All Kinds of Saxophones
Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone back in the early 1840s. According to the Musika Lesson website, Sax's original intent was for the instrument to be part of the classical orchestra. Although it never found its home there, musicians adopted the instrument during the Jazz Age of the early 20th century. Since that time in history, artists from a variety of muscial genres have used it. For example, a careful listen to "Lady Madonna," the 1968 Beatles hit, will reveal the presence of a saxophone. Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band used the saxophone stylings of Clarence Clemons as a key part of its rock band sound.
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Soprano
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The soprano saxophone, the highest-pitched instrument in the saxophone family, plays in the key of B-flat, according to The-Saxophone.com. While these horns have come in both curved and straight styles, the former were more popular in the 1930s, with the latter type being more in use today. Soprano saxophones are the instruments you are likely to hear on easy listening songs, better known as "elevator music." Their small mouthpiece and difficult tuning do not make them the best types of saxophones for beginners to study, according to the website. At the time of publication, the instrument is becoming increasingly popular. Kenny G. is an example of a contemporary jazz artist who uses it.
Alto
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The alto saxophone's pitch is the key of E flat. It is a medium-sized instrument. According to The-Saxophone.com, it is one of the instruments of choice in high school bands. It is also a common saxophone of both jazz bands and symphony orchestras. In fact, it has played a key role in the development of jazz. Charlie Parker used the instrument in the delivery of his be-bop sound back in the 1940s. The website rates it as an excellent instrument for a beginner because of its comfortable size and shape. Most altos come in a curved, with a backwards J-shaped styling, while others possess a straight build, with a slight bell curve.
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Tenor
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The tenor sax's primary key is E-flat. According to The-Saxophone.com, it is exactly one octave lower than the soprano. Its mouthpiece is larger, and the rods and tone holes are longer. Its neck length makes the instrument extremely delicate, and subject to more abuse than the other members of the family. However, the website cites the instrument as the signature one of modern jazz. Rock and pop musicians also use the instrument on their recordings; however. John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Lester Young are among the most famous jazz performers to play the tenor sax.
Baritone
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Baritone saxophones are the largest among the common versions of the instrument. They play in the key of E flat. They are one octave lower than the alto saxophone. They come in two types -- one ranging to low A and the other to low B flat. According to The-Saxophone.com, they are also the most prone to tone hole damage, rod damage, body twists and large dents. They are also the most expensive instruments in the sax family, according to the website. Because of their massive size, they are difficult to carry and play. They need a stand on the floor to support them during use. Also, baritone sax players need a harness to support their instruments' massive weight. In spite of such restrictions, Harry Carney, Jerry Mulligan and Joe Temperley are among the baritone sax's famous players.
Bass
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The bass saxophone is the lowest-pitched member of the sax family, according to musician and music professor Jay C. Easton. It plays in B flat. It was the original saxophone. Sax built it to strengthen the sound of the bassoon in the 19th-century orchestra. Although the bass sax dates back to 1842, it never caught on in popularity until the early 20th century, when jazz musicians began to use it. Easton cites Adrian Rollini as a well known early soloist on the bass saxophone. Today, jazz musicians James Carter and Scott Robinson have attempted to bring the instrument back into popularity.
Other Types of Saxes
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Aside from the saxophones that musicians most commonly play today, the saxophone family has other members that are more obscure. The C-melody saxophone, for example, is not common today, although The-Saxophone.com regards it as a relatively easy instrument to master, for you do not have to transpose the key in order to play it in harmony with a piano. Unlike the tenor sax, it can withstand years of use and abuse because of its stronger constitution. The contrabass is another rare type of saxophones. It is the largest existing member of the woodwind family. It goes down to a low D flat. It plays a whole octave below a baritone sax or bass clarinet, according to the website. Unlike its contrabass counterpart, the subcontrabass saxophone existed simply for show, not as a playable instrument in its own right. It took two people to play it. According to The Saxophone.com, the only playable version of this instrument came out in 1899, when Benedict Eppelshein invented the E flat-based Tubax contrabass sax. Its pitch was one octave below the bass, and a quarter of an octave below the contrabass.
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