saxhorn

views 2,582,633 updated Jun 11 2018

saxhorn. Type of brass wind instr. of wide semiconical bore, using cup mouthpiece and played with valves, invented by A. Sax c.1845. There are 7 varieties (deep bass to high treble), i.e. 2 sop., alto, ten., B♭ bass, E♭ bass, and BB♭ bass (BB signifies wider bore). They are transposing instrs.: those used in Brit. brass bands are the E♭ ten. (ten. hn.) and B♭ bar. (bar. hn.), both closely related to the Flügelhorn. Nomenclature for the group is somewhat confused, e.g. in the 4 higher instrs.:

(a) sopranino saxhorn in E♭ (or F), also called sop. saxhorn or (mistakenly) sop. Flügelhorn, or Flügelhorn piccolo. Little different from E♭ cornet.(b) sop. saxhorn in B♭ (or C), also called alto saxhorn or (mistakenly) alto Flügelhorn. Little different from B♭ cornet.(c) alto saxhorn in E♭ (or F), also called saxhorn, or ten. saxhorn, or ten. hn., or alto, or althorn in E♭ (or F).(d) ten. in B♭ (or C), also called bar., or bar. saxhorn, or althorn in B♭.

The 3 lower saxhorns are whole-tube instrs., the 4 higher are half-tube instrs. The 3 lower instrs. are classified with tubas, e.g.(e) bass saxhorn in B♭ (or C), almost identical with euphonium.(f) bass saxhorn in E♭ (or F), almost identical with E♭ bass tuba, otherwise E♭ bombardon.(g) double-bass saxhorn in B♭ (or C), almost identical with B♭ bass tuba but with complete range at bottom.

These are not always used as transposing instr.: sometimes the bass clef is used, sometimes the treble clef showing the notes an octave higher than if the bass clef had been used. In each case, middle C represents the octave of the fundamental note.

saxhorn

views 3,305,735 updated Jun 08 2018

saxhorn brass musical instrument. XIX. f. name of Charles Joseph Sax (1791–1865) + HORN.
So saxophone, invented about 1840 by his son Antoine Joseph, known as Adolphe; see -O-.

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