The romantic sound of melodies with a saxophone is achieved due to the coordinated interaction of the tongue, lips, breathing, fingers and posture of the performer. For those who are fascinated by this tool, it will be interesting to get to know it better. Further in the article we will find out all the details about the saxophone.
History reference
This is an instrument that was invented back in 1842 in Belgium by a musician named Adolf Sachs, whose name, in fact, served as the name for his brainchild. That was just the idea, not of the inventor himself, but of his friend, the French composer Hector Berlioz.
His articles, in which he pointed out the advantages of the novelty, literally advertised the saxophone. A beautiful instrument was presented in detail to the public. This could not but lead to instant popularity of him among the most famous composers of that time. However, here the story does not end its story about the saxophone (this would be a very big loss for the modern chronicle).
The instrument was especially honored at the beginning of the 20th century, when jazz began to emerge on the streets of America.
Even the creator of the saxophone could not have imagined such an incredible success - the instrument became widespread almost 200 years after the invention. Nevertheless, despite the rich history of the saxophone, it can be seen that its general structure has remained unchanged from the moment it appeared.
Saxophone is ...
Saxophone - a word that consists of the following phrases: sax - the name of the musician-inventor, phone - sound. This instrument is officially considered woodwind and belongs to the principle of sound extraction to wood, although it is never made from wood.
Its inventor, Adolf Sachs, called his first designed offspring “mouthpiece ophikleid,” and Berlioz later changed the complex name to a simpler and more pleasing hearing.
Since the mid-19th century, the saxophone, whose music begins to appear more often in brass bands (in symphony ones much less often, and solo parts were not practiced at all), begins to gradually and confidently leave the shadow of other popular instruments. We can say that its spread took place in leaps and bounds on cultural movements.
Saxophone is the main instrument of jazz and its derivatives, and also often can be found in pop music.
It is distinguished by a powerful and full sound, great technical mobility and a melodious timbre.
Beautiful music with a saxophone is able to stir up a person’s memories of everything good that happened to him in life, hurt the strings of the soul and revive the whole ocean of extinct emotions.
Saxophone device
The tool is a conical shape tube, which is made, as a rule, from special alloys: Pakfong (an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel), tompak (an alloy of zinc and copper), brass. The compact form of the saxophone tube is achieved due to the curvature in the form of a chubuk. Sopranos and sopranos (high instrument varieties) are short and usually do not bend. At modern manufacturing companies, direct bass saxophones and curved sopranos are usually produced (however, this is most likely carried out for the purposes of the experiment).
The saxophone, for which notes are widely available, traditionally consists of three parts: the body, bell and esa (a thin tube, which is a continuation of the body). A mouthpiece is mounted on a thin tube. Its structure resembles that of a clarinet mouthpiece: it has a beak-like shape, is made of plastic or black ebonite, in tenor and lower varieties it can be made of metal.
The variety of directions and genres (songs for saxophone can be written both for pop and orchestras, and for solo parts) led to the appearance of a large number of options for the structure of the mouthpiece, depending on the required sound.
Mouthpieces are distinguished by the following parameters:
- openness (that is, the distance from the end of the cane to the upper edge of the mouthpiece);
- the length of the recess (i.e. the length of the free part that is pressed against the mouthpiece).
Classical performance requires the use of closed mouthpieces, while other open genres are perfect.
A cane (or tongue), the structure of which is similar to a clarinet cane, acts as a sound-generating element. For its manufacture, reeds are usually used, but some models are made of synthetic materials. Canes can have different sizes, depending on the type of instrument.
The cane is attached to the mouthpiece using a special device - ligatures (a small clamp with two screws). For the classical saxophone, it is made of metal, and in jazz and other musical genres, leather ligature is more likely to be given, which gives the canes more free oscillation.
To protect the cane from accidental damage, a special plastic or metal cap is used, which is worn on the mouthpiece if the saxophone is not used for a long time.
