The History of Saxophones

Although it seems to be older, the saxophone was invented only a half century after Mozart's death. The saxophone is one of the most versatile instruments in the world. Famous saxophonists have been responsible for producing classical pieces, jazz standards and even for making rock and roll records click with kinetic energy. patented over half a century following his death.

Precursor

The precursor to the saxophone was an instrument all but forgotten today. Around 1825 a Scottish musician named William Meikle created an instrument he called an alto fagotto. This instrument was actually just a modified small bassoon to which Meikle had added the mouthpiece of a clarinet.

Adolphe Sax

The first patent for a saxophone was filed by Adolphe Sax in 1846. Sax's instrument combined a single bleating reed and the familiar conical body. It would be a mistake to say Sax's patent was for an instrument that was of a totally original design, but there is little question that his was the first that solved the problems that had been faced and not overcome by others.

Purpose

Adolphe Sax also had a very definite reason for his design. What Sax was attempting to do was to create an instrument that introduced a more powerful sound into marching bands. The saxophone was therefore created expressly for the purpose of making a sound that fit perfectly between the sounds produced by clarinets and tenor brass.

Popularity

The saxophone's popularity began to rise as a result of being introduced into the canon of French infantry bands. Interestingly, considering it is rarely thought of as a vital component of martial music, the saxophone's rise to prominence is directly as a result of its use in military bands. It was military band leaders such as John Philip Sousa that brought the saxophone to the attention of musicians in countries like England and America.

Jazz

The saxophone really spiked in popularity as the result of its use in jazz. Jazz musicians first began turning to the instrument around World War I and in the years immediately following and into the 1920s the instrument really came into its own. By the 1930s the saxophone was routinely being used as the lead instrument in many jazz compositions and some of the biggest name in the genre were found behind this horn, including such legends as Coleman Hawkins (considered the father of jazz saxophone), Charlie "Bird' Parker and John Coltrane.

Rock and Roll

The late 1940s and early 1950s saw the rise of rock and roll music, and the saxophone became one of the its greatest weapons, along with the electric guitar and drums. The sax proved to be incredibly versatile, as it has been used in nearly every genre of rock music from the earliest roots rock to psychedelia to disco and even to punk rock. Probably the best known rock saxophonist of the last three decades is Clarence Clemons, whose work is an indelible part of many of Bruce Springsteen's biggest hits.

Plastic Sax

The newest innovation in the history of the saxophone is an instrument called the plastic saxophone. Every part of this saxophone except the keys and the mountings are molded from an acrylic plastic material. The plastic sax is really no different from the saxophones that preceded it during the last century, but the sound has been described as more brittle regular brass types. Although developed in the late 40s -- Parked played one, and Ornette Coleman did so exclusively in the mid-1950s--The plastic sax has yet to catch on with musicians, but then again it took 50 years for that traditional type of saxophone to catch on outside military bands.

Resources

• Great Sax Solos in Rock Music