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.

Photo Credits: 1

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

Related Posts

• How to Care For Acoustic Instruments Caring for your acoustic instruments is not difficult, but it does take a little bit of know how if you want to do it right. There are many consequences of improperly caring for your instrument, most of which can be easily and effectively avoided simply by keeping some basic things......
• Oboe 101 The oboe has a larger relative, which is the Cor Anglais, and both of these instruments are capable of producing a sound that has been described as being sweet, beautiful and even haunting. When they are used as solo instruments, the sound that these instruments are capable of producing has......
• Violin Questions Answered If you are interested in the violin, its history or the basics on how to play it, the following questions and answers will prove to be useful. These are the most basic questions about the violin and how it functions, its history and also how this beautiful and melodic instrument......
• Brief History of Concertinas A concertina is a free reed acoustic musical instrument, falling in the same family as the accordion and the harmonica. The concertina musical instrument has buttons and bellows much in the same was as an accordion does, however the buttons typically exist on both ends rather than just on a......
• Althorn 101 Known primarily as the althorn, the alto horn has a number of names and classifications. The althorn is also regularly known as the tenor horn or the althoorn, and it is classified as an aerophone as well as a brass instrument. There are a number of instruments that are related......

Related Websites

• The Decline and Potential Rise of the Bass Saxophone Bass instruments are typically the largest of instruments, and the bass saxophone is not exception. This sometimes forgotten instrument can be awkward to move about, and it suffers from little love in the music department in terms of songs and pieces written for the instrument. It is frequently replaced by......
• Musical Instruments Bass When some people hear the word bass, they immediately think about the bass guitar, a popular instrument in many types of music today. However, there is actually a large number of different instruments that fall under the base category, and the bass guitar is only one of them. Bass instruments......
• Anyone Can Play a Kalimba - If It's a Hugh Tracey The kalimba - also called a thumb piano among other things - was popularized in America in the 1960's. I won't go into all the faux cultural interests and folk music experiments that involved kalimbas. Suffice it to say that this small African instrument has a beautiful, delicate sound and......
• The Lead of Music Teaching Resources Today Have you experienced holding a guitar or any musical instruments? Do you know something about it aside from its being a musical instrument? Do you know how to play it? Or have you asked a friend to tutor you and yet you see yourself so upset because you can’t still......
• Domain Names - Thinking Outside The Domain Tool Box It came in my email a few days ago. "Try this super duper domain name choosing tool! It is the key to all your domain choosing needs! It will wash your windows walk your dog, mow your lawn, etc. etc." Enough already! I tried the tool, I typed a......

Online Stores

• Popular, by decade Sheet Music Sheet Music Song Books
• Novelties Jazz, Big Band Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• Apparel Jazz, Big Band Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• Photos Jazz, Big Band Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia
• Concert Memorabilia Jazz, Big Band Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.



Categories:

Acoustic Musical Instruments, Instrument History, saxophone

Tags:

alto saxophone, background music, baritone saxophone, baritone saxophones, centimeters, crook in the neck, elevator music, jazz music, mezzo soprano, mouthpiece, musical instrument, pitch sound, saxophone music, saxophone player, saxophone types, school bands, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, tone holes, types of saxophones