Saxophone
The saxophone, also known as the saxophone or simply saxophone, is a conical musical instrument of the wind instrument family. wood, usually made of brass, consisting of a mouthpiece with a simple reed just like the clarinet. It was invented by Adolphe Sax in the early 1840s. The saxophone is commonly associated with popular music, big band music, and jazz. The performers of the instrument are called saxophonists or saxos, although the latter is used to name the wind instrument itself. They can be of eight different sizes depending on their tuning: sopranino in F or E flat, soprano in C or B flat, contralto or alto in F or E flat, tenor in C or B flat, baritone in F or E flat, bass in C or B flat, double bass and sub double bass in C or B flat.
The origin of the inspiration that led Sax to create the instrument is unknown, but the most widespread theory is that, based on the clarinet, an instrument that he played, he began to conceive the idea of building an instrument that had the strength of a metal one and the acoustic qualities of a wooden one, a kind of "metal clarinet". But after extensive testing and experimenting with modifications for louder, more metallic sound, Sax realized that he had built a new instrument: the saxophone.
Description
- against me.♫,
- low in yes.♫,
- baritone in my♫,
- tenor if♫,
- melodic in do,
- high on me.♫,
- mezzosoprano on fa,
- soprano in yes.♫,
- soprano in do and
- sopranino in my♫.
The body of the saxophone is made up of a thin, conical tube, usually made of brass, that flares at the end to form a bell. Along the length of the tube there are between 20 and 23 tone holes of variable size, including two very small octave holes to aid upper register playing, although these are not essentially necessary for upper register playing. These holes are covered by pads, which press against the holes to produce a tight seal. At rest, some holes are open and some are closed by the pads, which are controlled by various keys with the fingers of both hands, while the right thumb sits under a rest that helps keep the saxophone balanced. The saxophone fingering is a combination between the oboe fingering and the Boehm system, being very similar to the transverse flute fingering or the upper register of the clarinet. On larger instruments, the lever required to play the lower notes (usually played with the little fingers of both hands) is quite large, so an additional set of keys is introduced to allow playing those notes with the thumbs.
The conical body of the saxophone gives it properties more similar to those of the oboe than the clarinet. The simplest design of the saxophone is a straight frustoconical tube, and sopranino and soprano saxophones usually have this straight design. However, since low-note instruments would be unacceptably long if they were completely straight, for ergonomic reasons larger instruments usually incorporate a U-shaped bend at or slightly above the third lowest tone hole. As this would cause the bell of the instrument to point almost straight up, the end of the instrument is either beveled or tilted slightly forward. This bend has become an iconic feature of the saxophone family, to the point that soprano saxophones, and even sopraninos, are sometimes made in the curved style even when not strictly necessary. In contrast, although straight altos and tenors also exist, they are rarer. Most commonly, however, alto and tenor saxophones incorporate a curved bend above the highest tone hole, but below the octave key. top, tilting the nozzle at a right angle. The baritone, bass and double bass extend the length of the bore mainly by the double folding of this section.
With simple fingering, the modern saxophone is generally considered an easy instrument to learn, especially when drawn from other woodwind instruments, although despite this a considerable amount of practice and work is required to achieve a sound with color and correctly tuned.
Nozzle
The saxophone uses a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet, although it is larger than that of the saxophone and has a round or square hollow inner chamber and is wider than that of the clarinet. The saxophone mouthpiece also lacks the cork-covered joint that the clarinet mouthpiece has because the saxophone neck inserts directly into the mouthpiece while that part of the clarinet mouthpiece inserts into the top of the instrument. The most important difference between a saxophone mouthpiece and a clarinet mouthpiece is that the saxophone mouthpiece should enter the mouth at a much lower or flatter angle than the clarinet mouthpiece.
