It’s chic, it’s
cool, it’s jazzy; it’s the sexy sax. Don’t get me wrong, I have a deep
appreciation of all instruments and I’m not going to lie and say that the
trombone isn’t a kick-ass instrument or that the clarinet isn’t amazingly fun,
but being the first instrument that I learned, the saxophone has a special
place in my heart.
Flautist and
clarinettist Adolph Sax (hence the saxophone)
developed the first saxophone in 1841 with the goal of creating the ultimate
band ensemble instrument by together bringing the projection of a brasswind
(like a trumpet) with the precision of a woodwind (like a flute). As a result,
the saxophone’s body is made of brass, has keys in the same set-up as a
woodwind (extremely similar to the flute) and it has a single reed mouthpiece
very much like the clarinet.
After Sax’s
patent on the saxophone expired in 1866 others were free to create their own
imitations. This is how the instrument became perfected. First came the
extension of the bell as well as an extra key that changed the instruments
lowest note from a B to a B♭. Another big change to the key layout was the addition of
alternate fingerings. For example, extra keys were added to facilitate playing
notes such as C, F# and B♭ in fast runs.
I’d say that the most significant change made was to the octave keys.
Originally the player controlled two octave keys with his/her left thumb,
however with experimentation and some adjustments, one octave key was able to
do the job of both. The tone of the instrument was also greatly improved and
went from being just mellow to smooth and powerful, which is what makes it not
only a great band instrument, but an excellent jazz instrument as well.
Sax’s original saxophone
family included 14 different types of saxophones all ranging in pitch, size and
key (such as saxophones in the keys of F, C, B♭, and E♭). Out of the original family five saxophones remain popular to
date all in the keys of B♭ and E♭. Listed from highest
range to lowest range: Soprano in B♭; alto in E♭; tenor in B♭; baritone in E♭, and bass in B♭. However, some
manufacturers are currently trying to bring back the C soprano saxophone.
My favourite to play has
always been the alto, but I do like getting my fix on tenor and bari
(baritone). Sometimes you just crave those low ranges. So there you have it! A
look into the history and evolution of the saxophone!
Sources:
Hello
ReplyDeleteI'm going to tell you the only and the only instrument I ever played and I was no good at it and I was forced to play the flute for music class in grade four or five I forget. So that tells you that I don't really know anything about the notes the history or anything else. Guess what this post really help me learn about the history of a really cool looking instrument and that sounds really nice. Also I had no Idea that there were different types of sax. So i'm going to say thank you very much for telling your readers especially me all of this awesome information about the sax.
Thank you, Thomas; I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope everyone who gives it a read has an open mind like yours. I hope too, that you don’t let your bad experience with flute ruin instrumental music for you. Flute wasn’t my favourite either to be honest. Maybe it just wasn’t the right instrument for you.
ReplyDeleteThe Sax sounds like a really cool instrument to play! My grandpa used to make me listen to Jazz CD's when I was younger and I will never forget that whenever there was a Sax solo in a song I'd just start jammin out so hard. Ahaha! It was because the sound of a Sax in a song to me felt like the "base" of a techno beat (a.k.a the heart of the song)! Also, to know that there are 14 different types of saxophones is awesome! Can't wait to read more about interesting instruments. Your blog is always a pleasure to read!
ReplyDelete8. Thanks, Jill! Listening to Jazz with your grandpa, eh? That sounds pretty great! See, I have similar memories with my grandpa, except that we listened to old German waltzes and polkas… I mean hey, I do like a lot of German composers and I enjoy the complexity, but hours of polkas at a time… well. And don’t even get me started on the dance lessons in the basement…
DeleteI love the sound of a saxophone, and had no idea there were 14 different types. Can a saxophone player automatically play each type or are there different techniques, different notations, etc.?
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to add a bit more of your opinions, personal anecdotes, etc. after you give us the instrument info. We can look up this information elsewhere, but it's your take on it that makes this blog interesting.
The fingerings are the same, however the embrasure (tightness and pressure of your mouth on the mouthpiece) and air flow has to be adjusted according to each sax. The smaller the sax is, the harder the embrasure is but the less air you need, and the bigger the sax is, the easier the embrasure is but the more air you need. This means that technically if you play one sax you know how to play them all... technically... that doesn't mean you're going to sound good though. For example, I mainly play alto sax, so when I pick up the tenor I really don't sound as good, so even though I can do the same scales and pieces, I'm not at the same level on tenor because my sound isn't at the same level.
DeleteYeah, I get carried away with all the information sometimes and forget, but for those ones I try to compensate for it in my comments. I'll try more of that in my next ones though.