Welcome to
Saxophone Family
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Saxophone Family
*Loosely to scale!
Eb Sopranino Sax Eb Alto Sax Bb Tenor Sax Eb Baritone Sax Bb Bass Sax b
Bb Soprano Sax © by Karleen Heong for OrchestrationECourse
Contrabass Sax
on Udemy
Clarinet Family
Bb Bass
b Clarinet E b Contra Bb Contrabass
Eb Clarinet Bb Clarinet A Clarinet E Alto Clarinet
F Basset
© by KarleenHorn Alto Clarinet
Heong for Orchestration Clarinet
Course on Udemy
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
What are the Saxophones?
• Conical bore, single reed • Invented in Paris in 1840
• Made of brass by Adolphe Sax
Why are they not part of the Brass family?
• Sound closest to clarinet
• Use a reed
• Most similar to clarinet
• Single reed
• Closest tone
• Similar fingering
• Many clarinets double on saxophones
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Why is Saxophone not a standard member of
the Orchestra?
Common misconceptions – even found in textbooks!
• Saxophone is too distinct, doesn’t blend well
• Saxophone is therefore only good for solos
Real reasons:
• It was invented much later – but… what about tuba?
• The true story – was about business and politics
• Adolphe Sax produced his saxophones differently from
other instrument makers at the time, choosing to make all
parts of the instrument himself.
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Why is Saxophone not a standard member of
the Orchestra?
• This rivalry was taken to the extreme and lawsuits ensued
• Sax was also a difficult person to get on with which didn’t help
• The rival instrument makers used their close relationships with
the best musicians in the city to sabotage Sax
• Telling them not to use his instruments and so on – politics
• Composer Gaetano Donizetti had a contract to use Sax’s
instruments in his opera Dom Sebastien - but the members of the
orchestra threatened to walk out – so he had to change the
instruments
• Due to this climate and Sax’s unpopularity the saxophone missed
out on becoming a staple part of©the orchestra
by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Why is Saxophone not a standard member of
the Orchestra?
• Even if composers liked the instrument there was a risk in
using it so they often had alternative parts if saxophone
could not be used
• Later on they were adopted by military bands, as well as
musical/entertainment groups who used it to comic effect,
which didn’t help its reputation
• Eventually it became commonly used in jazz and popular
music, which further pushed away the classical groups
• Propaganda that the sax was loud with a tone that couldn’t
blend spread – perhaps some day it will be fully integrated
into the orchestra © by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Saxophone is a very important member of
these groups
• Concert band (aka. wind ensemble/symphony/orchestra, symphonic
band): includes woodwind, brass, percussion families, plus double bass or
bass guitar – original wind pieces, arrangements of orchestral music,
popular tunes
• Big band: 12-25 players – Jazz music (saxophones, trumpets, trombones,
rhythm section)
• Jazz bands • Military bands
• Chamber music • Contemporary music
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Which Saxophones are used the most?
• Works for alto saxophone are the most commonly
encountered
• Then tenor, baritone, soprano saxes
• Less common are bass sax, contrabass, sopranino, and
even saxophone in C soprano and C melody/tenor
• The C saxophones came from an F + C family of saxes
(there was also F alto/mezzo-sop & F alto)
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Saxophone Family
Instrumentation &
Orchestration
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
All Saxophones Written Range
Bb 3 G6
*Note: Baritone Saxophone has a written range going down to
A3 (one semitone or half step lower)
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Typical Saxophone Characteristics
•Lower range: Rich, reedy, full
•Middle range: tone becomes more
delicate and smooth
•High range: More flute-like
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Saxophone Family
Eb Sopranino Sax Eb Alto Sax Bb Tenor Sax Eb Baritone Sax Bb Bass Sax b
Bb Soprano Sax © by Karleen Heong for OrchestrationECourse
Contrabass Sax
on Udemy
Alto Sax in Eb Soprano Sax in Bb
Sounds a major 6th lower than written Sounds a major 2nd lower than written
Db3 Bb 5
Ab3 F6
Sounding Ranges &
Transposition Baritone Sax in Eb
Sounds an octave + major 6th
Tenor Sax in Bb lower than written
Sounds a major 9th lower than written
C2 Bb 4
Ab2 F5
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Bass Sax in Bb Contrabass Sax in Eb
Sounds two octaves + major 2nd lower than written Sounds two octaves + major 6th lower than written
Ab1 F4
Db1 Ab3
Sounding Ranges &
Transposition
Sopranino Sax in Eb
Sounds a minor 3rd higher than written
Db4 Gb 6 © by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Typical Saxophone Characteristics
•Lower range difficult to play below
mezzo forte
•Very similar to clarinet family in
technical ability and agility
•The most homogenous family in the
woodwinds (like the strings)
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Typical Saxophone Characteristics
Seems to exist 2 schools..
