The saxophone is a woodwind instrument named after its inventor, and it is also a very distinctive instrument. Its timbre is somewhere between woodwind and brass. Are you interested in it?

The invention of the saxophone.

The saxophone was invented by Belgian Adolphe Sax, so it is named after him.

Adolf Sachs loved music and showed a special talent for music at the age of 15. Around 1840, Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone.

Construction of the saxophone.

The saxophone integrates the characteristics and functions of various musical instruments. It not only has the sounding principle close to woodwind instruments but also has the functions of brass instruments.

The tube body is mainly composed of copper material, which has the metallic properties and tension of a brass instrument. The pipe body imitates the tapered body of the oboe, and the finger system, finger movements, and overtones are borrowed from woodwind instruments.

Kind of saxophone.

There are many types of saxophones, commonly used are soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone. Mainly in bE and bB, and C is rare.

Saxophone playing skills.

(1) Breathing method.

Use chest breathing when playing the saxophone. The key is: when inhaling, press down the diaphragm with air to make the lower abdomen bulge. Remember not to shrug your shoulders and exhale slowly.

(2) Mouth shape.

The mouthpiece should be neither too deep nor too shallow, about halfway (because everyone's lips are different thicknesses).

Cover your lower teeth with your lower lip and bite your upper teeth directly into the mouthpiece. The shape of the mouth should not be round, but the corners of the mouth should be pulled to the left and right to practice playing the long note in this way, then take a deep breath, and then play the long note.

Be careful not to puff out your cheeks when you play.

Maintenance of the saxophone.

1. Saxophone storage problem. After use, lay the saxophone flat on the table.

Don't let the saxophone slip because the table is unstable. One side of the button should be up, not on the underside of the saxophone, which is easy to damage.

2. Clean the residual moisture in the tube.

After use, remove the curved neck, first pour out the water in the tube, then wipe off the residual water on the bell mouth with an absorbent cloth, and place it in a ventilated place to dry naturally.

3. The keys will be dripped with key oil regularly.

Keys are the key to tone shifting. In order to prevent the keys from rusting and resulting in poor performance, special key oil should be dripped on the keys regularly, about once every two months, to maintain the elasticity of the keys.

4. Clean the surface of the tube body.

After use, avoid hand sweat corroding the tube body, and wipe the tube body with a transparent cloth.

5. Clean the leather pad.

After blowing, place absorbent paper between the leather pad and the sound hole to absorb excess moisture and keep it dry.

Do you have any interest in this unique instrument after reading it?