The saxophone, often called the sax, is a single-reed woodwind instrument with a cone-shaped body, usually made of brass. Like all single-reed instruments, sound is created when the reed on the mouthpiece vibrates, causing sound waves inside the instrument. The pitch is changed by opening or closing holes along the body, which alters the length of the air column inside. These holes are covered by leather pads attached to keys that the player presses. Saxophones come in many sizes and are almost always treated as transposing instruments, meaning they play notes that are different from the written music. A person who plays the saxophone is called a saxophonist or saxist.

The saxophone is used in many types of music, including classical music (such as concert bands, chamber music, solo performances, and sometimes orchestras), military and marching bands, jazz (like big bands and small jazz groups), and contemporary music. It is also used as a solo instrument or as part of a horn section in some styles of rock and roll and popular music.

The saxophone was invented by a Belgian instrument maker named Adolphe Sax in the early 1840s. He patented it on June 28, 1846. Sax created two groups of seven instruments each: one group was in the keys of C and F, and the other was in B♭ and E♭. The B♭ and E♭ instruments became more popular, and most saxophones today are from this group. Instruments in C and F did not become widely used and were rarely made. High-pitch saxophones, which were tuned slightly sharper than the standard A = 440 Hz, were made until the early 1900s for outdoor performances but are now obsolete. Low-pitch saxophones, which match modern tuning standards, are still used. C soprano and C melody saxophones were made for casual use in the early 1900s, and saxophones in F were introduced in the late 1920s but were not widely accepted.

Today, the saxophone family includes only B♭ and E♭ instruments. The most commonly used saxophones are the B♭ soprano, E♭ alto, B♭ tenor, and E♭ baritone. The E♭ sopranino and B♭ bass saxophones are typically used in large saxophone ensembles when available.

In the table below, members of each saxophone family are pitched an octave apart.

Description

The pitch of a saxophone is controlled by opening or closing tone holes along the instrument's body. This changes the length of the vibrating air column inside the saxophone. The tone holes are covered by leather pads connected to keys. Most keys are operated by the player's fingers, but some are pressed with the palm or side of a finger. An octave key raises the pitch of lower notes by one octave. The lowest note on most modern saxophones is the written B♭ below middle C. Most baritone saxophones now have an extra key to play low A, and a few altos also have this key. Traditionally, the highest note on a saxophone is F two and a half octaves above the low B♭, but many instruments now include an extra key for high F♯, and some soprano saxophones have a high G key. Notes above this are called the altissimo register and require advanced techniques to play.

Saxophone music is written in treble clef, adjusted for each type of saxophone. All saxophones use the same key arrangement and fingerings, so any written note corresponds to the same fingering on any saxophone. This makes it easier for players to switch between instruments.

Alto and larger saxophones have a detachable curved neck at the top and a U-shaped bend (called the bow) that turns the tubing upward near the bell. Soprano and sopranino saxophones usually lack a detachable neck or bow, though some have small detachable necks or are shaped like altos with a bow. Rare saxophones have mostly straight bodies. Baritone, bass, and contrabass saxophones have extra bends to fit their longer tubing. The saxophone's fingering system is similar to those of the oboe, Boehm-system clarinet, and flute.

Since the saxophone's invention, the body and key cups have been made from sheet brass, which can be shaped into complex forms. Keywork is made from other types of brass. From the 1930s to the early 1960s, King made saxophones with necks and bells of sterling silver. Yanagisawa later used sterling silver for entire instruments. Keilwerth and P. Mauriat used nickel silver (a copper-nickel-zinc alloy) for some saxophone models. Higher copper brass variants, such as phosphor bronze, are sometimes used for a darker tone. Yanagisawa's 902 and 992 series saxophones use phosphor bronze for this effect.

Other materials are used for parts like buttons, rods, and springs. Buttons are often made of plastic or mother of pearl. Rods, screw pins, and springs are usually made of blued or stainless steel. Felt, cork, leather, and synthetic materials are used as buffers to reduce noise and improve key movement. Nickel silver is sometimes used for hinges because it is durable, though brass remains the most common material.

Manufacturers apply finishes to protect the saxophone's surface. The most common finish is a thin layer of clear or colored acrylic lacquer to prevent oxidation and keep the brass shiny. Silver or gold plating is available on some models. Some silver-plated saxophones are also lacquered. Gold plating is expensive because it requires a silver underlayer. Nickel plating was used on early budget saxophones and is common on student models for durability. Chemical treatments of the base metal have recently been used as alternatives to lacquer and plating.

