Saxophone

The saxophone, more casually referred to as sax, is another member of the large woodwind family. It consists of a cone-shaped tube made of thin metal which is usually brass and at times plated with nickel, silver, or gold. It is played with a mouthpiece that is single-reed just like that of the clarinet.

History

This magnificent instrument was invented by Adolphe Sax from Belgium. Akin to his father, Charles Joseph Sax, he was an instrument maker. The saxhorn, his first successful creation, was made public some time after he transferred to France. Adolphe Sax completed several developments to the bass clarinet prior to focusing on the saxophone.

The saxophone was created around 1846. Sax's primary key work was very basic which made wide intervals quite hard to finger. To make playing less difficult, many developers and instrument makers added alternate fingerings and more keys. One of the most substantial advancements in its key work was that both tone holes can be controlled by the left thumb using one octave key. This configuration is now common to all modern saxophones.