Saxophones

The saxophones have a wide dynamic range from a whispering ppp to a loud and raucous fff, which is commonly encountered in heavy rock bands. It can be very lyrical and it can also be blunt and even comical (as in the last note of the ‘Muppetts Theme’ which is played by a baritone sax. Since its use in the theme for the TV series ‘The Simpsons’ it has become increasingly popular with young girls.

The ranges and transpositions for the saxophone family are as follows: The first bar is their actual sound and the second bar is their written range.

The soprano has the same transposition as a Bb clarinet. The alto is an Eb instrument; that means that when you ask it to play a written C you will actually hear an Eb six whole tones lower. The tenor is a Bb instrument and it is written a ninth higher (an octave and a second) than heard. The baritone is an Eb and is like the alto but an octave lower, thus it is written an octave and a sixth higher than what is heard, and the bass is a Bb and it is written two octaves  a tone higher than the note you want to hear.

All saxophones are written in treble clef. Generally they are not used in a standard orchestra, but are common in concert bands and wind orchestras. In concert bands they support the French horns (and often replace them if it is a small band). The baritone is often used to add weight to bass parts.

The saxophones are very nimble and can play rapid passages and vastly divergent dynamics and this makes them very suitable for Jazz, hence their inclusion on stage and big bands. In these latter groups the saxophones play supporting harmonies, virtuosic solos and loud punching riffs and fillers.

They sound great by themselves, but also add bight to the brass sections of jazz ensembles.

They are very useful for close-harmony added-note chords and dissonances such as the following passage.

This passage could be given to 2 altos and 2 tenors and it would sound great, however it could equally be given to 2 altos, a tenor and 1 baritone, though the Ab is at the very top of the baritone’s reasonable range. In jazz orchestration the same progression would sound very effect with the baritone doubling the top note (the melody) an octave lower, whilst the rest of the chord is still performed with 2 altos and 2 tenors. This is a common use of the baritone and it ensures that the melody is not lost in all the close harmonization.

The next example has the melody in trumpets with a harmony in trombones. Against this the saxophones perform a simple countermelody. This is another effective use of the instruments.

The following is a possible orchestration of the folksong Rasa Saya Hey, using the more common woodwind instruments and the saxophones. In this example the song has been orchestrated in the key of F major (usually it is in C) to bring out the best quality ranges of the instruments and this key is better for the Bb and Eb instruments. Here we use 2 altos, a tenor and a baritone saxophone, and a bass clarinet.