Learn About The Bass Saxophone Instrument Facts For Kids!

The bass saxophone is a large, impressive-looking instrument that can be quite daunting for less-experienced musicians.

The contrabass saxophone is the largest and lowest-pitched member of the saxophone family. It is pitched an octave below the tenor saxophone and has a deep, rich sound that is perfect for jazz and Big Band music.

The bass sax is basically a larger and deeper-sounding version of the regular saxophone. The bass saxophone's range goes down as low as an E below middle C, making it perfect for playing jazz or classical music pieces that require deep notes.

Like all saxophones, the bass saxophone is made up of a metal body, a curved metal neck, and a mouthpiece. The body of the contrabass saxophone is about twice the size of the tenor sax body, and it has a considerably longer neck.

This makes the contrabass sax difficult to play and requires a lot of practice to master.

Since the bass sax is such a large instrument, it can be quite difficult to hold and control. This is why it is important for beginners to practice using a strap or harness system that will help keep the saxophone in place while they are playing.

One of the coolest things about the bass saxophone is its unique sound. Unlike other woodwind instruments, the bass saxophone has a very mellow and warm tone that is perfect for jazz music. In fact, many professional jazz musicians prefer to use a bass sax instead of a regular saxophone when playing certain pieces.

The Discovery And History Of The Bass Saxophone

In 1840, Adolphe Sax developed the saxophone for bridging the tonal gaps between the various parts of the orchestra. Adolphe Sax started with the bass sax, and while a complete saxophone family would follow soon after, the bass was his first.

As described in the saxophone patent, orchestral bass instruments lacked strength or had a harsh sonority at the time, and Sax likely envisioned the bass saxophone, the jazz instrument, as a solution to these problems.

From the history of the instrument and its employment in military bands and symphonic compositions to its considerable use in classical music in the '20s and '30s, the bass saxophone has a long and illustrious history.

In addition, the instrument's popularity as a modern solo instrument has grown steadily.

Modern instruments are in B, despite the fact that bass saxophones in C were designed for symphonic usage. They are a fourth below the baritone and an octave below the tenor in this range.

Like the other saxophones, music is written in treble clef, with notes two octaves and a major second lower than written. The lowest printed note, like with most other members of the saxophone family, is the B below the staff, which in the first octave sounds like a concert A.

Benedikt Eppelsheim, a wind instrument maker from Germany, created bass saxophones with an extra key to produce low (written) A. This creates a concert G in the first octave (49 Hz), akin to the low A note on the baritone saxophone.

A saxophone is a brass musical instrument that is often referred to as a sax.

It is fashioned of brass, and it is often used in what is known as a brass section, with other brass instruments such as the trumpet and trombone.

It contains a reed, and is a part of the woodwind family of instruments rather than a real brass instrument, and was classed from the clarinet and had many resemblances to that instrument, as the player blows into a reed that is attached to the instrument's mouthpiece.

Although the bass saxophone is not widely utilized, it may be heard on select jazz recordings from the '20s, in free jazz, saxophone choirs, and infrequently in concert bands like Orleans jazz.

The Cultural Significance Of The Bass Saxophone

Military bands were the first to adopt the saxophone. Although the instrument was first overlooked in Germany, French, and Belgian military bands, it was later adopted into their ensembles.

In most French and Belgian military bands, a quartet of E baritone, B tenor, E alto, and B soprano saxophones are utilized. The E contrabass saxophone and B bass are typically regarded as impractically huge, and the E sopranino is inadequately strong, so these four instruments have proven to be the most popular of all of Sax's instruments. 

In British military bands, two saxophonists, one on alto and one on tenor, are generally present. The saxophone was brought to the concert band, replacing the previously needed E alto saxophone, B tenor saxophone, and E baritone sax.

Two altos, one tenor, and one baritone may make up a concert band. B soprano sax is also there, which is performed by the first alto saxophonist. In certain concert band pieces, a bass saxophone in B is employed (especially in music by Percy Grainger).

Chamber groups often use saxophones, such as the B soprano saxophone, B tenor saxophone, E baritone, and E alto saxophone, which are the classical saxophone four (SATB). The soprano is sometimes substituted with a second alto sax (AATB). Non-standard instrumentation has been employed by saxophone quartets, such as James Fei's Alto Quartet (four altos).

Classical works and arrangements for the SATB instrumentation date back to the 19th century, primarily by composers from France who were acquainted with the saxophone. The majority of members of chamber compositions for saxophone, however, are from the contemporary age of classical saxophone, which began in 1928 with Marcel Mule. 

