saxophone

sax·​o·​phone ˈsak-sə-ˌfōn. : a musical instrument of the woodwind class consisting of a usually curved metal tube with finger keys and a reed mouthpiece. saxophonist. -ˌfō-nəst. noun.

The saxophone is only a few instruments in wide use today known to be invented by a single individual. His name is Adolphe Sax: that is why it is called the saxophone. History tells us that Adolphe Sax (1814 - 1894) was a musical instrument designer born in Belgium who could play many wind instruments.

Used in both jazz and classical music The dynamic range of the saxophone is the widest of all the woodwinds. It has tonal qualities very close to those of the human voice, and it is capable of a wide range of expression, so it is no wonder that it features prominently in the history of jazz music as a solo instrument.

countable noun. A saxophonist is someone who plays the saxophone.

The saxophone is one of the most unique and versatile wind instruments of all time. Although it was originally envisioned as a classical and military instrument, it has since made its way into almost every genre of music around the world from pop and rock to jazz, classical, and the avant garde.

“The saxophone almost mimics a human voice,” Erdmann said. “It's very very expressive, and that comes from both how flexible the sound can be but also the sonic quality.”

alto saxophone (plural alto saxophones) A member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments that is smaller than the tenor saxophone but larger than the soprano saxophone, with a range of D♭3 to A♭5 or similar.

Making sound by vibrating the reed The sound of a saxophone is generated by vibrating the reed attached to the mouthpiece, which the player puts in his mouth. Instruments that make sound in this way are called reed instruments. The oboe and clarinet are also members of the reed instrument family.

Because the saxophone was designed to bridge the gap between brass and woodwinds, it plays an important role in creating tonal balance. Not only does it serve to blend the divergent tones of these two groups, but it can also help support both high and low woodwinds.

The saxophone's versatility as an instrument is almost unheard of. Since it was originally meant to “bridge the gap” between brass and woodwind instruments, the saxophone offers a level of versatility you won't see in every other instrument.

The sound of the saxophone is a little like a sine wave when played softly, but successively less like it as it is played louder. To make a repeated or periodic wave that is not a simple sine wave, one can add sine waves from the harmonic series.

With jazz, the ideal instrument allows players to express their individuality, and so they like a saxophone with a greater taper (a high angle of graduation). The raspy tones and buzz of the instrument contribute to the texture of the music.