Introduction to the basic knowledge of saxophone

Saxophone is a woodwind instrument named after the inventor, and its timbre is between woodwind instrument and brass instrument. It often appears in bars or places where a good atmosphere is needed. The following is the basic introduction of saxophone and the characteristics of saxophone instruments and performances.

Basic introduction of saxophone:

Saxophones include double bass saxophone, bass saxophone, upper bass saxophone, tenor saxophone, C-tone saxophone, alto saxophone, F-tone treble saxophone, treble saxophone, C-tone treble saxophone and ultra-treble saxophone.

saxophone has many ranges and tonality, among which tenor, tenor, tenor and alto are the most common. Classical saxophone is dominated by alto saxophone, while in jazz and pop music it is dominated by alto and tenor. All saxophone fingering is basically the same, and the player can change instruments without fingering practice.

Soprano Saxophone, usually in B flat, is the second highest pitch instrument in the saxophone family, and the volume of the pipe is also the second smallest after soprano. Common ones are straight pipes, slightly curved necks or shapes similar to alto saxophone. Compared with clarinet, the treble saxophone is louder and more penetrating. However, due to the small tubular body, it is more difficult to control the pitch of the high-pitched part and get started. The treble saxophone is mainly used for solo, and it is often used instead of oboe in woodwind ensemble. Famous soprano saxophonists include Sidney Bechet, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and kenneth gorelick.

Alto Saxophone is the most common saxophone with E-flat key, and it is also the saxophone most used in classical music ensembles. Because of the moderate key distance, the difficulty of breath requirement and mouth control is between the treble saxophone and tenor saxophone, and the relatively cheap price and easy handling, saxophone is the most commonly used for beginners to get started. The tenor saxophone is clearer and milder than the tenor. The alto saxophone constitutes the most important part of the saxophone part of the wind band, and occupies the same position as the alto in the compilation of jazz big bands. As a solo instrument, it appears relatively rarely. Alto saxophone is the most representative kind of saxophone family. Famous alto saxophonists include jazz: Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Garrett, classical music: Marcel Mule, Sigurd Raschèr and so on.

Tenor Saxophone is usually in B-flat key, slightly larger than alto saxophone, with a bend at the front end of the elbow, and its timbre is gentle and steady. In a wind band, the number of tenor saxophone is less than that of alto, and generally, as an auxiliary role, it uses the same score as the bass horn and trombone. In jazz, alto plays a central role. Coleman Hawkins' hoarse and heavy voice in the 192s redefined people's concept of tenor timbre. Later, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins and Michael Brecker established the character of alto voice step by step.

Baritone Saxophone is usually in E-flat, which is a relatively rare type among the four. The volume and weight are relatively large, which is about twice as large as the midrange. Few people use it as a solo instrument, but in saxophone quartets or jazz bands, the alto saxophone supports other sounds with its deep and rich timbre, and maintains the steady pace of music with simple playing. In a wind band, it often plays a similar role as a bass horn, sometimes reminiscent of the sound of a cello. The famous performer is Gerry Mulligan.

characteristics and performance characteristics of saxophone instruments:

instrumental fundamental key: b (tenor tenor), e (tenor alto bass)

application clef: treble clef, and the musical notation is transposed according to the instrumental fundamental key

practical range: about three and a half octaves (there will be differences in tone sandhi)

Structure: parabolic conical tube made of metal.

musical instrument category: soprano saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, Bass saxophone and double bass saxophone (this is hardly seen)

There is also a special saxophone with a c key, and its range is between E Alto Saxophone and B Tenor Saxophone, which is also used less.

material: copper and aluminum (but it belongs to woodwind instruments)

musical instrument features: rich timbre, high-pitched area between clarinet and horn, midrange like the timbre of human voice and cello, and low-pitched area like tuba and double bass.

Typical applications: it is widely used in jazz and modern pop light music. Ravel orchestrated Musorgskiy's piano suite "Picture Exhibition" and "Castle"; Bizet's "Ale City Girl" Suite; Wirth Williams' dance music Job and his 6th and 9th symphonies; Family Symphony by Richard Strauss; George gershwin's rhapsody in blue and An American in Paris; Debussy's Rhapsody, Vera Lobos's Fantasia, and Glazunov's Saxophone Concerto.

Performance characteristics: The saxophone is made of metal, with a strong and weak range, which can be compared with other brass instruments in sound intensity and is unmatched by other woodwind instruments. It also has the characteristics of woodwind instruments in sound quality, and has the brightness of metal.

In performance, because its structure is designed by the scientific principle of Bohm flute keys, its mechanical system is reasonable and its parts are flexible to use. Therefore, it can play difficult music just like flute and clarinet. At the same time, compared with other woodwind instruments, it has its own uniqueness in playing sliding, vibrato, spitting and blowing.

expansion: the origin of saxophone

The saxophone was invented by Belgian adolphe sax, so it was named after him. Adolphe sax loves music, and at the age of 15, he showed a special ability in music. About 184, adolphe sax invented the saxophone. At the beginning, the saxophone was only used as an outdoor instrument, with two main characteristics: the expressive force of stringed instruments and the volume of brass instruments. Later, after gradual improvement, saxophone began to be used in jazz, and more and more people began to pay attention to this brand-new instrument.

The structure principle of saxophone

The saxophone integrates the characteristics and functions of various musical instruments, which not only has the sound principle close to that of woodwind, but also has the functions of brass instruments, and realizes the tone transition between woodwind and brass instruments in the process of playing. The copper material mainly constitutes its tube, which has the metal characteristics and tension of brass instruments. The pipe body imitates the cone-shaped pipe body of oboe, and draws lessons from woodwind instruments in the fingering system, fingering and overtone blowing. Therefore, in terms of timbre, saxophone is similar to woodwind.

saxophone playing skills

The saxophone playing skills have developed into many categories, including pop saxophone, rock saxophone, jazz saxophone, classical saxophone and so on. Among them, through the combination of different saxophone techniques, the existing diverse saxophone playing styles have been formed. Among them, the saxophone techniques used are: ultra-treble, tongue beat, single and double spit, differential sound, cyclic sound and so on. Different tunes will combine different techniques to achieve more expressive music effects. ;