The saxophone, developed in 1846 by Adolphe Sax, is an instrument with

The saxophone, developed in 1846 by Adolphe Sax, is an instrument with a single-reed mouthpiece and a conical brass body that is often curved. Closely related to the clarinet, the saxophone is designed to project like a brass instrument while offering musicians the agility of sound of a woodwind.

Saxophones come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with larger instruments spanning lower musical ranges. The most common saxophones by far are alto and tenor saxophones, followed by baritone and soprano saxophones.

Saxophones were developed for use in military marching bands. Sections of saxophonists have gained acceptance in concert and big band settings as well. But perhaps the best known setting for saxophones is in jazz, where saxophone soloists are often the star performers.

The range of a musical instrument is the distance from the lowest to the highest pitch that the instrument can play. Scientific discussion of music usually refers to hertz (Hz), the number of vibrations per second of a given tone: the higher the frequency, the higher the pitch registers to the human ear. Musicians, however, refer to octaves. Increasing a tone by one octave is equivalent to doubling the frequency; decreasing it by one octave is equivalent to halving the frequency.

The exact range of reed instruments is difficult to determine. While the lowest note that a woodwind can produce is generally fixed, woodwinds can be "overblown": their upper range can be raised by increasing the air pressure applied to the mouthpiece. Theoretically, this means that even a contrabass saxophone can produce notes as high as those produced on a sopranino saxophone. However, the physical capabilities of human mouths and lungs impose a practical upper limit. The following table, which lists the ranges of several types of saxophone, assumes a very skilled practitioner. Many inexperienced players will not reach the upper ranges shown. If a player were capable of exceeding these ranges, he or she would be unlikely to do so in the context of a musical performance.

Pitch Ranges of Saxophone Types, in Hertz