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| Woodwind instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Single-reed |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 422.212-71 (Single-reedaerophone withkeys) |
| Inventor(s) | Adolphe Sax |
| Developed | 1840s |
| Playing range | |
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| Related instruments | |
| Sizes: Orchestral saxophones: Specialty saxophones: | |
| Musicians | |
| Seelist of saxophonists | |
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Thetenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of thesaxophone family, a group of instruments invented byAdolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and thealto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key ofB♭ (while the alto is pitched in the key ofE♭), and written as atransposing instrument in thetreble clef, sounding an octave and amajor second lower than the written pitch. Modern tenor saxophones which have a high F♯ key have a range from A♭2 to E5 (concert) and are therefore pitched one octave below the soprano saxophone. People who play the tenor saxophone are known as "tenor saxophonists", "tenor sax players", or "saxophonists".
The tenor saxophone uses a largermouthpiece,reed andligature than thealto andsoprano saxophones. Visually, it is easily distinguished by the curve in its neck, or its crook, near the mouthpiece. The alto saxophone lacks this and its neck goes straight to the mouthpiece. The tenor saxophone is most recognized for its ability to blend well with the soprano, alto, and baritone saxophones, with its "husky" yet "bright" tone.
The tenor sax has been an important solo instrument injazz music. Famous and influential players includeColeman Hawkins,Lester Young,Ben Webster,Dexter Gordon,Wardell Gray,Stan Getz,Sonny Rollins,John Coltrane andWayne Shorter. The work of younger players such asMichael Brecker andChris Potter has been an important influence in more recent jazz.[1]
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The tenor saxophone is one of afamily of fourteeninstruments designed and constructed in 1846 byAdolphe Sax, aBelgian-born instrument maker,flautist andclarinetist. Based on an amalgam of ideas drawn from theclarinet,flute,oboe andophicleide, the saxophone was intended to form a tonal link between thewoodwinds andbrass instruments found inmilitary bands, an area that Sax considered sorely lacking. Sax's patent, granted on 28 June 1846, divided the family into two groups of seven instruments, each ranging from soprano down to contrabass. One family, pitched alternatively in B♭ and E♭, was designed specifically to integrate with the other instruments then common in military bands. The tenor saxophone, pitched in B♭, is the fourth member of this family.
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The tenor saxophone, like all saxophones, consists of an approximately conical tube of thin brass, a type of metal. The wider end of the tube is flared slightly to form abell, while the narrower end is connected to a single reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. At intervals down the bore is placed between 20 and 23tone holes; these are covered by pads which can be pressed onto the holes to form an airtight seal. There are also two small speaker holes which, when opened, disrupt the lowerharmonics of the instrument and cause it tooverblow into anupper register. The pads are controlled by pressing several keys with the fingers of the left and right hands; the left thumb controls anoctave key which opens one or other of the speaker holes. The original design of the tenor saxophone had a separate octave key for each speaker hole, in the manner of thebassoon; the mechanism by which the correct speaker hole is selected based on the fingering of the left hand (specifically the leftring finger) was developed soon after Sax's patent expired in 1866.
Although a handful of novelty tenors have been constructed 'straight', like the smaller members of the saxophone family, the unwieldy length of the straight configuration means that almost all tenor saxophones feature a 'U-bend' above the third-lowest tone hole which is characteristic of the saxophone family. The tenor saxophone is also curved at the top, above the highest tone hole but below the highest speaker hole. While thealto is usually bent only through 80–90° to make the mouthpiece fit more easily in the mouth, the tenor is usually bent a little more in this section, incorporating a slight S-bend.