The saxophone uses a single-reed mouthpiece similar to the clarinet. Each saxophone size (alto, tenor, etc.) requires a different reed and mouthpiece size. Most reeds are made from Arundo donax cane, but some are made of fiberglass or other composites. Saxophone reeds are slightly wider than clarinet reeds for the same length. Commercial reeds vary in hardness and design, and players test different reeds to find ones that match their mouthpiece, embouchure, and style.

Mouthpiece design greatly affects the saxophone's tone. Classical mouthpieces were designed for a warm, round sound. Classical mouthpieces with concave ("excavated") chambers are closer to Adolphe Sax's original design and produce a softer tone preferred by the Raschèr school. The French school, influenced by Marcel Mule, often uses smaller chambers for a brighter sound. Jazz and dance ensembles from the 1920s onward favored mouthpieces that allow greater dynamic range and projection. Mouthpieces with small chambers and low clearance above the reed (called high baffle) produce a very bright, projecting sound.

Mouthpieces are made from many materials, including vulcanized rubber (hard rubber or ebonite), plastic, and metals like bronze or surgical steel. Less common materials include wood, glass, porcelain, and bone. Recently, Delrin has been used.

The effect of mouthpiece materials on tone is debated. According to Larry Teal, the material has little impact on sound, and the physical shape determines the tone. Some metal mouthpieces sound dark, while some hard rubber ones sound bright. The extra bulk near the tip of hard rubber mouthpieces can affect playing position and airflow.

History

The saxophone was created around 1840 by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument maker, flutist, and clarinetist. He was born in Dinant and lived in Brussels before moving to Paris in 1842 to start a business making musical instruments. Before inventing the saxophone, Sax improved the bass clarinet by changing its keys and sound quality and making it play lower notes. He also made the ophicleide, a large brass instrument with keys like a woodwind instrument. His experience with these instruments helped him develop the skills needed to create the first saxophones.

Sax wanted to make an instrument that combined the loud sound of a brass instrument with the quick, flexible playing of a woodwind. Unlike the clarinet, which produces a note one octave and a fifth higher when overblown, Sax’s instrument would produce a note exactly one octave higher with the same fingerings.

He designed the saxophone with a single reed mouthpiece and a cone-shaped brass body. In the early 1840s, Sax built saxophones in many sizes and applied for a patent in 1846. The patent included 14 versions of the saxophone, divided into two groups of seven instruments each, ranging from the smallest sopranino to the largest contrabass. A few saxophones in F and C were made, but those in E♭ and B♭ became the most common. Each saxophone had a written range from the B below the treble staff to the E♭ one half-step below the third ledger line above the staff, covering two and a half octaves. The patent ended in 1866, after which other companies made their own improvements to the saxophone’s design.

Sax’s original key system used parts from the Triébert-system oboe and the Boehm-system clarinet. This made some difficult musical passages hard to play. Later, extra keys and alternate fingerings were added to improve playability.

In the early years, the saxophone’s upper range was extended to E and then to F above the staff. Sheet music from the 1880s was written for the range of low B to F. In 1887, the Buffet-Crampon company patented a design that extended the saxophone’s lower range by one semitone to B♭. This became standard in modern saxophones, except for baritone saxophones, which can play down to low A. The upper range to F remained standard for nearly a century until high F♯ keys became common.

In the 1840s and 1850s, the saxophone was used in small classical ensembles, as a solo instrument, and in military bands in France and Britain. Method books for the saxophone were published, and instruction was offered at conservatories in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. By 1856, the French Garde Republicaine band used eight saxophones, the largest group of its time to feature the instrument. The saxophone was tried in orchestral music but never widely used in orchestras. In 1853–54, the orchestra of Louis Antoine Jullien included a soprano saxophone during a tour of the United States.

After early interest in the saxophone in Europe, its use in classical music declined in the late 1800s. Saxophone teaching at the Paris Conservatory stopped from 1870 to 1900, and classical saxophone music did not develop much during that time. However, the saxophone began gaining popularity in the United States, thanks to Patrick Gilmore, a bandleader for the 22nd Regiment of the New York State National Guard, and Edward A. Lefebre, a Dutch saxophonist who moved to New York in 1872. Gilmore organized the World Peace Jubilee and International Music Festival in Boston in 1872, where the Garde Républicaine band performed. Lefebre joined Gilmore’s band in 1873, and their group included saxophones in a section of soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. This partnership lasted until Gilmore’s death in 1892, during which Lefebre also helped expand saxophone music for classical and popular styles.

