How the bass saxophone makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the bass saxophone belongs to the single-reed instruments: a single reed beats against a mouthpiece – clarinets and saxophones.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
The bass saxophone is the fourth lowest member of the saxophone family—larger and lower than the more common baritone saxophone. It was likely the first type of saxophone built by Adolphe Sax, as first observed by Berlioz in 1842. It is a transposing instrument pitched in B♭, an octave below the tenor saxophone and a perfect fourth below the baritone saxophone. A bass saxophone in C, intended for orchestral use, was included in Adolphe Sax's patent, but few known examples were built. The bass saxophone is not a commonly used instrument, but it is heard on some 1920s jazz recordings, in free jazz, in saxophone choirs and sextets, and occasionally in concert bands and rock music.
Music for all saxophones is written in treble clef, the bass saxophone sounding two octaves and a major second lower than written. As with other saxophones, the lowest written note is the B♭ below middle C, sounding as a concert A♭1, although some models have an extra key for low A (sounding G1).
Other single-reed instruments
Frequently asked questions
What does a bass saxophone sound like?
As one of the single-reed instruments, its sound comes from the way a single reed beats against a mouthpiece.
What type of instrument is the bass saxophone?
It is classified as single-reed instruments (Hornbostel–Sachs 422.212-71).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q810551 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Bass saxophone – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Jonathanischoice – CC BY 4.0