Saxophone

The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-

reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with
all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on
a mouthpiece vibrates to produce a sound wave inside the instrument's body.
The pitch is controlled by opening and closing holes in the body to change the
effective length of the tube.[1] The holes are closed by leather pads attached to
keys operated by the player. Saxophones are made in various sizes and are
almost always treated as transposing instruments. Saxophone players are
called saxophonists.[2]
The saxophone is used in a wide range of musical styles including classical
music (such as concert bands, chamber music, solo repertoire, and
occasionally orchestras), military bands, marching bands, jazz (such as big
bands and jazz combos), and contemporary music. The saxophone is also used
as a solo and melody instrument or as a member of a horn section in some
styles of rock and roll and popular music.
The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in
the early 1840s[3] and was patented on 28 June 1846. Sax invented two groups
of seven instruments each—one group contained instruments in C and F, and
the other group contained instruments in B♭ and E♭. The B♭ and E♭ instruments
soon became dominant, and most saxophones encountered today are from this
series. Instruments from the series pitched in C and F never gained a foothold
and constituted only a small fraction of instruments made by Sax. High-
pitch (also marked "H" or "HP") saxophones tuned sharper than the (concert) A
= 440 Hz standard were produced into the early twentieth century for sonic
qualities suited for outdoor use, but are not playable to modern tuning and are
considered obsolete. Low-pitch (also marked "L" or "LP") saxophones are
equivalent in tuning to modern instruments. C soprano and C
melody saxophones were produced for the casual market as parlor instruments
during the early twentieth century, and saxophones in F were introduced during
the late 1920s but never gained acceptance. The modern saxophone family
consists entirely of B♭ and E♭ instruments. The saxophones in widest use are
the B♭ soprano, E♭ alto, B♭ tenor, and E♭ baritone. The E♭ sopranino and
B♭ bass saxophone are typically used in larger saxophone choir settings, when
available.