One of the most amazing musical instruments ever existed in the 20th century is the SAXOPHONE. It was created by Adolphe Sax and patented on the March 20th, 1846. When he first created it, there were more than 10 types of saxophones, and mostly are pretty much extinct now. It was primarily used in the army brass bands, and it was later introduced into the classical music scene. The saxophone was first rejected in the classical stream, but later was adopted into classical music in the compositions of brilliant composers such as Debussy and Ravel (and what more, the use of the soprano in his famous Bolero piece). It was later in the late 19th century, when the advent of jazz, that the saxophone was frequently employed in ragtime, dixieland and swing bands. It became one of the most famous instrument in the world of jazz and blues, where it was connotated that the sound of the saxophone is "closest to the human voice", describing the ability of the saxophone to produce expressive tones and sounds, from its sexy growl to the romantic subtone (the growl of the saxophone is frequently, and hilariously, associated with sexy porno music...LOL!!). In the jazz world, the saxophone was revolutionised by great sax legends such as Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Sidney Bechet (the first person to introduce the soprano to the jazz world), Johnny Hodges, Lester Young, and later in the 20th century, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, and much more. And in the present, the saxophone is practically used in many, diverse form of music you can think of. From rock 'n roll, blues, jazz, to funk, acid jazz, and even Indian carnatic music. No doubt, the saxophone is one of the most versatile instruments in the music world today.
Today, there are about as many types of saxophone (about 6 - 7 I think), from the smallest sopranino (18" long) to the contra-bass sax (6 feet tall)!! But the most used in ensembles and bands are the four main saxes: the soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, and baritone sax.
Here's a brief introduction
to the four main saxes.. click on the link to learn more about them.
Baritone Saxophone
I hope you enjoy the little
bit of SAX education here. Check out my links
page to go to some saxophone artists and resources sites! More information
about saxophones, such as embouchure and fingers, and other sax tips will
be added soon enough... so stay tuned! Since I'm just and intermediate
level (more like amateur, really) sax player, any input from experienced
sax players is most appreciated.. so do e-mail
me and send me your input, criticisms and suggestions. Thanks!
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