•The “jazz” school
•The “classical/symphonic” school
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Jazz = dynamic, expressive, raucous, lots of
vibrato, sentimental
Classical/Symphonic = less vibrato, more
controlled dynamically
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
But, this appears to be less pronounced now
As it should be!
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Typical Saxophone Characteristics
•Techniques:
•Single, flutter, slap tonguing
•Not common (only some players can
play) double and triple tonguing
•Produce: sub-tones and echo tones like
clarinets (in lower octaves)
•Can do a nice, big fortissimo in lowest
octave that match the brasses
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Saxophone Numbers
• Symphonic Orchestra:
• Alto most common
• Sometimes can find – soprano, tenor,
baritone
• Concert/Symphonic Band:
• Combo 1: 2 altos, 1 tenor, 1 baritone,
possibly 1 bass
• Combo 2: 1 soprano, 1-2 altos, 1 tenor, 1
baritone, possibly 1 bass
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Saxophone Family
Individual Saxophone
Breakdown
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Alto Sax in Eb - Register
Written Ranges:
• Low register: reedy, full, rich Bb3 – G4
• Hard to play soft
• Middle register: smooth, delicate, G4 – C6
resembles horn though still reedy
• Great dynamic control
• High register: bright, characteristic sound C6 – F6
becomes less distinct
• Altissimo register: ‘in development’
F6+
register – advanced sax players trying to
extend its range even higher
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Alto Sax in Eb - Technical
• Extremely agile and flexible, skips etc. no
problem
• Balances well with brasses and other saxes
• Very consistent tone colour
• Fast repeated notes not recommended
• Trills & tremolos difficult above F6
• Special fx: sub tones, bending notes, stopping
(covering bell of instrument) on the lowest note
and produce a sound a semitone even lower
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Alto Sax in Eb - Orchestration
• Fantastic as solo instrument
• Balances with brasses & saxes well
• In orchestra, used when its unique colour is required –
sounds like combination of horn, bassoon, cello
• Jazz
• commonly doubles at unison & octave for more strength and clarity
• harmonising in 3rds/6ths gives richer effect
• 5 saxes, closed chord voicings (5 note chord played by 5 saxes – 2 alto, 2 tenor, 1
baritone)
• Common 5 note 5 sax technique – top most note and bottom most note are an
octave apart – very strong (doubles the tonic in the 2 most important voices)
• Other voicings used too – semi open voicing, open voicing, cluster voicing
(reference: Essential Dictionary of Orchestration)
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Tenor Sax in Bb
• More throaty and aggressive than alto
sax
• Could say it sounds like an organ
• Lower 4 notes very honky
• High register is thin
• Great agility and dynamic range
• Rarely used in orchestral music, very
important in jazz and concert band
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Baritone Sax in Eb
• Most mellow saxophone
• Clearest articulations of the saxes – sharp attacks,
staccato, marcato, especially in lowest 5th
• Can play written low A (extra semitone down) if it has
the extension
• Low register is most useful but can be aggressive,
harsh
• Middle register is mellow
• High register is weak and thin, avoid top 3 notes
• Used for basslines but also good for solos (sounds like
reedy euphonium)
• Rarely seen in orchestra but is a main in jazz/band
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Soprano Sax in Bb
• Highest common saxophone
• Great as a soloist, expressive, extremely agile
• Low register – reedy, rough, full – soft dynamics
difficult, bottom 2-3 notes are coarse, playing ff can
rival the brass on its own
• Middle register – sweet, clear – great control
• High register – brilliant, can be shrill and pinched
• Orchestration
• can substitute clarinet sometimes
• Difficult to blend other than with saxes
• Therefore, best as solo instrument in symphonic orchestra
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Bass Sax in B b
• Not common, even in jazz/band
• If used, matches the baritone but extends its
range even lower by 4-5 semitones
• Gravelly tone
• Less agile than baritone sax, especially in
lowest 5th
• Great as a bass instrument, excellent punch,
clarity and power (can give a clean pizzicato-
like effect)
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Contrabass Sax in Eb
•One octave below bass sax
•Very rarely seen/heard
•Heavy and distinctive bass tone
•Least agile in the family
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Sopranino Sax in Eb
•Extremely rare
•One octave above alto sax
•Sounds between clarinet & oboe
•Does not have much of a high range,
so actually its whole range can be
played by other saxophones
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
Back to back Listen to each Saxophone
© by Karleen Heong for Orchestration Course on Udemy
