Tenor saxophone
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Image:Tenorsaxophon.jpg The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. It is a transposing instrument, pitched in the key of B-flat. This means that when a tenor saxophonist plays the note C, the actual pitch that sounds is a B-flat, a major ninth lower.
The tenor saxophone is used in many ensembles such as concert band, marching band, big band and small jazz ensembles, but only rarely in symphony orchestras. In concert bands, it often has a supporting role, unlike the alto saxophone, sometimes sharing parts with the euphonium and trombone.
The tenor saxophone comes into its own in jazz music. It was the pioneering genius of Coleman Hawkins 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. Many of the greatest jazz musicians have been primarily tenor players, including Lester Young, Ben Webster, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Stan Getz, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Sonny Rollins. Rock 'n' roll tenor saxophonists include "Boots" Randolph and Rudy Pompilli of Bill Haley's Comets, and also Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.
Approximately 98% of all student saxophonists start learning the instrument using the alto saxophone. Approximately 10% of student saxophonists later learn to play the tenor. Switching from alto to tenor does not involve great difficulty, since both instruments are transposing instruments and use the same fingerings. A different (slightly larger) mouthpiece, reed, and ligature are required on tenor than on alto.
In the 1800s and the first 29 years of the 20th century, instrument makers also manufactured a slightly smaller tenor saxophone which was pitched in the key of C. This was known as a C-melody saxophone. C-melody saxophones became extremely common during the saxophone craze in the period 1918-1929, and many (perhaps as many as a million) of these instruments were sold. The C-melody was never included in ensembles, though, and passed out of style. No C-melody saxophones have been manufactured since 1929, and no performing or recording artists today use the C-melody except for historical purposes.
The saxophone family ranges from sopranissimo, sopranino, soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass, and subcontrabass.
See also
de:Tenorsaxophon fr:Saxophone ténor nl:Tenorsaxofoon sl:Tenorski saksofon