The Band Room

Saxophones form an instrument family of conical bore woodwind instruments all of their own, with a whole range of instruments commonly from Sopranino (there is now a higher pitched instrument called a ‘Soprillo’) to Bass (and beyond). The main instruments however are the Soprano (Bb), Alto (Eb), Tenor (Bb) and Baritone (Eb). Recently a German maker, Benedikt Eppelsheim, has developed a contrabass instrument that has revolutionised the genre. This instrument, called The Tubax, has a radically new configuration (it does not simply look like a very large saxophone) that has lead to an instrument capable of great virtuosity. This is a radical change from its rather plodding forebears. It has a very narrow and multi-wrapped bore lending itself to great tonal and dynamic flexibility and it’s short linkages mean that it can even play very fast passages with ease. As most modern instruments are at a very high state of development, this represents that rare thing – a major evolutionary change!

Saxophones are all transposing instruments: Sopranino in F (sounding up a perfect fourth); Soprano in Bb (sounding a tone lower); alto in Eb (sounding a major sixth lower); tenor in Bb (sounding a major ninth lower); baritone in Eb (sounding an octave and a major sixth lower) and bass in Bb sounding two octaves and a tone lower). All saxophones read from the treble clef.