Today, the saxophone is a popular instrument among musicians, especially those interested in jazz or blues music. However, the saxophone is a relatively new instrument in comparison to other musical instruments that date back hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
History of the Saxophone
The saxophone was invented by Antoine-Joseph (Adolphe) Sax, a Belgian man who was the son of an expert musical instrument maker. As a child, Sax watched his father's work and, as he got older, began studying various instruments and how they work. According to The Saxophone, Sax had such a passion for musical instruments that, by the age of six, he had already learned how to play many instruments, including the flute and clarinet, and had begun to produce exemplary instruments.
While attending the Brussels Conservatory, Sax began to realize disparities between various sections within an ensemble. For example, the brass overpowered the woodwinds in terms of volume, and the woodwinds produced enough volume to drown out the strings. Sax felt the need to create an instrument that would balance the sounds made by the three sections, but whose tone still fit in with the sound of an ensemble.
After creating an instrument that combined the brass body structure of the trumpet and the woodwind mouthpiece of the clarinet, Sax created the first saxophone sometime prior to 1841. It was then that Sax showed his instrument to the composer Hector Berlioz, who was intrigued by its sound and function within an ensemble. Berlioz then wrote about the instrument in Paris's "Journal des Debats" in June of the same year.
Six years later, in 1847, a saxophone school was opened at the Gymnase Musical in Paris, France. Since then, many different variations of the saxophone in various different keys have been created.
The Saxophone Today
After Sax's patent on the saxophone ran out in 1866, many other companies began to produce their own versions of the saxophone. However, Sax's company continued to produce the original instrument until the company was bought by the Henri Selmer Company in 1928, says The Saxophone. Today, the Henri Selmer Company is one of the largest producers of band instruments and owns many of the name brands of instruments played in schools across the United States.
The saxophone became popular in the early twentieth century with the rise of jazz bands. This could be due to the saxophone's sound acting as a balance between woodwinds and brass and the unique sound the saxophone creates. Today, it is still a popular instrument among musicians of all ages, especially the alto and tenor saxophones.
The saxophone is an instrument that was created with a unique purpose to balance the sounds of an ensemble. Today, the saxophone still serves the same purpose, but has also become a popular instrument to play solo or just for fun.
Sources:
- "The history of the saxophone." The-Saxophone.com, copyright 2005-2010
- "Selmer History in Detail." Selmer Musical Instruments, copyright 2010
Ashley Anderson - Ashley is an Ohio-based writer and editor with specializations in higher education, writing, and social activism.
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