Tenor saxophone

Classification Aerophone Playing range Written Range: Sounds a major ninth lower than written Related instruments Military band family: Contrabass saxophone Bass saxophone Baritone saxophone Tenor saxophone Alto saxophone Soprano saxophone Sopranino saxophone Orchestral family: C melody saxophone Mezzo-soprano C soprano saxophone Musicians List of saxophonists

The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. An aerophone is any Musical instrument which produces Sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate without the use of strings or membranes and without In Music, the range of a Musical instrument is the distance from the lowest to the highest pitch it can play A major ninth is a compound Musical interval spanning 14 Semitones or an Octave plus 2 semitones A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. A military band is a group of personnel that perform musical duties for military functions usually The contrabass saxophone is one of the lowest-pitched members of the Saxophone family The bass saxophone is the second largest existing member of the Saxophone family (not counting the subcontrabass Tubax) The baritone saxophone, often called " bari sax " (to avoid confusion with the Baritone horn, which is often referred to simply as "baritone" is The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. The soprano saxophone was invented in 1840 and is a variety of the Saxophone, a Woodwind instrument. The sopranino saxophone is one of the smallest members of the Saxophone family An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well The C melody saxophone is a Saxophone pitched in the key of C one whole step above the Tenor saxophone. The mezzo-soprano saxophone, also sometimes called the F alto saxophone, is an instrument in the Saxophone family Please see http//enwikipediaorg/wiki/HelpTable if you're having difficulty understanding the syntax used here The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind Antoine-Joseph 'Adolphe' Sax (November 6 1814 &ndash February 4 1894 was a Belgian Musical instrument designer and Musician ( Clarinetist It is the second most common size of saxophone (after the alto) and is a transposing instrument, pitched in the key of B♭, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble clef, sounding a major ninth lower than the written pitch. The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. A transposing instrument is a musical instrument for which written notes are played at a pitch different from concert pitch, which a non-transpositing instrument such as a A clef (from the French for "key" is a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes. In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical

The tenor saxophone uses a slightly larger mouthpiece, reed, and ligature than the alto. The mouthpiece of a Woodwind instrument is that part of the instrument which is placed partly in the player's mouth A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a Musical instrument. A ligature is a device which holds a reed on to the mouthpiece of some Woodwind instruments such

The tenor saxophone is used in many different types of ensembles, including concert bands, big band jazz ensembles, small jazz ensembles, and marching bands. A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late A marching band is in the broadest terms a group of performers that consist of instrumental Musicians and sometimes dance teams / color guard who generally perform It is occasionally included in pieces written for symphony orchestra and for chamber ensembles; three examples of this are Ravel's Boléro, Prokofiev's suite from Lieutenant Kije,and Webern's Quartet for violin, clarinet, tenor saxophone, and piano. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well Chamber music is a form of Classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber Boléro is a one-movement orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel. Originally composed as a ballet, the piece which premiered in 1928 is considered Ravel's Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев Sergéj Sergéjevič Prokófjev) ( - 5 March 1953 was a Russian composer who WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Anton Webern (December 3 1883 &ndash September 15 1945 was an Austrian Composer In Music, a quartet (quatuor Quartett quartetto cuarteto is a method of instrumentation (or a medium used to perform a musical composition and consisting of four parts In concert bands, the tenor plays mostly a supporting role, sometimes sharing parts with the euphonium, horn and trombone. The euphonium is a conical-bore, Baritone -voiced Brass instrument. The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s In jazz ensembles, the tenor plays a more prominent role, often sharing parts or harmonies with the alto saxophone. The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax.

History

The tenor saxophone was one of a family of fourteen instruments patented in 1846 by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian-born instrument maker, flautist and clarinetist. A family of musical instruments is a grouping of several different but related sizes or types of instruments Antoine-Joseph 'Adolphe' Sax (November 6 1814 &ndash February 4 1894 was a Belgian Musical instrument designer and Musician ( Clarinetist The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those A flautist, flutist, or flute player is a Musician who plays the Flute. A clarinetist (also spelled clarinettist) is a Musician who plays the Clarinet. A medley of ideas drawn from the clarinet, flute, oboe and ophicleide, the saxophone was intended to form a tonal link between the clarinets and brass instruments found in military bands, an area which Sax considered sorely lacking. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its "Hautbois" redirects here for the strawberry variety see Hautbois strawberry. The ophicleide ( is a family of conical bore Brass keyed bugles History and playing It is reported to have been invented in 1817 and patented A brass instrument is a Musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular Resonator. A military band is a group of personnel that perform musical duties for military functions usually Sax's patent, granted on 28 June 1846, divided the family into two groups of seven instruments, each ranging from sopranino down to contrabass. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display One family, pitched alternatively in B♭ and E♭, was designed specifically to integrate with the other instruments then common in military bands. The tenor saxophone, pitched in B♭, is the fourth member of this family.

