists, Kirk's terms have taken on a life of their own
in that it is believed that these were "special" or "new" saxophones
that might still be available. Though rare, the Buescher straight alto
was a production item instrument while the manzello was indeed a saxello
with a custom-made bell.
Another unusual variant of the saxophone was the
Conn-O-Sax, a straight-conical bore instrument in F (one step above the E
♭
alto) with a slightly curved neck and spherical bell. The instrument,
which combined a saxophone bore and keys with a bell shaped similar to
that of a
heckelphone, was intended to imitate the timbre of the
English horn
and was produced only in 1929 and 1930. The instrument had a key range
from low A to high G. Fewer than 100 Conn-O-Saxes are in existence, and
they are eagerly sought by collectors.
The
tubax, developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker
Benedikt Eppelsheim,
[33] plays the same range, and with the same fingering, as the E
♭
contrabass saxophone; its bore, however, is narrower than that of a
contrabass saxophone, making for a more compact instrument with a
"reedier" tone (akin to the double-reed contrabass
sarrusophone).
It can be played with the smaller (and more commonly available)
baritone saxophone mouthpiece and reeds. Eppelsheim has also produced
subcontrabass tubaxes in C and B
♭, the latter being the lowest saxophone ever made. Among the most recent developments is the
aulochrome, a double soprano saxophone invented by Belgian instrument maker
François Louis in 2001.
Bamboo "saxophones"
Although not true saxophones, inexpensive keyless folk versions of the saxophone made of
bamboo (recalls a
Chalumeau) were developed in the 20th century by instrument makers in
Hawaii,
Jamaica,
Thailand,
Indonesia,
Ethiopia, and
Argentina. The Hawaiian instrument, called a
xaphoon, was invented during the 1970s and is also marketed as a "bamboo sax," although its
cylindrical bore more closely resembles that of a clarinet, and its lack of any keywork makes it more akin to a
recorder. Jamaica's best known exponent of a similar type of homemade bamboo "saxophone" was the
mento musician and instrument maker '
Sugar Belly' (William Walker).
[34] In the
Minahasa region of the Indonesian island of
Sulawesi, there exist entire bands made up of bamboo "saxophones"
[35]
and "brass" instruments of various sizes. These instruments are clever
imitations of European instruments, made using local materials. Very
similar instruments are produced in Thailand.
[36][37]
In Argentina, Ángel Sampedro del Río and Mariana García have produced
bamboo saxophones of various sizes since 1985, the larger of which have
bamboo keys to allow for the playing of lower notes.
[38]audio
Composition
Music for most saxophones is usually notated using
treble clef. The standard written range extends from a B
♭ below the staff to an F or F
♯ three ledger lines above the staff. Most, if not all, intermediate and professional saxophones made today are built with F
♯ keys, with F
♯
included on even student instruments. There are many models of soprano
saxophone that have a key for high G, and most modern models of baritone
saxophone have an extended bore and key to produce low A; it is also
possible to play a low A on any saxophone by blocking the end of the
bell, usually with the foot or inside of the left thigh. Low A keys
however were not limited to just the baritone saxophone. For a short
time Selmer Paris produced mark VI alto saxophones with the low A key.
Notes above F are considered part of the
altissimo register
of any sax, and can be produced using advanced embouchure techniques
and fingering combinations. Sax himself had mastered these techniques;
he demonstrated the instrument as having a range of just beyond three
octaves up to a (written) high B4. Modern saxophone players have extended this range to over 4
octaves on tenor and alto.
Because all saxophones use the same key arrangement and fingering to
produce a given notated pitch, it is not difficult for a competent
player to switch among the various sizes when the music has been
suitably transposed, and many do so. Since the baritone and alto are
pitched in E
♭, players can read concert pitch music notated in the
bass clef by reading it as if it were treble clef and adding three
sharps to the
key signature. This process, referred to as
clef substitution, makes it possible for the baritone to play from parts written for
bassoon,
tuba,
trombone, or
string bass. This can be useful if a band or orchestra lacks one of those instruments.
Gallery
-
-
A straight-necked
Conn C melody saxophone (Conn New Wonder Series 1) with a serial number that dates manufacture to 1922
-
-
-
-
Yamaha YAS-25 alto saxophone. Circa 1990s
-
-
-
-
-
Two mouthpieces for
tenor saxophone: the one on the left is
ebonite; the one on the right is metal.
KALO GA NGERTI BAHASANYA TEJEMAHIN AJA YA... GAN... ADA KO TERJEMAHANYA DI BAGIAN ATAS SEBALAH KANAN, SELAMAT MEMBACA....