Nozzles are made of a wide variety of materials, there are both metallic and non-metallic. Non-metallic mouthpieces are usually made of ebonite, plastic or hard rubber, sometimes made of wood, and rarely made of glass, porcelain or even bone. Metal mouthpieces are credited by some with a distinctive sound, often described as "brighter" than non-metallic ones. Some musicians believe that plastic ones do not produce a good tone. Other saxophonists, such as Professor Larry Teal, claim that the material has little, if any, impact on the sound and that it is the physical dimensions that give the mouthpiece its timbral color.
Mouthpieces with a concave chamber are the closest to Adolphe Sax's original design and work very well in classical playing, producing a softer or less ripping sound. In contrast, in jazz and popular music, saxophonists often play with normally slack reeds and open mouthpieces. They are set so that the baffle, or "ceiling," of it is closest to the reed. For that reason a faster airflow is created. This produces a clearer sound that easily bridges gaps in a big band or between amplified instruments. Although large openings, and the resulting sound, are commonly associated with metal mouthpieces, any mouthpiece can have one. This allows greater flexibility in tuning, allowing for effects such as bending, common in jazz and rock. Classical players generally opt for harder reeds and a mouthpiece with a narrow opening and lower chamber, producing a darker, more stable (and more violinated) sound.
Reeds
Like clarinets, saxophones use a single reed or reed that is generally wider and shorter than that of the clarinet. Reeds are usually made from ordinary reed, but since the XX century, fiberglass reeds have also been made. These reeds are more durable but are generally considered to have a lower sound quality. The size of the reed also depends on the type of saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, double bass, etc.) for which it is intended.
Commercially distributed rods depend on a wide range of brands, styles and hardnesses. Each saxophonist experiments with reeds of different hardness and material to find the right one for their mouthpiece, embouchure, and playing style. The hardness is usually measured using a numerical scale that goes from 1 to 4 (with intermediate degrees), with 4 being the hardest and 1 the softest (except in the baritone saxophone whose numbering goes up to 5). Normally, the central one is recommended for beginners, that is, the 2 1/2 cane. The reeds are attached to the mouthpiece thanks to a clamp, which holds the reed in the mouthpiece, preventing it from moving when playing.
Materials
Most saxophones, both vintage and modern, are made of brass. Despite this, they are classified as woodwinds rather than brass instruments because the sound waves are produced by an oscillating reed, not by the player's lips against a mouthpiece, as in brass, and because different notes are produced by opening and closing braces. Brass is used to make the body of the instrument, the support of the pads, the bars that join the pads to the keys, the keys themselves, and the supports that hold the bars and keys to the body of the instrument. The screws that attach the bars to the brackets and the springs that return the keys to their initial position after being released are generally made of stainless steel. Since the 1920s, most saxophones have touch keys (which are smooth decorative pieces placed where the fingers play the instrument) made of plastic or mother-of-pearl.
Attempts have been made to make saxophones from other materials, with varying degrees of success, including the plastic Grafton saxophone made in the 1950s. Companies such as Yanagisawa and Bauhaus Walstein have made phosphor bronze models of saxophones (a alloy of 3.5 to 10% copper with a high percentage of phosphorus, greater than 1%) due to its slightly different tonal qualities than this material. For example, even though their designs are identical apart from the metal used, Yanagisawa Made from phosphor bronze, the A992 and T992 sound noticeably "darker" than the A991 and T991, made of brass. A saxophone made of phosphor bronze is heavier than one made of brass, due to its higher copper content, which gives it a greater mass. Both Yanagisawa and a few other manufacturers have made saxophone necks or entire instruments out of sterling silver (sterling silver, an alloy of 95% silver with copper), copper, nickel silver, or synthetic materials. Saxophones from Canonball of Salt Lake City, Utah use primarily non-copper metals in their manufacturing processes; such as anodized black nickel plating. Julius Keilwerth developed a saxophone with a nickel silver body like that of a transverse flute, with a black nickel plating.
After the instrument is complete, makers typically apply a thin coating of acrylic lacquer or silver plating over the bare brass. Lacquer or plating protects the metal from oxidation and keeps it looking shiny. Over the years different types and colors have been used for the surface of the instrument. It is also possible to plate the instrument with nickel or gold. Gold plating saxophones is an expensive process because gold does not bond directly to the metal. Consequently, the metal is first covered with silver (which adheres to the instrument) and then gold plated over the silver layer.
