Saxophone

The saxophone is a member of the single-reed instruments (Hornbostel–Sachs 422.212-71). It originates from Belgium. Its invention is credited to Adolphe Sax (1840). Listen to 2 recordings and learn how it makes its sound.

Listen to the saxophone

Jazz Funk no1 (saxophone)

1:23CC BY-SA 4.0by Claude ReidWikimedia Commons

1:23

Jazz Funk no1 (saxophone sans guitare)-en wav

1:23CC BY-SA 4.0by Claude ReidWikimedia Commons

1:23

Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.

How the saxophone makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the saxophone belongs to the single-reed instruments: a single reed beats against a mouthpiece – clarinets and saxophones.

More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.

Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.

From Wikipedia

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. 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. A person who plays the saxophone is called a saxophonist or saxist.