Tenor saxophone
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Woodwind instrument | |
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Classification | Single-reed |
Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 422.212-71 (Single-reed aerophone with keys) |
Inventor(s) | Adolphe Sax |
Developed | 1840s |
Playing range | |
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Related instruments | |
Sizes:
Orchestral saxophones: Specialty saxophones: | |
Musicians | |
See list of saxophonists |
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the
The tenor saxophone uses a larger
saxophones. Visually, it is easily distinguished by the curve in its neck, or its crook, near the mouthpiece. The alto saxophone lacks this and its neck goes straight to the mouthpiece. The tenor saxophone is most recognized for its ability to blend well with the soprano, alto, and baritone saxophones, with its "husky" yet "bright" tone.The tenor sax has been an important solo instrument in jazz music. Famous and influential players include Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. The work of younger players such as Michael Brecker and Chris Potter has been an important influence in more recent jazz.[1]
History
The tenor saxophone is one of a
Description
The tenor saxophone, like all saxophones, consists of an approximately conical tube of thin brass, a type of metal. The wider end of the tube is flared slightly to form a
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
The mouthpiece of the tenor saxophone is proportionally larger than that of the alto, necessitating a similarly larger
Uses
The tenor saxophone first gained popularity in one of its original intended roles: the
The tenor is used in
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. After the war, 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. The work of the pioneering bandleader Patrick Gilmore (1829–1892) was highly influential; he was one of the first arrangers to pit brass instruments (trumpet, trombone and cornet) against reeds (clarinet and saxophone) in a manner that has now become the norm for big-band arrangements.
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 that 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. Many innovative jazz musicians from the 1930s onwards have been tenor saxophone players. The strong resonant sound of Hawkins and his followers was in contrast with the lighter approach of Lester Young and his school. During the bebop 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 (not forgetting John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins). In recent years, the tenor continues to be very popular with fans of smooth jazz music, being played by artists such as Kirk Whalum, Richard Elliot, Steve Cole and Jessy J. Saxophonists Ron Holloway and Karl Denson are two of the major proponents of the tenor on the jam band music scene.
As a result of its prominence in American jazz, the instrument has also featured prominently in other genres. The tenor is common in
See also
- C-melody saxophone– a smaller tenor saxophone in the key of C
- Soprano saxophone - pitched above the alto saxophone
- Alto saxophone - pitched between the tenor and soprano saxophone
- Baritone saxophone - pitched below the tenor saxophone
References
- ^ "JJA Jazz Awards 2014: 2013 JJA Jazz Awards Winners". JJA Jazz Awards 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
External links
- Media related to Tenor saxophones at Wikimedia Commons
- Tenor Saxophone Index