Today, there are lots of different pitched saxophones – the main ones being soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. But I always assumed there must have been a first saxophone, that the others developed from. I always wondered whether any of the saxophones we still play are the same key as the original one, or whether the first was in some other key.
The saxophone was designed in many different sizes before it was actually made. It’s not clear which was actually the first to be made, as they all came into production at the same time. There was originally a Bb and Eb series and also a C and F series, which never really became popular.
The saxophone was originally designed to bridge the gap between woodwind and brass instruments. Adolphe Sax felt that the blend between woodwind and brass could be enhanced by an instrument that incorporated elements of both. This inspired the saxophone, which was made of brass with a single reed. The reed put the instrument in the woodwind family, but the fact that it was made of brass gave the sound of an instrument somewhere between the two instrumental families.
When was the saxophone invented?
The saxophone was invented in the 1840s. It was designed as a series of saxophones of different pitches, which is how we still see it today. The design was patented by Adolphe Sax in 1846 and at that stage it was supposed to be in two series of seven instruments. These were the Bb and Eb range that we see today, and also a C and F range. The C and F range were designed for use in orchestral work, but never became popular and the Bb and Eb series was soon the only one in use.
Each of the saxophones was designed to have the same fingering – from low B (one semitone below middle C) to top Eb (the Eb above the stave). This was how the written music translated to notes, but the saxes are transposing instruments, so a written middle C would not sound as middle C. Each saxophone would read music in the same pitch range, with the same fingering, to make switching between them easier. The C soprano saxophone sounded at concert pitch.
It took a while for saxophones to become popular after their invention. They slowly crept up through the ranks of marching bands and similar styles of music. They really started to be produced in large quantities and widely accepted into standard repertoire in the 1920s. Prior to this, there is not a lot of saxophone repertoire, and even now, they are still rarely used in orchestral music.
Why weren’t saxophones in C and F popular?
It’s a bit unclear why the Bb and Eb range of saxophones became more popular than those in C and F. There were originally more Bb and Eb saxophones produced, because they quickly became popular in marching bands and similar groups, whereas orchestras were a bit more reluctant to introduce new instruments into their repertoire. This led to there being less in general of the C and F saxes – F in particular.
Probably the most popular in the C and F saxophone range was the C melody saxophone. This was pitched between the Eb alto and the Bb tenor (a tone above the tenor) and was quite popular for a while in the 1920s, when saxophones really started being widely used. Even though this was the most popular of the C and F range of saxophones, it still faded out of use soon after.
The failure of the C melody saxophone probably has a lot to do with the failure of the F saxophone. This never really became popular in the first place, and so the series of F and C saxophones was never really complete, as the F range were so rare. It then made sense to use the Bb and Eb range, which were much easier to get hold of.
Today, there are some people who say that the C melody sax lacked the sound quality of the standard tenor and alto saxes we now use. The opinion of many is that it had less body than a tenor and less sweetness than an alto. There is some call for it as a vintage instrument, but this is usually more of a novelty thing than using it in context as the correct saxophone for a piece that was originally written.
How has the saxophone developed since its creation?
Since its creation, the saxophone has had some alterations and improvements. The patent for the original design expired in 1866, and since then many additions and variations have been suggested. Some have been successful, some have not, but the initial design remains very much the base for the modern saxophone today.
One of the most notable alterations was the addition of the low Bb key. This involved a lengthening of the bell of the sax, to allow space for an additional tone hole. This was accomplished by a French manufacturer and is also thought to have been attempted by Adolphe Sax himself. There were also numerous designs for changes to the keywork to allow for easier fingering in fast passages, as the original keywork was very simplistic and sometimes a bit clunky.
One significant improvement to the keywork was the merging of the two octave keys that were present on the original saxophones. This made fingering much easier. Selmer made a lot of small improvements to the action of the saxophone, including slight adjustments to the position of the keys to be more comfortable for the player. The Selmer Mark VI is often labelled as one of the best saxophones ever made, and this came shortly after all of these small improvements. Over time, the higher register has gradually been extended, so that the highest note is now F#.
Summary
To sum up this post, the original saxophones had a lot in common with the saxes we play today. It was always intended that there would be a range of different pitches of saxophone, although only one of the two series, Bb and Eb, really survived. The C melody saxophone can occasionally still be found but more as a novelty.
There have been a lot of improvements made to the saxophone – the range has been extended and the keywork improved. This has made for a very easy-playing instrument. Some players still prefer the sound of a vintage sax, but this takes a bit more work to get the required technique.