Description

Five unusual members of the saxophone family including a straight E♭ baritone (top left), and a straight B♭ tenor (top right). The baritone saxophone, often called " bari sax " (to avoid confusion with the Baritone horn, which is often referred to simply as "baritone" is

The tenor saxophone, like all saxes, is in essence an approximately conical tube of thin metal, usually brass. Brass is any Alloy of Copper and Zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties The wider end of the tube is flared slightly to form a bell, while the narrower end is connected to a mouthpiece similar to that of a clarinet. A wind instrument is a Musical instrument that contains some type of Resonator (usually a tube in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing At intervals down the bore are placed between 20 and 23 tone holes; these are covered by pads which can be pressed onto the holes to form an airtight seal. A tone hole is an opening in the body of a Wind instrument which when covered alters the pitch of the sound produced There are also two small speaker holes which, when opened, disrupt the lower harmonics of the instrument and cause it to overblow into an upper register. In Acoustics and Telecommunication, the harmonic of a Wave is a component Frequency of the signal that is an Integer Overblowing is a technique used in playing a Wind instrument to produce a different pitch by changing the direction and/or force of the air stream In Music, a register is the relative "height" or range of a Note, set of pitches or Pitch classes Melody The pads are controlled by pressing a number of keys with the fingers of the left and right hands; the left thumb controls an octave key which opens one or other of the speaker holes. The octave key is a key on a Saxophone or Oboe which raises the pitch of all notes by an Octave when pressed The original design of tenor saxophone had a separate octave key for each speaker hole, in the manner of the bassoon; the mechanism by which the correct speaker hole is selected based on the fingering of the left hand (specifically the left ring finger) was developed soon after Sax's patent expired in 1866. The bassoon is a Woodwind instrument in the Double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and Tenor registers and occasionally The ring finger is the fourth digit of the human Hand, and the second most Ulnar Finger, located between the Middle finger and the

Although a handful of novelty tenors have been constructed 'straight', like the smaller members of the saxophone family, the unwieldy length of the straight configuration means that almost all tenor saxophones feature a 'U-bend' above the third-lowest tone hole which is characteristic of the saxophone family. The tenor saxophone is also curved at the top, above the highest tone-hole but below the highest speaker hole. While the alto is usually bent only through 80–90° to make the mouthpiece fit more easily in the mouth, the tenor is usually bent a little more in this section, incorporating a slight S-bend. The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax.

The mouthpiece of the tenor saxophone is very similar to that of the clarinet, an approximately wedge-shaped tube, open along one face and covered in use by a thin strip of material prepared from the stem of the giant cane (arundo donax) commonly known as a reed. The mouthpiece of a Woodwind instrument is that part of the instrument which is placed partly in the player's mouth Arundo donax L ( Giant Reed) is a tall perennial reed growing in fresh and moderately saline waters A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a Musical instrument. The reed is shaved to come to an extremely thin point, and is clamped over the mouthpiece by the use of a ligature. A ligature is a device which holds a reed on to the mouthpiece of some Woodwind instruments such When air is blown through the mouthpiece, the reed vibrates and generates the acoustic resonances required to produce a sound from the instrument. Acoustic resonance is the tendency of an acoustic system to absorb more energy when the Frequency of its oscillations matches the system's natural frequency of vibration The mouthpiece is the area of the saxophone with the greatest flexibility in shape and style, so the timbre of the instrument is primarily determined by the material and dimensions of its mouthpiece. In Music, timbre (ˈtæm-bər' like timber, or, from Fr timbre tɛ̃bʁ is the quality of a Musical note or sound that distinguishes different Materials used in mouthpiece construction include plastic, ebonite and various metals including brass. Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products This article details a type of plastic for the manufacturer of bowling balls see Ebonite International Ebonite is one of the earliest forms