Lefebre’s work helped increase the saxophone’s popularity. In the late 1880s, he worked with the American instrument maker C.G. Conn to produce better saxophones, replacing expensive and unreliable European models. Conn and its company Buescher began making saxophones regularly in the 1890s, making them more available in the United States. Lefebre also partnered with the music publisher Carl Fischer to distribute saxophone music and taught saxophone techniques at the Conn Conservatory. These collaborations continued into the early 1900s, and Fischer kept publishing Lefebre’s works after his death.

Although the saxophone was not widely used in classical music, it found new roles in vaudeville, ragtime, and dance bands in the early 1900s. These uses led to its later use in jazz. As saxophone production grew in the U.S., more companies began making saxophones. The Martin Band Instrument Company started production between 1905 and 1912, and the Cleveland Band Instrument Company began making saxophones for H. N. White in 1916. The C soprano and C melody saxophones were introduced for casual players who could use piano music. Production of these models stopped during the Great Depression. In the 1920s, the saxophone became a key instrument in jazz. The modern classical saxophone era began in the late 1920s and early 1930s through the work of Marcel Mule and Sigurd Raschèr, who expanded the saxophone’s classical music repertoire.

As musicians played the saxophone in more complex and dynamic styles, improvements were made to its key system and sound design. Early saxophones had two separate octave keys controlled by the left thumb. Around the turn of the century, a single key was developed to control both octave vents. Key systems became more comfortable to use in the 1920s and 1930s. The front F mechanism, which helps play high E and F notes, and the stack-linked G♯ key became standard in the 1920s, followed by further improvements.

Usage

The saxophone first became popular in military bands. Although it was not used in Germany at first, French and Belgian military bands quickly added it to their groups. Most French and Belgian military bands use at least four saxophones: an E♭ baritone, B♭ tenor, E♭ alto, and B♭ soprano. These four saxophones are the most commonly used of all the saxophones created by Adolphe Sax. The E♭ contrabass and B♭ bass saxophones are usually too large to be practical, and the E♭ sopranino is not strong enough for most uses. British military bands usually include at least two saxophonists, one playing the alto and one playing the tenor.

The saxophone was later introduced into the concert band. Concert bands typically use two E♭ alto saxophones, one B♭ tenor saxophone, and one E♭ baritone saxophone. Sometimes, a B♭ soprano saxophone is also used, and it is played by the first alto saxophonist. In some older or larger concert band pieces, a B♭ bass saxophone is used, especially in the music of composer Percy Grainger.

Saxophones are also used in chamber music, such as saxophone quartets and other small group combinations. A classical saxophone quartet includes a B♭ soprano saxophone, E♭ alto saxophone, B♭ tenor saxophone, and E♭ baritone saxophone (SATB). Occasionally, the soprano saxophone is replaced by a second alto saxophone (AATB). Some professional quartets use different combinations, like James Fei’s Alto Quartet, which uses four alto saxophones.

There are many classical compositions and arrangements written for the SATB saxophone quartet dating back to the 19th century, especially by French composers who knew Adolphe Sax. However, most modern chamber music for saxophones was created in the 20th century, starting with Marcel Mule in 1928. Sigurd Raschèr became a famous soloist in orchestral music starting in 1931 and also helped develop modern classical saxophone music. The Mule quartet is often seen as a model for saxophone quartets because of the high skill level of its members and its role in creating modern quartet music. Before Mule’s group, there were other quartets, such as the one led by Edward A. Lefebre, who was part of Patrick Gilmore’s 22nd Regiment band from 1873 to 1893.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the saxophone became more common in symphony orchestras, opera, and choral music. It is also used in musical theatre, sometimes playing the same parts as woodwind or brass instruments.

Around the turn of the 20th century, saxophones became more widely available in the United States, which coincided with the rise of ragtime music. Ragtime bands, which used African-American rhythmic patterns, became a popular part of American culture and helped create new dance styles. Two well-known ragtime bands with saxophones were led by W. C. Handy and James R. Europe. Europe’s 369th Infantry Regiment Band popularized ragtime in France during its 1918 tour. The popularity of ragtime led to the rise of dance bands in the 1920s. Saxophones were also used in Vaudeville shows during this time. Ragtime, Vaudeville, and dance bands introduced many Americans to the saxophone. Rudy Wiedoeft became the most famous saxophone player during this period, leading to a "saxophone craze" in the 1920s. After this, saxophones appeared in a wide range of music, including the "sweet" music of Paul Whiteman and Guy Lombardo, jazz, swing, and large stage show bands.

