All PARTS of the instrument SAXOPHONE

Of all the inventions of the human being we find several very ingenious artifacts, some of them allow us to create sound and play with it to create artistic works. Over time these tools have evolved into the musical instruments that we know today and that we see on stage or listen to together in our favorite songs.

One of these instruments is the saxophone, which with its sound versatility and warmth of tone has managed to infiltrate various genres and musical styles, becoming very popular and known in music that we all know. Its mechanism is interesting, after all it is the exact sum of the parts of an object that makes it work with excellence. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about this melodious instrument and learn about the parts of the saxophone.

The saxophone is a musical instrument invented in the decade of the 1840s by Adolph Sax (hence the name of the instrument) that we categorize in the group of wind instruments of mAdera, since although its body is metallic, the part of the instrument that produces the sound, "the cane", is made of wood

. It is played vertically with both hands attached to the neck of the instrumentalist by a mail or a device. The saxophone can be played while standing or sitting and is made primarily of the metal called "brass".

Within the family of this instrument we find different saxophones that vary according to their tessitura or tuning, and we can also notice it in size. The best known are the alto, soprano and tenor saxophone, but we also find the bass, baritone and mezzo-soprano saxophone among others.

This instrument is quite versatile both as a soloist and to play in groups and we can hear it more frequently in the genres of classical music, jazz, funk and Latin genres. In terms of tone, the saxophone is warm and has a wide nuances of volume.

How the saxophone works

Being a wind instrument, the saxophone produces sound thanks to the vibration of the air produced by the shock of the wind against your body and its parts. The instrumentalist blows through one end of the instrument, passes through his body, and the sound comes out of the end. In the middle it contains holes operated by mechanisms in charge of the instrumentalist's fingers that serve to alter the passage of the wind and change the notes.

We are now going to know what the parts of the saxophone are to better know this musical instrument. The parts are as follows:

Nozzle

It is the beginning end of the instrument, where the musician blows. The saxophone works with a piece called reed (reed), which is thin and flattened and fits into the mouthpiece. The reed is the main piece in charge of producing the vibration. To hold it, a piece called ligature or clamp, with screws that allow adjustment.

Saxophonists, like other musicians who use wind instruments, own an additional piece To protect the mouthpiece and keep it clean when the instrument is not being played, this is the call cap or dip.

Neck

The neck is another part of the saxophone, specifically, it is the part that connect mouthpiece and body. With the exception of some saxophones such as the soprano saxophone, the neck has a fold that continues with the body downward. The neck has a piece that is responsible for firmly holding this part to the body, called neck screw.

The part that connects the mouthpiece and the neck is called neck cork, because it has a cork part to hold and adjust the mouthpiece.

Body or tube

The body or tube is another part of the saxophone. It is lvertical part of the instrument and where all the keys and mechanisms are located.

The keys

They are the series of levers and buttons that work with a mechanism, cover and uncover the holes of the instrument to change the notes. There are different types of keys. We have among them the spatula keys (by their shape) and the protective keys, the latter that are responsible for covering some holes at risk of accidental blows. There are keys with specific functions such as octave key or pin that serves as a support and pivot point for the octave key.

Other parts of the body of the seaxophone

There are other parts that are part of the mechanism of the keys or that support the comfort of the instrumentalist, such as the rod system or the piece thumb support.

Bow

It is called an arc the curved part at the lowest part of the saxophone, which is bent 180 degrees to leave the end of the instrument facing up.

Campaign

It is the last of the parts of the saxophone where the hole is located and where the sound is expelled. Depending on the type of saxophone and its register, the bell points up or down.

Throughout the history of the saxophone it has been praised by great musicians who have shown us their expressive capacity in different areas and styles of music. It is an instrument recognized for its ability to create melodies and its attractive timbre for many people. Now that you know more about its parts and how it works, it would be interesting if you could get closer to one to get to know it better and maybe think about learning to play it.