History of saxophone

The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax as an attempt to improve the ophicleide, an instrument from the early 1800s.  The ophicleide, a standard orchestra instrument, was a keyed brass instrument with a trombone-style mouthpiece.  Although it had power and good tone quality, erratic intonation and inconsistent execution left room for improvement.  Adolphe Sax aimed to keep the body but remodel the keywork and add a bass clarinet-like mouthpiece.  Today, the saxophone's powerful tone and flexibility makes it a popular instrument in bands, particularly military bands.  (The alto saxophone was established as a solo jazz instrument by the 1920s.)  It is one of the most flexible instruments in terms of color and articulation, as much of its variation is in the hands of the player.

From left: soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones

Sax applied for 14 different patents in 1846, and the standard saxophone family (sopranino, soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, and bass) was established in 1850.  (The contrabass saxophone is a rare extra.)  It's considered a "hybrid instrument" because it doesn't exclusively fit in with the woodwinds or brasswinds.  Its key system is derived from, but not the same as, the flute's and clarinet's.  There are between 22 and 24 notes holes, all of which are covered by keypads.

Different saxes have the same basic range (two octaves, plus an augmented fifth) but in different transpositions.  For example, the alto sax has a compass of db to a'' and the tenor sax has a compass of Ab to e''.

The alto saxophone's compass