The saxophone became a key instrument in jazz after it was widely used in dance bands in the early 1920s. The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, formed in 1923, included arrangements that supported improvisation, bringing jazz elements to large dance bands. Later, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Jean Goldkette’s Victor Recording Orchestra featured jazz solos with saxophones and other instruments. The connection between dance bands and jazz reached its peak with swing music in the 1930s. The large show band format, influenced by swing bands, was later used to support popular vocalists and stage shows after World War II, forming the basis for big band jazz. Show bands with saxophone sections became common in television programs like The Tonight Show (led by Doc Severinsen and Branford Marsalis) and in Las Vegas stage shows. The swing era helped shape later saxophone styles in bebop and rhythm and blues.

Coleman Hawkins helped make the tenor saxophone a main instrument in jazz during his time with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra from 1923 to 1934. His style, with flowing notes, a full sound, and lots of vibrato, influenced many swing-era tenor players before Lester Young. His influence continued with other tenor players into the modern jazz era. Musicians like Chu Berry, Charlie Barnet, Tex Beneke, Ben Webster, Vido Musso, Herschel Evans, Buddy Tate, and Don Byas were directly influenced by Hawkins. His bandmate Benny Carter and Duke Ellington’s alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges helped shape swing-era alto styles, while Harry Carney made the baritone saxophone popular with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Sidney Bechet, a New Orleans player, gained recognition for using the soprano saxophone in the 1920s, but the instrument became widely used only in the modern jazz era.

As Chicago-style jazz developed from New Orleans jazz in the 1920s, one of its key features was the addition of saxophones to the ensemble. Small Chicago groups offered more freedom for improvisation than New Orleans or large band formats, allowing saxophonists like Jimmy Dorsey (alto), Frankie Trumbauer (c-melody), Bud Freeman (tenor), and Stump Evans (baritone) to innovate. Dorsey and Trumbauer influenced tenor saxophonist Lester Young.

Lester Young’s playing style on the tenor saxophone was different from Hawkins’. He focused more on melodic, flowing lines that fit within the structure of the music and used longer phrases than those in the original tunes. He used vibrato less, matching it to the music he played. His tone was smoother and darker than that of his 1930s peers. Young’s style influenced many modern jazz saxophonists, including Al Cohn, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Charlie Parker, and Art Pepper.

Lester Young’s work with the Count Basie Orchestra in the late 1930s and Coleman Hawkins’ 1939 recording of “Body and Soul” showed that the saxophone had become as important in jazz as the trumpet, which had been the main jazz instrument since jazz began in New Orleans. However, the saxophone’s biggest influence on jazz came later when alto saxophonist Charlie Parker became a leader of the bebop movement, which inspired generations of musicians. The small-group format of bebop and post-bebop jazz became popular in the 1940s, as musicians used the harmonic and melodic freedom pioneered by

Unusual variants

Since the invention of the saxophone by Adolphe Sax, many experimental saxophones and related instruments have been created, but most have not had a lasting impact. In the early 1920s, Reiffel & Husted of Chicago made a slide soprano saxophone. During the 1920s, Buescher produced some straight alto and tenor saxophones, but these were hard to handle and transport. Buescher also made one straight baritone saxophone as a special instrument for a vaudeville performer. In 1928–1929, C.G. Conn introduced two new saxophones: the Conn-O-Sax and the mezzo-soprano saxophone. Both were keyed in F, one step above the E♭ alto. The Conn-O-Sax was built straight with a slightly curved neck, a bell shaped like a liebesfuss, and extra keys for low A and high G. It was made only in 1929 and 1930 and was designed to resemble the sound and shape of the cor anglais. Fewer than 100 of these saxophones remain, and they are highly valued by collectors. The Conn mezzo-soprano saxophone had a short production run because the Great Depression reduced demand for novelty instruments. Most were later used by Conn to train repair technicians.

The most successful unusual saxophone design from the 1920s was the King Saxello, a straight B♭ soprano saxophone with a slightly curved neck and a tipped bell, made by the H. N. White Company. These instruments now cost up to $4,000. The King Saxello influenced other companies, including Keilwerth, Rampone & Cazzani (altello model), L.A. Sax, and Sax Dakota USA, which later produced straight-bore, tipped-bell soprano saxophones called saxellos or "saxello sopranos."