Some argue that the type of lacquer or veneer, or the lack of it, can enhance the sound quality of an instrument. The possible effects of the different finishes on the tone are a hotly debated issue, not least because other variables can affect the timbres of an instrument, such as the design of the mouthpiece and the physical characteristics of the player. In any case, whether it makes a nice tone is a matter of personal preference and tastes vary.
History
The saxophone was created in the mid-1840s by Adolphe Sax, and introduced to orchestral music by Jules Massenet in his operas Manon and Werther.
Adolphe Sax was an instrument maker, flutist and clarinetist born in Dinant, Belgium who worked in Paris. While working in his father's instrument shop in Brussels, Sax began to develop an instrument that had the projection of a brass instrument with the mobility of a woodwind instrument. Another priority was to create an instrument that, although similar to the clarinet, but transited one octave, unlike the clarinet, which raises its pitch twelve tones when transiting. An instrument that transits one octave would have identical fingering for both registers. This also allows saxophonists to make better use of overtones.
Prior to his work on the saxophone, Sax made several improvements to the bass clarinet, improving its keys and acoustics and widening its lower register. Sax was also a maker of figles, at the time very popular and which were large, conical brass instruments in the lower register with keys similar to those of a woodwind instrument. His experience with these two instruments allowed him to develop the skills and technologies necessary to make the first saxophones. Adolphe Sax created an instrument with a single reed mouthpiece like a clarinet, a conical copper body like a figle, and the acoustic properties of a flute.
By the early 1840s, Sax had built a number of saxophones of different sizes and received a 15-year patent for the instrument on June 28, 1846. The patent covered 14 versions of the fundamental design, divided into two categories of seven instruments each, from the sopranino to the double bass. In the group provided by Sax for orchestral works, the transposed instruments tuned in F or C, while for "military band" the group included instruments that alternated between mi♭ and si♭. The orchestral soprano saxophone was the only instrument that sounded at a normal pitch. Sax gave all instruments an initial written register of B, below high F an additional three lines above the staff, giving each saxophone a register of two and a half octaves.
Sax's patent expired in 1866. Thereafter numerous saxophonists and instrument makers made their own improvements to the instrument's design and keys. The first substantial modification made by a French maker consisted of a slight enlargement of the bell and the addition of an extra key to extend the register down one semitone to B♭. It is suspected that Sax himself may have attempted this modification. This supplement was adopted in almost all modern designs.
The original set of sax keys was very simplistic and made some passages legato difficult to play and wide intervals extremely difficult to play. Then numerous makers added supplementary keys and alternate fingerings to make chromatic playing easier. While early saxophones had two separate octave vents to facilitate playing the upper registers, just as modern instruments do, players of the original sax design had to operate these two separate octave vents with their left thumb. A substantial advance in saxophone keyset was the development of a method whereby both tone holes are driven by a single octave key with the left thumb, and which is now universal on all modern saxophones.
One of the most radical changes made to the instrument, albeit temporary, were the revisions to the saxophone key set made in the 1950s by M. Houvenaghel of Paris, who completely revamped the mechanics of the system to allow for a series of notes (do♯, si, la, sol, fa and mi♭) to reduce a flat by a semitone simply by lowering the middle finger of the right hand. This allowed a chromatic scale to be played over two octaves simply by playing the diatonic scale by alternately combining the rise and fall of said finger. However, this set of keys never caught on and is no longer in use.
Members of the saxophone family
The saxophone was originally patented as two families, each of seven instruments. The orchestral family consisted of instruments tuned in C and F, and the military band family in E♭ and if♭. Each family consisted of a sopranino, a soprano, an alto, a tenor, a baritone, a bass, and a double bass. Adolphe Sax also designed a sub-bass, but never got it done.
Music Band Family
In the brass band family, only soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone are in common use (these form the typical saxophone sections of both military and big band). The bass saxophone is sometimes used in marching bands (especially music composed by Percy Grainger).
