Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
s The Anatomy of a Saxophone
 
 
 
|Home|

 

Anatomy of a Saxophone

 
  How a Saxophone works
Saxophones have mouthpieces that contain a single wooden reed. Attached to the mouthpiece is a long body on which there is a series of holes. The holes are covered by brass keys that are insulated on the under side with pads that keep air from escaping. It also has an octave key that allows the player to reach higher or lower sets of notes and a thumb rest. This section connects to a flared bell from which the sound escapes. Saxophones hang from the player's neck by a strap that can be adjusted for easy reach of the keys and mouthpiece.

How a Saxophone Produces Sound

Sound is produced when a saxophone player blows into the mouthpiece. The wooden reed vibrates, as does the column of air on the inside of the instrument. The length of the vibrating column of air changes when the player presses down one or more keys. This controls the pitch. If the octave key is open, the notes will be higher. The player can vary the tones made by the notes by the changing the mouth position, using different types of mouthpieces, and choosing harder or softer reeds.

 

  
 

mouthpiece

dia

 How a Mouthpiece Works
Mouthpieces come in a wide variety of materials, including vulcanized rubber (sometimes called rod rubber or ebonite), plastic, and metals such as bronze or surgical steel. Less common materials that have been used include wood, glass, crystal, porcelain, and even bone. According to Larry Teal, the mouthpiece material has little, if any, effect on the sound, and the physical dimensions give a mouthpiece its tone colour, however this view is controversial. Mouthpieces with a concave ("excavated") chamber are more true to Adolphe Sax's original design; these provide a softer or less piercing tone, and are favored by some saxophonists, including students of Sigurd Raschèr, for classical playing. Conversely, mouthpieces with a smaller chamber or lower clearance above the reed, called high baffle, produce a brighter sound with maximum projection and are favored by many jazz and funk players. Most skilled saxophonists settle on a mouthpiece somewhere between these extremes regardless of their primary idiom and most that play both jazz and classical music have different equipment for each.