Starting in 1931, Sigurd Raschèr performed in a solo album of symphonic compositions, and he was a key character in the creation of the contemporary classical saxophone repertoire.

Due to the degree of skill shown by its players and its essential role in the creation of contemporary quartet repertoire, the Mule quartet is sometimes regarded as the prototype for quartets.

Organized quartets existed before Mule's band, the most famous of which being Edward A. Lefebre's (1834–1911) quartet, which was a subgroup of Patrick Gilmore's 22nd Regiment band from 1873 until 1893.

The saxophone gained popularity in symphony orchestral use in the 20th and 21st centuries. Opera, choral music, jazz, or dance bands are the genres where the instrument has been employed. Saxophone sections may be found in many musical theater works, occasionally doubling another brass or woodwind instrument.

Types Of Bass Saxophone

The sax family originally consisted of 14 members. In reality, Adolphe Sax envisioned a saxophone-only symphony. Therefore, he created a variety of saxophones in various sizes. Despite this, only six varieties are now in regular use: the sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass, in order of pitch from high to low.

The sopranino saxophone is the smallest of the original sax family of instruments. It is in the key of Eb, and it sounds an octave higher than even the greatest alto saxophone.

Sopranino saxophones may be straight or curved. Unlike other saxophones, most sopranino saxophones do not have a neck strap ring because sopranino saxophones are so light. Even an experienced saxophonist will struggle to play in tune on a sopranino sax due to its finicky intonation.

The soprano saxophone is the most common sax with the highest pitch. It's a transposing instrument, as the name implies.

Because it is in the key of Bb, when you play a C, the real sound will be a concert pitch Bb. The soprano has a range that is comparable to that of a Bb trumpet, ranging from Ab3 to E6, depending on the musician's aptitude.

The soprano is the only saxophone with a straighter bore due to its unique construction.

However, certain saxophone models with straighter bores are still available. Since Kenny G made the soprano sax famous in the '80s, it has largely been employed in smooth jazz.

The alto saxophone is the most popular saxophone for beginners, especially among students. Many saxophonists begin their careers on the alto saxophone before moving on to other instruments. It's in the key of E flat, it is compact and has a small mouthpiece, making it simple to master.

The tenor saxophone is the most well-known of all the saxophones. It has a lower pitch and is bigger than an alto.

It is not appropriate for novices because, as it is a bigger instrument, more air must be pushed through it to make music. Although it is not popular among young musicians, the saxophone is commonly employed in pop, jazz, and rock music.

The baritone saxophone is the biggest of the initial four standard saxophone kinds. The baritone saxophone is an Eb instrument with a lower tone. Because of its characteristics, many individuals dislike playing the baritone saxophone, due to its size, weight, and the vast volume of air required to make sound.

It is far simpler to go larger with instruments than it is to go smaller The bass sax is normally large, which is why you should rest it on a stand when playing by curling the neck down to the halfway point of the body.

The entire tuned octave below the tenor saxophone gives it a deep supporting sound, making it ideal for concert bands and bigger jazz groups.

The Parts And Construction of The Bass Saxophone

A single-reed mouthpiece, comparable to a clarinet mouthpiece but with a round or square evacuated inner chamber, is used on the saxophone. Because the saxophone's body is basically conical, it sounds more like an oboe than a clarinet.

Unlike the oboe, which has a single cone for its tube, most saxophones have a unique curvature at the bell. Straight soprano and sopranino saxophones are more frequent than the curved soprano and sopranino saxophones, and straight alto and tenor saxophones do exist but they are uncommon.

Brass is used in making the majority of saxophones nowadays. Over raw brass, manufacturers generally add a lacquer coating or silver, gold, or nickel plating.

These are usually made to improve sound quality and to give the saxophone a unique cosmetic appeal. A modest number of saxophones made commercially from materials other than brass are also available with a silver, copper, bronze, or metal body.

FAQs

Who invented the bass saxophone?

Adolphe Sax invented the bass saxophone.

How old is the saxophone?

The saxophone is 176 years old.

How much does a bass saxophone cost?

A good-quality saxophone starts from around $5,000 (£3,817).

How much does a bass saxophone weigh?

A bass saxophone weighs around 24 lb (11 kg).

What key is the bass saxophone in?

The contemporary bass saxophone is a B-key transposing instrument.

When was the bass saxophone invented?

The bass saxophone was invented on June 28, 1846.

How tall is a bass saxophone?

It measures around 4 ft (122 cm) tall.