Guide to Saxophone Types

The saxophone, which is also commonly known as the sax, is a musical instrument that is crafted from brass and played with the use of a reed mouthpiece. The saxophone can vary significantly in its size, and it can range from fifteen centimeters to two meters in size based on the type of saxophone and how it is made. There are a variety of different types of saxophones, with the most common options being soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. There are also other types of saxophones including Bass, C Soprano, C Melody, F Mezzo Soprano, Conn-O-Sax and the F Baritone Saxophone. Most of the saxophone music that you hear is played with the tenor saxophone in jazz music and rock music, but other saxophone types are used rather frequently as well.

Saprono Saxophone -

The Soprano Saxophone has the highest pitched key, which is B flat. With its distinctive higher pitch sound, the Soprano saxophone is slowly gaining significant popularity, and can be heard in many types of popular background music, including elevator music. The Soprano saxophone can either be a straight saxophone, resembling a clarinet, or have a curved bell appearing like other types of saxophones.

Alto Saxophone -

This is a medium sized saxophone, and it also happens to be one of the most commonly played types of saxophones as well. This saxophone is particularly popular among school bands, and is also ideal for the beginning saxophone player. The alto saxophone plays in the key of E flat, meaning that it has a higher pitch than the B flat tenor saxophone which is another popular option. The best way to tell these two saxophones apart is by looking to the size of the neck piece. The tenor saxophone has a larger size and a crook in the neck piece, while the alto saxophone has a straighter neck.

Tenor Saxophone -

This is a larger saxophone in comparison to the alto saxophone, and it plays in the key of B flat. The mouthpiece is also larger for this type of saxophone, and the tone holes and rods are longer. This is the type of saxophone which is most commonly used in jazz music, but the next of this type of saxophone is often prone to damage because of its length.

Baritone Saxophone -

This is the largest among all of the common types of saxophones, and it requires that a harness be worn by its players because so much weight has to be maintained by the instrument, which rests on a stand on the ground. The Baritone saxophone may or may not have an extension attached to it, making it a low A baritone saxophone. Due to the size and shape that it offers, the baritone is a saxophone that tends to be prone to damage. The baritone saxophone offers a deep bass like sound, making it popular for jazz solos.

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Originally posted 2009-01-19 05:58:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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