Saxhorn

The saxhorn is a member of the brass (Hornbostel–Sachs 423.232.2). Its invention is credited to Adolphe Sax. Learn how it makes its sound and explore related instruments.

How the saxhorn makes its sound

In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the saxhorn belongs to the brass (lip-vibrated aerophones): the player's buzzing lips set the air column vibrating – trumpets, horns, trombones, tubas and the didgeridoo.

More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.

Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.

From Wikipedia

The saxhorn is a family of valved brass instruments that have conical bores and deep cup-shaped mouthpieces. The saxhorn family was developed by Adolphe Sax, who is also known for creating the saxophone family. The sound of the saxhorn has a characteristic mellow tone quality and blends well with other brass.