The tool in question has a complex system of valves that close and open the holes on its body. The number of valves can vary from 19 to 22, according to the variety of saxophone.
Saxophone family, varieties
In general, Sax designed 14 varieties of the instrument, but only 7 of them are currently used.
These include saxophone-sopranino, saxophone-soprano, saxophone-alto, saxophone-tenor, saxophone-baritone, saxophone-bass, saxophone-double bass.
Of the varieties presented, only three were widespread. These include alto, tenor and soprano saxophones. This is a kind of saxophone trio, which is involved in jazz and classical music. The use of baritone jazz is noted mainly in jazz, in its derivatives and related genres.
The saxophone range is made up of three registers: low, medium and high. It covers two and a half octaves. Some modern compositions are characterized by the use of a “falsetto” register (which is considered to be higher than high), achieved through special fingering, which is used to obtain “flavolette” harmonic sounds.
Alto saxophone
It is the most popular type of saxophone. It brings a twist to classical works, and is also an unprecedented ruler of modern jazz. This saxophone has a wide range of sound: it includes low, medium and high registers.
The instrument has been used by musicians such as Paul Desmond and Charlie Parker.
Tenor saxophone
Able to produce a deeper and more saturated sound, in comparison with alto and soprano. His recognition was due to the juicy, hoarse and so cozy timbre. Among jazz performers competes in popularity with viola.
Those who already own the clarinet can easily master the game on this type of saxophone, because, in fact, these two instruments differ in a similar principle of operation.
Soprano saxophone
If a person is not particularly versed in music, he usually confuses it with a clarinet. The reason for this confusion is the small shape and size of the tool, in comparison with previous versions. If the tenor and alto saxophones are S-shaped, then the soprano represents a straight body without a tube with a bend. In terms of sound, the instrument is the most expressive and noble form of the saxophone.
Playing the saxophone - how to master?
The instrument is rather capricious: its sound goes against the notes. This means that it sounds an interval higher or lower, in accordance with its system. Therefore, you can play the saxophone only if you have confident basic knowledge in the music field. After special training, a person can directly begin to play the instrument.
Features of the saxophone playing technique
To play this musical instrument while standing, it is necessary to stand as straight as possible, trying to line the body in one line. In this case, the chest and shoulders of the musician should be relaxed. The air should freely “tour” the lungs and freely go back.
In the sitting position, it is necessary to hold the saxophone a little diagonally - this will allow the extreme bend to rest on the performer's right thigh. It is better not to lean on the back of the chair, as this can lead to difficulty breathing.
Those who are trying to comprehend the laws of playing the saxophone need to familiarize themselves with an important concept called "ear pads" (from the French language - "stick to your mouth"). This concept embraces the proper functioning of the labial and facial muscles in contact with the mouthpiece.
When playing, the lower lip is inside the mouthpiece and is a support for the cane: the teeth hold the mouthpiece cut, and the upper lip is pressed tightly to its edge, which makes it impossible to leak precious air.
As practice shows, it is far from easy - to make your fingers run along the keys at ease and easily, while observing the coordinated work of the respiratory system and the ear cushion. At first, the musician can come to the table of fingering for saxophone.
Is it possible to achieve perfection?
The fact is that every professional musician turns out to have a unique saxophone playing technique unique. Experts say the experiment is the road to the future. Do not be afraid to experiment.
It is necessary to develop your own breathing pattern and the optimal operation of the ear cushion, as well as find the right body position. All this can be achieved only through years of long and hard practice.
The moment of sound extraction, called attack, is of three types. The attack is soft, hard, and auxiliary, depending on the force with which the tongue is pulled away from the mouthpiece during execution. Saxophonists help themselves by imitating various syllables during the game.
Now we have found that playing the instrument requires not only certain knowledge, but also constant labor. But this is really worthwhile, because it is the melodies with this instrument that are called delight for the soul. The saxophone is a container of diverse feelings that make a person feel alive and, at the same time, vulnerable and romantic.