The mouthpiece of the tenor saxophone is proportionally larger than that of the alto, necessitating a similarly larger reed. A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a Musical instrument. The increased stiffness of the reed and the greater airflow required to establish resonance in the larger body means the tenor sax requires greater lung power but a looser embouchure than the higher-pitched members of the saxophone family. The embouchure is the use of facial muscles and the shaping of the lips to the Mouthpiece of a Wind instrument. The tenor sax reed is similar in size to that used in the bass clarinet, although the two cannot be easily substituted. The bass clarinet is a Musical instrument of the Clarinet family

Uses of the tenor saxophone

The tenor saxophone first gained popularity in its original intended role: the military band. A military band is a group of personnel that perform musical duties for military functions usually Soon after its invention, French and Belgian military bands began to take full advantage of the instrument which Sax had designed specifically for them. Modern military bands typically incorporate a quartet of saxophone players playing the E♭ baritone, tenor, E♭ alto and B♭ soprano. The baritone saxophone, often called " bari sax " (to avoid confusion with the Baritone horn, which is often referred to simply as "baritone" is The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. The soprano saxophone was invented in 1840 and is a variety of the Saxophone, a Woodwind instrument. British military bands customarily make use only of the tenor and alto saxes, with two or more musicians on each instrument.

Much of the popularity of saxophones in the United States derives from the large number of military bands that were around at the time of the American Civil War. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South After the war disused former military band instruments found their way into the hands of the general public, where they were often used to play Gospel music and jazz. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The work of the pioneering bandleader Patrick Gilmore (1829 - 1892) was highly influentual; he was one of the first arrangers to pit the brass instruments (trumpet, trombone and cornet) against the reeds (clarinet and saxophone) in the manner which has now became the norm for big-band arrangements. Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore ( 25 December, 1829 &ndash 24 September, 1892) was an Irish -born Composer and bandmaster For the game see 1829 (board game. Year 1829 ( MDCCCXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s The cornet is a Brass instrument very similar to the Trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape and mellower tone quality

The tenor saxophone became best known to the general public through its frequent use in jazz music. It was the pioneering genius of Coleman Hawkins in the 1930s which lifted the tenor saxophone from its traditional role of adding weight to the ensemble and established it as a highly-effective melody instrument in its own right. Coleman Randolph Hawkins ( November 21 1904 - May 19 1969) Nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean" was a prominent

Many prominent jazz musicians from the 1940's onwards have been tenor players. The strong resonant sound of Hawkins and his followers always in contrast with the light, almost jaunty approach of Lester Young and his school. Lester Willis Young ( August 27, 1909 &ndash March 15, 1959) nickname 'Prez' was an American Jazz tenor Saxophonist Then during the be-bop years the most prominent tenor sounds in jazz were those of the Four Brothers in the Woody Herman orchestra, including Stan Getz who in the 1960s went on to great popular success playing the Brazilian Bossa nova sound on tenor saxophone. " Four Brothers " (1947 is a Jazz standard composed by Jimmy Giuffre and performed by the Woody Herman Orchestra Woodrow Charles Herman ( May 16 1913 &ndash October 29 1987) better known as Woody Herman, was an American Jazz Stanley Gayetzky ( February 2, 1927 in Philadelphia – June 6, 1991 in Malibu, California) usually known by Bossa nova ( is a style of Brazilian music popularized by Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto.

As a result of its prominence in American jazz, the instrument has also featured prominently in other genres. The tenor is extremely common in rhythm and blues music and has a part to play in rock and roll and more recent rock music as well as Bollywood music, Afro-American, Latin American, Afro-Caribbean, and African music. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. African American music (also called black music) is an umbrella term given to a range of Music and Musical genres emerging from or influenced by the Latin music, includes the music of all countries in Latin America (and the Caribbean) and comes in many varieties The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world - predominantly to the Americas, then later to Europe, the The music of Africa is as vast and varied as the continent's many regions, nations and Ethnic groups Although there is no distinctly pan-African It has also been used on occasion by many post-punk and experimental bands throughout the UK and Europe in the 1980s, sometimes atonally.

