The Tenor Saxophone is an orchestral and band instrument invented by Belgian-born Adolphe Sax around 1840. It consists of a single-reed mouthpiece attached to a wide, conical, metal tube - this unique combination places the saxophone in a category of its own. Its powerful, expressive range is exploited by many leading jazz, rock, blues, and pop musicians.
Family |
Woodwinds |
Pitch range |
Two-and-a-half octaves. |
Material |
Metal, or occasionally, plastic. |
Size |
About 31 in (79 cm) long ; unwound 4 ft 6 in (1.40 m) long. |
Origins |
The tenor saxophone is one of a family invented in 1840 by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument-maker. |
Classification |
Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
And also... |
Despite their high profile in jazz today, saxophones came late on the scene. Early Dixieland bands featured cornets, clarinets, and trombones ; saxophones arrived only in the late 1920s. |