Baritone saxophone

The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax," is part of the saxophone family. It is larger and lower in pitch than the tenor saxophone, but smaller and higher in pitch than the bass saxophone. The baritone saxophone is the lowest-pitched saxophone that is commonly used. There are even lower saxophones like the bass, contrabass, and subcontrabass, but these are not used as often.

Like all saxophones, the baritone saxophone is a single-reed instrument. This means it makes sound by blowing air through a reed attached to a mouthpiece. The baritone saxophone is used in many types of music groups, including concert bands, chamber music groups, military bands, big bands, and jazz combos.

You might also hear the baritone saxophone in other types of music, such as rock bands and marching bands. Today, most baritone saxophones are tuned to the note E♭, which helps musicians play together in harmony.

History

The baritone saxophone was created in 1846 by Adolphe Sax, a Belgian instrument maker. He designed it as part of a family of 14 instruments to connect the sounds of woodwind and brass instruments. The baritone saxophone belongs to a popular group of saxophones in the keys of B♭ and E♭, especially loved in military bands.

Over time, changes were made to improve the instrument. By 1910, most baritone saxophones had a special low B♭ key. Later, players added a low A pipe to extend the range, though this made some notes harder to play in tune. In the 1950s, Selmer Paris made baritones with a low A key that worked better. Today, most baritones are made with a low A key, which is now the standard. The highest note on early baritones was high E♭, but now most have a high F♯ key for even higher sounds.

Description

The baritone saxophone is a musical instrument that is part of the saxophone family. It is shaped like a cone made of thin brass, with a wide, flared end called a bell and a smaller end that connects to a mouthpiece. The mouthpiece uses a single reed, similar to a clarinet. To make the instrument easier to hold, it has a loop at the top with two U-shaped parts called the upper bow and spit bow.

Baritone saxophones usually come in two types: one that can play down to the note low A and another that can play down to low B♭. While many people use the low A version, some prefer the B♭ version because it is lighter or because they like a certain older style of instrument. The baritone saxophone weighs between 11 to 20 pounds (5.0 to 9.1 kilograms), which makes it heavier than a tenor saxophone. Some players use a harness instead of a neck strap to help carry the weight more comfortably. Newer models may also have a peg that can rest on the floor, similar to bass clarinets, to take some weight off the player's neck when sitting.

Transposition

The baritone saxophone is a special kind of instrument that sounds different from how it is written. It plays one octave plus a major sixth lower than what you see on the music paper. It also sounds one octave lower than the alto saxophone.

Music for the baritone saxophone is always written using the treble clef, which is the same as for many other instruments. There is a clever way to read music that was written for instruments like the tuba or bassoon. You can pretend it is written for the baritone saxophone and adjust the sharps or flats a little bit. This works for other instruments too, like the tenor saxophone.

Music genre

The baritone saxophone is commonly used in concert bands and saxophone quartets. It has also appeared in some orchestral music, such as works by Richard Strauss, Béla Bartók, Charles Ives, and George Gershwin.

In jazz, the baritone saxophone is a standard part of big bands and has been played by famous musicians like Harry Carney, Gerry Mulligan, and Cecil Payne. It is also used in military bands, musical theater, rock, pop, funk, blues, Latin, and soul music. Notable players in modern popular music include Stephen Kupka from Tower of Power and Dana Colley from Morphine. The instrument has found its way into indie rock and experimental jazz/funk groups as well.

In popular culture

Lisa Simpson from the cartoon comedy series The Simpsons plays the baritone sax.

Haruka Ogasawara from the anime Sound! Euphonium plays the baritone sax.