Almost all musicians start learning on the alto saxophone, later moving to tenor or baritone once they have developed certain skills. The alto saxophone is the most popular among classical composers and artists; most classical saxophonists focused first on the alto. The soprano has gained some popularity in recent decades, thanks mainly to the work of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane in the 1960s. The soprano is often seen as more difficult to play or to keep in tune. A few basses, sopraninos and double basses are still made; They are mainly aimed at collectors or for innovative or avant-garde uses, although they are rarely used except for large saxophone ensembles.
Orchestral Family
Saxophones from the orchestral family have not been as popularly successful with the brass band family. Adolphe Sax had a personal rivalry with the German composer Wilhelm Wieprecht, whom he held responsible in part for the complete failure of the saxophone in orchestral music. Of this family, only the tenor and soprano saxophones, both tuned in C and therefore able to easily interpret music composed for stringed or voiced instruments, have achieved popularity. The C tenor, commonly known as the C melodic saxophone, was very popular with beginners in the 1920s and early 1930s because players did not have to transpose. Although the instrument was popularized by musicians such as Rudy Wiedoeft and Frank Trumbauer, this did not secure it a place in jazz or classical music. C melodicos continued to be made throughout the 1930s after their initial popularity waned, although they became a special order item in some manufacturers' catalogs. These instruments are usually treated as collector's items, although since 1980 only a few contemporary saxophonists have begun to use this instrument again.
Also in the early 20th century, the soprano in C (who tuned a key above soprano in b♭) was marketed to those who they wanted to play oboe parts in military bands and vaudeville arrangements and liturgical hymns. Sopranos in 'C are easy to confuse with regular sopranos (in B♭), as they are only about two centimeters shorter. None have continued to be produced since the late 1920s. The F mezzo-soprano saxophone (similar to the modern alto and produced by the American firm C. G. Conn during the period 1928-1929) is extremely rare; most of the surviving specimens are in the possession of major collectors. Adolphe Sax made some prototype baritone saxophone in F but they have not been built. No other examples of bass saxophone tuned in C are known, apart from the first saxophone built and exhibited by Sax in the early 1840s, or the sopranino in F, despite the fact that Maurice Ravel made the instrumentation for said instrument in his < i>Bolero. The only known alto saxophone in F was made by Sax himself and is known to exist by Canadian saxophonist Paul Brodie.
Other saxophones
The alto saxophone was developed in the late 20th century century by luthier Jim Schmidt. This instrument is larger and has a new fingering system so it does not resemble the C melodic saxophone except for the key in which it is tuned and its register. The difficulties in building a true sopranissimo saxophone, also called soprillo, have become clear since they have only recently been able to start building. This piccolo-sized saxophone is an octave above the soprano, and its diminutive size necessitates an octave key on its mouthpiece. The instrument, which extends the original sax family by raising a full octave higher than the soprano saxophone in B♭< /span>, was manufactured by Benedikt Eppelsheim, from Munich (Germany). A rare prototype tenor saxophone exists, but few were ever built. One of the companies that made a slide soprano saxophone was Reiffel & Husted, from Chicago, United States, circa 1922 (catalogued as NMM 5385).
Related Instruments
Numerous saxophone-related instruments have appeared since Adolphe Sax released his original work, most without any significant success. These include the saxello, similar to the straight soprano but with a slight bend in the neck and a sloped bell; the high straight; and the straight tenor (currently only made by the L.A. Sax Company). Considering that the straight tenor is approximately 1.5 meters long, the cumbersome size of such a design makes two things difficult: playing it (especially when one is seated) and transport it. The saxellos "King" (King), made by the H. N. White Company in the 1920s, now command a price of $4,000. Many companies, including Rampone & Cazzani and Woodwind and Brasswind, are trading bell-sloping straight sopranos as saxellos (or "saxellos sopranos"). Two of these variants were pioneered by jazz musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who called his straight alto stritch and his modified saxello manzello. This unique instrument had a larger than usual bell and a modified keyboard.