Themouthpiece of the tenor saxophone is very similar to that of the clarinet: an approximately wedge-shaped tube, open along one face and covered in use by a thin strip of material prepared from the stem of the giant cane (Arundo donax) commonly known as areed. The reed is shaved to come to an extremely thin point and is clamped over the mouthpiece by the use of aligature. When air is blown through the mouthpiece, the reed vibrates and generates theacoustic resonances required to produce a sound from the instrument. The mouthpiece is the area of the saxophone with the greatest flexibility in shape and style, so thetimbre of the instrument is primarily determined by the dimensions of its mouthpiece. The design of the mouthpiece and reed plays a big role in how a saxophone sounds. Classical mouthpieces generally help produce a warmer and rounder tone, while jazz mouthpieces generally help produce a brighter and edgier tone. Materials used in mouthpiece construction includeplastic,ebonite and various metals, for examplebronze,brass andstainless steel.
The mouthpiece of the tenor saxophone is proportionally larger than that of the alto, necessitating a similarly largerreed. The increased stiffness of the reed and the greater airflow required to establish resonance in the larger body means the tenor sax requires greater lung power but a looserembouchure than the higher-pitched members of the saxophone family. The tenor sax reed is similar in size to that used in thebass clarinet, and the two can be easily substituted.
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The tenor saxophone first gained popularity in one of its original intended roles: themilitary band. Soon after its invention, French and Belgian military bands began to take full advantage of the instrument that Sax had designed specifically for them. Modern military bands typically incorporate a quartet of saxophone players playing theE♭ baritone, tenor,E♭ alto andB♭ soprano. British military bands customarily make use only of the tenor and alto saxes, with two or more musicians on each instrument.
The tenor is used inclassical music. It is a standard instrument inconcert bands andsaxophone quartets. It also has a body of solo repertoire. The tenor is sometimes used as a member of theorchestra in pieces such asSergei Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" and "Lieutenant Kijé Suite" andMaurice Ravel's "Boléro".Charles Ives employs a tenor in hisFourth Symphony.Vincent d'Indy wrote for a tenor in his operaFervaal.Lukas Foss includes a tenor in his Symphony No. 2.Béla Bartók used the tenor and other saxes in his balletThe Wooden Prince.Igor Stravinsky has two tenors performing in hisEbony Concerto.
Much of the popularity of saxophones in theUnited States derives from the large number of military bands that were around at the time of theAmerican Civil War. After the war, former military band instruments found their way into the hands of the general public, where they were often used to playgospel music andjazz. The work of the pioneering bandleaderPatrick Gilmore (1829–1892) was highly influential; he was one of the first arrangers to pit brass instruments (trumpet,trombone andcornet) against reeds (clarinet and saxophone) in a manner that has now become the norm for big-band arrangements.
The tenor saxophone became best known to the general public through its frequent use in jazz music. It was the pioneering genius ofColeman Hawkins in the 1930s that lifted the tenor saxophone from its traditional role of adding weight to the ensemble and established it as a highly effective melody instrument in its own right. Many innovative jazz musicians from the 1930s onwards have been tenor saxophone players. The strong resonant sound of Hawkins and his followers was in contrast with the lighter approach ofLester Young and his school. During the bebop years, the most prominent tenor sounds in jazz were those of theFour Brothers in theWoody Herman orchestra, includingStan Getz who in the 1960s went on to great popular success playing the Brazilianbossa nova sound on tenor saxophone (not forgettingJohn Coltrane,Dexter Gordon andSonny Rollins). In recent years, the tenor continues to be very popular with fans ofsmooth jazz music, being played by artists such asKirk Whalum,Richard Elliot,Steve Cole andJessy J. SaxophonistsRon Holloway andKarl Denson are two of the major proponents of the tenor on thejam band music scene.Van Morrison, learnedmusic notation and tenor saxophone lessons from fellowHyndford Street neighbour, jazz musicianGeorge Cassidy, who specialised in tenor saxophone.Morrison and Cassidy bonded over this, becoming great friends.[2][3]
Former presidentBill Clinton has played the tenor saxophone for much of his life. He received a special-edition saxophone while in office.[4]
As a result of its prominence in American jazz, the instrument has also featured prominently in other genres. The tenor is common inrhythm and blues music and has a part to play inrock and roll and more recentrock music as well asAfrican American,Latin American,Afro-Caribbean, andAfrican music.
Media related toTenor saxophones at Wikimedia Commons