Let’s make music
The saxophone, like many instruments, is not difficult to begin playing. It can however, be challenging to master.
It is a rather heavy instrument and requires the use of a neck strap in addition to the player’s hands to hold the instrument. It is also quite wide to wrap one’s hands around, and this prevents children with small hands from being able to play it.
The saxophone, commonly referred to as the sax, is a woodwind instrument. It is usually made of brass and played with a single reed mouthpiece, similar to the clarinet.
Like the clarinet, saxophones have holes in the instrument which the player closes using a system of key mechanisms. When the player presses a key, a pad either covers a hole or lifts off a hole, lowering or raising the pitch, respectively.
The saxophone family was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1840. Sax patented the saxophone on June 28, 1846. Besides the saxaphone, he also invented the saxotromba, saxhorn and saxtuba.
The saxophone is used in classical music like concerts, bands, chamber music, solo repertoire and sometimes even in orchestras. It is also used in military bands, marching bands and jazz.
A saxophone player is called a saxophonist.