Sax story ...
The saxophone Creator
Adolphe Sax is born in Belgium, at Dinant, in
the street where, since 1896, has his name. he has live in the small
house, destroyed in 1914, which now there is an big commercial center.
In the front of this , there is an inscription cut out of stone :"
Here born Adolphe Sax. 1814-1894".
He was the son of Charles-Joseph Sax (born in 1791 et dead in 1865)
and of Marie-Joseph Masson (born in 17 ? ? and dead in 1861). Adolphe
was the olddest child on eleven children, six boys and five girls. Only
3 out of sisters and brothers will survive. The others were all dead
between 18 and 25.
The conditions of the construction of the first saxophone are not known, Adolf just used a conic copper tube and a mouthpiece with a wood reed .
THe first saxophone was born. It was a C bass saxophone the 20th Mars 1846 and Adolf Sax was just 20.
The instruments family
Adolphe Sax made 14 differents size of the instrument, just the half are still used nowadays.
We can distinguist from the bassest one to the highest,
The contrebass saxophone, the bass, the baritone, the tenor, the alto,
the soprano, and the sopranino.
We must know that the sopranino, the bass and the contrebass are very rare.
The saxophone family is large and complet, and every kind of saxophone has a particular et distinct sound
for a certain type of music.
The evolution of the Saxophone
The Soprano saxophone in Bb |
The Alto saxophone in Eb |
The Tenor saxophone in Bb |
The Baritone saxophone in Eb |
The saxophone evolution
If Adolphe Sax has adapted the use of the instruments to the music of his century, notably the militar music. We can say that the saxophone explosed when it was integrated in Jazz music. It represents one of best expressive instruments in this music at the beginning of the XXth century.
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