Saxophone is a woodwind instrument named after its inventor. Its timbre is between woodwind instrument and brass instrument. Often appear in bars or places that need a good atmosphere. The following is the basic introduction of saxophone and the characteristics of saxophone instruments and performances.

The basic introduction of saxophone:

Saxophones include double bass saxophone, bass saxophone, upper bass saxophone, tenor saxophone, C-tone saxophone, alto saxophone, F-tone treble saxophone, C-tone treble saxophone and super treble saxophone.

There are many ranges and tonality of saxophone, among which alto, alto, alto and tenor are the most common. Classical saxophone is dominated by alto saxophone, while alto and tenor are dominated in jazz and pop music. All saxophones have basically the same fingering, and players can change instruments without practicing fingering.

The soprano saxophone, usually in B flat, is the second highest instrument in the saxophone family, second only to the soprano saxophone, and the volume of the pipe is also the second smallest. Common ones are straight pipes, slightly curved necks or shapes similar to alto saxophone. The tenor Saxbe clarinet is louder and more penetrating. However, due to the small tubular body, it is difficult to control the pitch of the high-pitched part and get started. The treble saxophone is mainly used for solo and often replaces the oboe in woodwind ensemble. Famous soprano saxophonists include Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane, Wayne Short and Kenneth Gorelli.

Alto saxophone is the most common saxophone in E-flat, and it is also the most used saxophone in classical music ensemble. Because of the moderate interval, the difficulty of breath requirement and mouth control is between tenor saxophone and tenor saxophone, and the relatively cheap price and easy to use, saxophone is the most commonly used for beginners to get started. Tenor Saxbe tenor is clearer and gentler. The alto saxophone constitutes the most important part of the saxophone part of the wind band and occupies the same position as the alto in the compilation of the jazz big band. As a solo instrument, it appears relatively rarely. Alto saxophone is the most representative of saxophone family. Famous alto saxophonists include jazz: Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adley, Kenny Garrett, classical music: Marcel Mulet, Chiglu Drascher and so on.

The tenor saxophone, usually in B flat, is slightly larger than the alto saxophone, with a bend at the front of the elbow and a gentle and stable timbre. In a wind band, the number of alto saxophones is less than that of alto saxophones. Generally, as an auxiliary role, they use the same score as the bass horn and trombone. In jazz, alto plays a central role. Coleman Hawkins 1920s' hoarse and heavy voice redefines people's concept of tenor timbre. Later, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins and Michael Brecker gradually established the characteristics of mezzo-soprano.

Baritone saxophone is usually in e key, which is a rare one among the four. The volume and weight are relatively large, which is about twice that of the mid-end. Few people regard it as a solo instrument, but in saxophone quartets or jazz bands, alto saxophone supports other sounds with its deep and rich timbre, and keeps the steady rhythm of music with simple playing. In a wind band, it often plays the role of a bass horn, which sometimes reminds people of the sound of a cello. The famous performer is Gerry Mulligan.

Characteristics and performance of saxophone instruments;

Instrumental tone: B (tenor), E (tenor, alto, bass)

Application clef: treble clef, recorded by changing the tone according to the key of the instrument.

Practical scope: about three and a half octaves (tone sandhi will be different)

Structure: metal parabolic conical tube, flute head similar to clarinet, Bohm key system. Except for the bB treble saxophone, everything else is bent into a tube shape.

Instrumental music: soprano saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass saxophone (this is rare).

There is also a special saxophone with a range between E alto saxophone and B alto saxophone, which is also used less.

Material: copper. Aluminum (but it belongs to woodwind instruments)

Musical instrument features: rich timbre, high-pitched area between clarinet and horn, medium-audio voice and cello timbre, and low-pitched area like tuba and double bass.

Typical application: Jazz and modern pop light music are widely used. Ravel accompanied Musorgskiy's piano suites "Picture Exhibition" and "Castle"; Bizet's "Alle City Girls" Suite; Voss Williams' dance music Job and his sixth and ninth symphonies; Richard Strauss's Family Symphony; George gershwin's rhapsody in blue and An American in Paris; Debussy's rhapsody, Vera Lobos's fantasia and Glazunov's saxophone concerto.

Performance characteristics: saxophone is made of metal, strong and weak, and its sound intensity can be comparable to other brass instruments, which is unmatched by other woodwind instruments. The sound quality has the characteristics of woodwind instruments and the brightness of metal.

In terms of performance, its mechanical system is reasonable and its parts are flexible because its structure is designed according to the scientific principle of Bohm flute key. Therefore, it can play difficult music like flute and clarinet. At the same time, compared with other woodwind instruments, it has its own uniqueness in the performance of sliding, vibrato, spitting and blowing.

Expansion: the origin of saxophone

The saxophone was invented by Belgian adolphe sax, so it was named after him. Adolphe sax loves music, and showed his special ability in music when he was 15 years old. About 1840, adolf saxophone invented saxophone. At first, saxophone was only used as an outdoor musical instrument, which mainly had two characteristics: the expressive force of stringed instruments and the volume of brass instruments. Later, after gradual improvement, saxophone began to be used in jazz, and more and more people began to pay attention to this brand-new instrument.

Structural principle of saxophone

The saxophone, which combines the characteristics and functions of various musical instruments, not only has the sound principle close to woodwind, but also has the function of brass instrument, and realizes the timbre transition between woodwind instrument and brass instrument in the playing process. Its tube is mainly made of copper, which has the metal characteristics and tension of brass instruments. The pipe body imitates the cone-shaped pipe body of oboe and draws lessons from woodwind instruments in fingering system, fingering and overtone blowing. So in terms of timbre, saxophone is similar to woodwind.

Playing skills of saxophone

The playing skills of saxophone have developed into many kinds, including pop saxophone, rock saxophone, jazz saxophone, classical saxophone and so on. Among them, through the combination of different saxophone techniques, the existing diverse saxophone playing styles have been formed. Among them, the saxophone techniques used are: ultra-treble, tongue beat, single and double spitting, differential sound, cyclic sound and so on. Different tunes will be combined with different techniques to achieve more expressive music effects.

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