This entry intends to teach complete beginners how to play the saxophone.

It does not aim to teach other aspects of music such as musical notation, rhythm and so on. It is assumed that the beginner is able to hum simple tunes and can sing the major scale: 'do re mi fa so la ti do'.

Introduction and Brief History

The saxophone, popularly known as the sax, is a woodwind instrument, although it is made of metal. It has a lovely, sexy tone, with more of an edge to it than the clarinet, to which it is similar in many respects. The sax is easy to play and is a good instrument for anyone above the age of 12 who wants to be able to bash out tunes without requiring any great musical knowledge. It uses a single vibrating reed strapped to one end of a long pipe which is narrow at the reed end and widens out along the length into a wide 'bell' at the other end. To make the saxophone more manageable, the pipe is bent into the characteristic 'S' shape, except in the very small saxes, which are straight like a clarinet.

Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument maker, invented the sax in 1843 in an attempt to make a bass clarinet that was easier to play and with a better tone. Sax's original saxophone was very big. He later produced a whole range of instruments of different sizes, including the smaller saxophones which are common today. Sax developed his instruments for use in military bands and they are still used in that capacity. In the 20th Century, the sax was adopted in jazz circles and became very much associated with jazz, swing and big band music. By the late 20th Century, its use had spread to most types of popular music.

The sax was never really adopted into the world of classical music. Having a tone somewhere between a clarinet and an oboe, it should fill a niche, but very few composers have written music for it: Ravel gives it a part in his orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, but that's about it.

Sax's original saxophones had a range of a little over two octaves. This range has been extended slightly in modern saxophones to about two and a half octaves, although special playing techniques can be used to get much higher notes. Modern saxes also have a more elaborate key mechanism to make them easier to play.

Choosing a Saxophone

Saxophones come in a number of sizes, the most common ones being the Alto and Tenor. The Tenor is a little bigger than the Alto and has a deeper tone. It is recommended that you start learning on the Alto, as it is the easiest to play and to carry. The smaller Soprano is cheaper and looks like it might be more manageable, but it is more difficult to play. New Alto saxophones cost anything from about 400 up to many thousands of pounds. However, you should be able to pick up a cheap second-hand one for a reasonable price.

Saxophones are made from metal which is normally lacquered to give it a gold appearance. Only the very expensive models are actually gold-plated. If your saxophone has been used a lot, the lacquer will have worn off in places. Don't worry too much about this: it makes the instrument look cool, and it is a sign that the sax has been well used, which means it must play reasonably well. If the instrument has a pristine look, it may be because it was rarely played, and this may be because it is unplayable!

The name Selmer is synonymous with saxophones. The Selmer company bought the Sax company in 1928, so they are 'direct descendants' of the inventor. Anything Selmer makes should be good, but will carry an appropriate price tag. Other reputable makers are Yamaha and Keilwerth. There are also many good companies in Taiwan producing student model saxophones, such as Jupiter.

Main Parts of the Sax

The body of the saxophone is shaped like the letter J. The bottom of the J is called the bow. The end of the J where it widens out is called the bell. There are holes along the length of the body which are covered with pads. These pads are controlled by keys which are pressed by your fingers. As well as the body of your saxophone, there are a few other bits you need:

Mouthpiece - the pointed tip to which the reed is attached, that goes in your mouth. Usually made of plastic or hardened rubber (a black plastic-like substance) but can be metal or crystal.

Reed - this flat piece of cane is the vibrating bit.

Ligature - a metal or leather clamp which holds the reed to the mouthpiece.

Crook or neck - a curved metal tube with a single pad on it. One end of the crook is lined with cork which fits into the mouthpiece.

Neck strap - the saxophone is too heavy to hold in your hands, so it hangs from a strap around your neck.

Bung - this fills the hole at the top of the saxophone when it is disassembled, preventing the opening from being damaged.

Cork grease - the cork needs to be lubricated with this to make a good seal and to prevent it from being damaged.

Cap - this is a protective cap that can be put over the mouthpiece to protect the reed while you are not playing.

Caring for the Saxophone

Because they are made of metal, saxophones are rugged and don't require a huge amount of care.

The most important thing in looking after your sax is not to lift it up by the crook - this part could easily become damaged and this would greatly affect the sound. The bell is much stronger and won't affect the sound very much even if you dent it, so always pick the sax up by the bell.

When you play, condensation builds up inside the instrument. This won't do the metal any harm, but it can damage the pads and it can make the sax smell bad, so you should dry it out after use with a special pull-through cloth. The cork should be dried and kept well lubricated with cork grease. The mouthpiece should be swabbed dry with a piece of tissue. The reed should be detached and allowed to dry away from direct heat, after which it should be replaced on the mouthpiece or stored in a special reed storage case.