Prominent musicians

Some famous Tenor saxophonists are:

• the Coleman Hawkins school including Herschel Evans, Buddy Tate, Illinois Jacquet Bud Freeman and Ben Webster
• the Lester Young school including Budd Johnson and Wardell Gray
• the Four Brothers scene including Stan Getz, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Giuffre, Richie Kamuca. Coleman Randolph Hawkins ( November 21 1904 - May 19 1969) Nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean" was a prominent Herschel "Tex" Evans (born March 9, 1909 in Denton Texas; died February 9, 1939 in New York City) was a Buddy Tate can refer to Buddy Tate (American football, an American football player Buddy Tate (musician, a jazz musician Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet ( October 31, 1922 &ndash July 22, 2004) was a Jazz tenor Saxophonist most famous for his Lawrence "Bud" Freeman ( April 13, 1906 in Chicago Illinois - March 15, 1991 in Chicago was a U Benjamin Francis Webster ( March 27 1909 &ndash September 20 1973) aka " The Brute " or " Frog," was an Lester Willis Young ( August 27, 1909 &ndash March 15, 1959) nickname 'Prez' was an American Jazz tenor Saxophonist Not to be confused with Buddy Johnson. Budd Johnson was a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist best known as a "behind-the-scenes player" and writer Wardell Gray (1921-1955 was an American Jazz Bebop tenor saxophonist. " Four Brothers " (1947 is a Jazz standard composed by Jimmy Giuffre and performed by the Woody Herman Orchestra Stanley Gayetzky ( February 2, 1927 in Philadelphia – June 6, 1991 in Malibu, California) usually known by Al Cohn was an American Jazz Saxophonist and arranger/composer John Haley "Zoot" Sims ( October 29, 1925 - March 23, 1985) was an American Jazz Tenor saxophonist James Peter Giuffre ( April 26, 1921 &ndash April 24, 2008) was an American Jazz composer arranger and Saxophone Richie Kamuca ( July 23 1930 &ndash July 22 1977) was an American Jazz tenor saxophonist born in Philadelphia
• Be-bop and beyond Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Booker Ervin, Yusef Lateef, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Chico Freeman. Theodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7 1930 in New York City) is an American Jazz tenor Saxophonist Dexter Gordon ( February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American Jazz Tenor saxophonist, and an Academy Booker Telleferro Ervin II (born October 31 1930 Denison Texas; died July 31 1970 New York City) was an American Hard bop tenor Saxophone Dr Yusef Lateef (born William Emanuel Huddleston, October 9, 1920) is an American Jazz Multi-instrumentalist, Composer Rahsaan Roland Kirk ( August 7, 1936 - December 5, 1977) was an American Jazz Multi-instrumentalist, playing Joe Henderson ( April 24, 1937 - June 30, 2001) was an American Jazz Tenor saxophonist. Wayne Shorter (born August 25 1933) is an American Jazz Composer and Saxophonist, commonly regarded as one of the Chico Freeman is a modern jazz tenor saxophonist born on July 17, 1949, in Chicago Illinois.
• Free-jazz - Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders, Peter Brotzmann
• Fusion and funk - Michael Brecker, Lenny Pickett
• Latin - Ed Calle
• Return to the mainstream - Von Freeman, Scott Hamilton. Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is a prominent American Jazz Saxophonist. Albert Ayler ( July 13, 1936 – November 1970 was an American avant-garde Jazz saxophonist, singer and Composer. Pharoah Sanders (born October 13, 1940 Peter Brötzmann (born 6 March 1941) is a German Free jazz Saxophonist and Clarinetist. Michael Brecker ( March 29, 1949 &ndash January 13, 2007) was an American Jazz Saxophonist and Composer Lenny Pickett (b Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1954) is an American Saxophonist, Flutist, Clarinetist, Composer Earl Lavon Freeman Sr (born October 3, 1922 in Chicago Illinois) is a Hard bop Tenor saxophonist. Scott Hamilton may refer to Scott Hamilton (figure skater Scott Hamilton (musician Scott Hamilton (rugby player
• Classical: James Houlik, John S. James Houlik (born 4 December 1942 in Bay Shore New York) is an American tenor saxophonist and saxophone teacher Moore, Bruce Weinberger
• Rock: Rudy Pompilli (from Bill Haley's Comets), Boots Randolph (legendary Nashville session man), Dick Parry (best known for his work with progressive rock band Pink Floyd), Clarence Clemons (known for work with Bruce Springsteen)
• former U. Rudy Pompilli (b Rudolph Clement Pompilii Chester Pennsylvania April 16, 1924 (many sources say 1926 d This article is specifically about the singer For detailed information about his rock and roll group see Bill Haley & His Comets. Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph III ( June 3, 1927 &ndash July 3, 2007) was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone Dick Parry (born December 22, 1942 in Kentford, Suffolk, England) is an English Saxophonist. Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Pink Floyd are Clarence Clemons (born January 11, 1942) is an American Musician, best known as the Saxophonist in Bruce Springsteen 's S. president Bill Clinton

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