The tubax, developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim, plays the same register and with the same fingering as a contrabass saxophone tuned to E♭. However, although it is of the same bore, it is narrower than the contrabass saxophone, making it a more compact instrument with a more "junky" sound. (comparable to the double-reed double bass called sarrusophone). It can be played with the smallest (and most commonly available) baritone saxophone mouthpiece and reed. Eppelsheim has also made the tubax subcontrabass tuned in C and B♭, this being the oldest saxophone. under which it was built. Among the more recent developments is the aulochrome, a double soprano saxophone invented by Belgian instrument maker François Louis in 2001.
Another unusual variant of the saxophone was the Conn-O-Sax, a straight instrument tuned in F (one tone above alto in my♭) with a slightly curved neck and spherical bell. The instrument, which combined the bore and keyboard of the saxophone with a bell similar to that of the heckelphone, attempted to imitate the timbre of the English horn and was produced only between 1928 and 1930. The instrument ranged from low A to high G.
Bamboo Saxophones
Although not true saxophones, cheap versions for traditional music made of bamboo and keyless were created in the 20th century, built by manufacturers in Hawaii, Jamaica, Argentina, Chile, Thailand and Indonesia. In Latin American countries they are called "Andean Saxophone", although they have no historical, anthropological or traditional relationship with instruments from the area such as the Zampoña or the Quena. The only thing they have in common is the material with which they are made (although in fact it is common to find them with G tunings, just like the Quena). The name "Andean saxo" It seems to be more for commercial reasons aimed at tourists. The Hawaiian instrument, called the xaphoon, is marketed as the "bamboo sax," although its cylindrical bore shape corresponds to that of a clarinet (it presents only odd harmonics) and its absence of keys to a recorder. The best known Jamaican exponent and with a "saxophone" homemade bamboo was for mento and made by instrument maker "Sugar Belly" (William Walker) In Argentina, stepped-taper-bodied bamboo saxophones have been developed since 1985, with one or more keys, and which use the same reeds as conventional saxes. In the Minahasa region of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, there are entire bands made up of bamboo "saxophones" and brass instruments of various sizes. These instruments are clever imitations of European instruments made from local materials. Very similar instruments are also built in Thailand.
Using the saxophone
The saxophone first gained popularity in the arena for which it was designed: the military band. Although the instrument was ignored by academics in Germany, French and Belgian military bands took full advantage of the instrument that Sax had designed expressly for them. Most French and Belgian military bands incorporate at least one saxophone quartet comprising at least one baritone in my ♭, a tenor in B♭, an alto in E♭ and a B soprano♭. These four instruments have proven to be the most popular of all the Sax creations. The rest of Sax's creations, such as the double bass in mi♭ and the bass in B♭ are generally considered impractical due to their large size and the sopranino in my♭ insufficiently powerful. British military bands tend to include at least one alto and one tenor saxophone.
More recently, the saxophone has found a place in both symphonic band and big band music, often requiring the use of the baritone in my♭, the tenor in B♭ and the height in my♭. The B soprano♭ is also used from time to time and is usually played by the first saxophonist high. The B bass saxophone♭ is sometimes used in military bands (especially music composed by Percy Grainger) and big band orchestrations, especially the music composed by Stan Kenton for the Mellophonium Orchestra. In the 1920s the bass saxophone was often used in classical jazz recordings, since at that time it was easier to record than a tuba or double bass.[citation needed ] It was also used in the original score (and film) for Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story. Following the inclusion of the saxophone in the symphony orchestra, the instrument has increased in popularity. In any of its sizes, it has been considered a useful accompaniment in genres as broad as opera, choral music, and chamber music. Numerous musicals include parts for the saxophone, usually doubling another woodwind or brass instrument. In this way the saxophone serves as a middle ground between both families, helping to merge them.