Interest in two 1920s saxophone designs grew when jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk used a Buescher straight alto saxophone, which he called a "stritch," and a Saxello, which he called a "manzello." The Buescher straight alto was a regular production instrument, while the manzello was a Saxello with a custom-made large bell and modified keys. More recently, the mezzo-soprano saxophone, or a modern version of it, has been used by jazz musicians such as Anthony Braxton, James Carter, Vinny Golia, and Joe Lovano.

Some 1920s experimental designs, like the Saxello, inspired similar instruments made in modern times. Straight alto and tenor saxophones are now produced again by Keilwerth, L.A. Sax, and Sax Dakota USA. A mezzo-soprano saxophone in the key of G, made by Danish woodwind technician Peter Jessen, is now played by Joe Lovano. This instrument has a sound similar to a B♭ soprano saxophone.

The contralto saxophone, which is about the same size as the orchestral C-melody saxophone, was developed in the late 20th century by California instrument maker Jim Schmidt. It has a larger bore and a new fingering system, and it looks different from the orchestral instrument except for its key and register.

Benedikt Eppelsheim of Munich, Germany, has created new saxophones at the high and low ends of the saxophone range. The soprillo saxophone is a small, piccolo-sized saxophone that is an octave higher than the B♭ soprano saxophone. It is so small that the octave key is built into the mouthpiece. The tubax, developed in 1999 by Eppelsheim, plays the same range and with the same fingering as the E♭ contrabass saxophone. However, its bore is narrower, making it more compact with a "reedier" tone, similar to a double-reed instrument. It can be played with a baritone saxophone mouthpiece and reeds. Eppelsheim has also made lower tubax models in C and B♭, equivalent to the subcontrabass saxophone.

In the 2000s, the aulochrome was invented. This is a double soprano saxophone created by Belgian instrument maker François Louis in 2001.

Since the 1950s, saxophones with non-metallic bodies have sometimes been made. However, these instruments have not been widely accepted due to issues like durability, repairability, and problems with tone and key action. The most famous example is the 1950s Grafton acrylic alto saxophone, briefly used by Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman. It was produced for over 10 years as a budget model. A polycarbonate Vibratosax is now made as

Related instruments

In the 20th century, inexpensive keyless versions of the saxophone made from bamboo were created by instrument makers in Hawaii, Jamaica, Thailand, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Argentina. These instruments are similar to a chalumeau, a type of early woodwind instrument. In Hawaii, a bamboo instrument called a xaphoon was invented in the 1970s. It is sometimes called a "bamboo sax," but its shape is more like a clarinet, and its lack of keys makes it closer to a recorder. In Jamaica, a musician named 'Sugar Belly' (William Walker) was well-known for making homemade bamboo saxophones. In Indonesia’s Minahasa region, entire bands use bamboo "saxophones" and "brass" instruments of different sizes. These are copies of European instruments made with local materials. Similar instruments are also made in Thailand. In Argentina, Ángel Sampedro del Río and Mariana García have created bamboo saxophones since 1985. Some electronic wind instruments, like the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI), are played and fingered like saxophones. A double reed instrument called the rothphone and a brass instrument called the jazzophone are shaped like alto or tenor saxophones.

Image gallery

• From left to right, an E♭ alto saxophone, a curved B♭ soprano saxophone, and a B♭ tenor saxophone
• A straight-necked Conn C melody saxophone (Conn New Wonder Series 1) with a serial number that shows it was made in 1922
• Vintage silver-plated 'Pennsylvania Special' alto saxophone, manufactured by Kohlert & Sons for Selmer in Czechoslovakia, circa 1930
• Conn 6M "Lady Face" brass alto saxophone (dated 1935) in its original case
• 1950s Grafton alto made of plastic
• Yamaha YAS-25 alto saxophone. Circa 1990s
• Yanagisawa A9932J alto saxophone: has a solid silver bell and neck with a solid phosphor bronze body. The bell, neck, and key-cups are extensively engraved. Manufactured in 2008
• Bauhaus Walstein tenor saxophone manufactured in 2008 from phosphor bronze
• The lower portion of a P. Mauriat alto saxophone, showing the mother of pearl key touches and engraved brass pad cups
• A Yamaha baritone saxophone
• Two mouthpieces for tenor saxophone: the one on the left is ebonite; the one on the right is metal
• Ochres Music "No.5" hand-made professional alto saxophone with a 24 carat gold seal on the bell
• Vito 'Model 35' alto saxophone, circa 1960s. An unusual instrument with additional keywork.