Saxophone Ensembles
The saxophone is much better known, and iconic, for its role in modern jazz music. It is usually played by a solo saxophonist accompanied by a rhythm section, although sometimes it may form a quartet or be part of a big band. But it should be noted that in Peru, in the Mantaro Valley, it is performed by orchestras and taken as a musical pattern by authors and composers.
The saxophone quartet usually consists of a soprano saxophone and a tenor in B♭ and an alto and a baritone in my♭ (known by the initials SATB), although sometimes the soprano is replaced by a second alto (known by the initials AATB). Some professional saxophone quartets have been noted for having non-standard instrumentation, such as James Fei's Alto Quartet, consisting of four altos, and Hamiet Bluiett's Bluiett Baritone Nation, consisting of four baritones.
There is a repertoire of classical compositions and arrangements for SATB instrumentation dating back to the 19th century, particularly by composers Frenchmen who knew Adolphe Sax. The Raschèr, Amherst, Aurelia, Amstel and Rova saxophone quartets are among the best known groups. Historically, the quartets led by Marcel Mule and Daniel Deffayet, saxophone professors at the Paris Conservatoire, which began in 1928 and 1953, respectively, have been well remembered. The Mule quartet is often considered the prototype of all future quartets due to the high level of virtuosity displayed by its members and their leading role in developing the quartet repertoire. However, there were already organized quartets before the Mule ensemble, such as the first quartet headed by Eduard Lefebre, former soloist saxophone in the John Philip Sousa band in the United States from 1904 to 1911. Probably, other ensembles also existed in this time as part of the saxophone sections of many "business"tourist bands; that existed in the late 19th century and early 20th century. By the late 1970s, the World Saxophone Quartet had become known as a pre-eminent jazz saxophone quartet. The Rova Saxophone Quartet, located in San Francisco, is noted for its work in the fields of contemporary classical music and improvised music.
There are some ensembles with all the larger saxophones, most notably the nine-piece SaxAssault, and the Urban Sax, which includes at least 52 saxophonists. The six-piece Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra own one of the few double bass saxophones in my♭ and perform a variety of ensemble pieces, including "Casbah Shuffle"", a duet for sopranino and double bass. Performances by groups of more than 100 saxophonists are sometimes given at saxophone conventions.
Technique
Saxophone playing technique is subjective and based on the style you intend to play (classical music, jazz, rock, ska >, funk, etc.) in addition to the sound that the musician has idealized and intends to achieve. The saxophone's design allows for an incredible variety of tonal production and the "ideal" and the keys to produce it are topics that fuel heated debates. However, there is a basic underlying structure that underpins most of the techniques. The instrument also has a fingering structure that, far from being fixed, is closer to a wide variety of alternatives that in various cases can produce the same tone using totally different fingerings. This unique versatility allows the player to use the most convenient fingering depending on the scale he is using or the type of music he is currently playing.
Registration
Music for most saxophones is generally composed using the treble clef. The standard written register spans from si♭3 (one tone below middle C on the piano) to fa or fa♯5 (three additional lines above the staff). There are a few models of soprano saxophone that have a key to play G5 and several models of baritone saxophone have an enlarged bore and key to play 2. It is also possible to play the 2 on any saxophone by covering the end of the bell, usually with the foot or the inner part of the left thigh. Notes above fa5 are considered part of the high register of any saxophone and can be produced by modifying the mouth cavity and using special fingerings. Adolphe Sax himself mastered these techniques and demonstrated that the instrument had a written register greater than three octaves, reaching B2. Modern saxophonists such as Lenny Pickett and John Zorn have extended this range to over 4 octaves on the tenor and alto saxophone respectively.
Since all saxophones use the same key system and have the same fingering to produce a given note, it is not difficult for an experienced player to switch between various sax sizes when the music has been properly transposed. Since the baritone and alto are pitched in my♭, saxophonists can read the music written in the F clef by simply playing it as if it were written in the G clef and adding three sharps to the key signature. This process, called "key substitution," makes it possible for the baritone or alto to play parts written for bassoon, tuba, trombone, or double bass. This can be useful if a marching band or orchestra lacks any of these instruments.