The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. It is a transposing instrument, pitched in the key of B♭. In addition, tenor music is notated an octave higher than it is played, so when a tenor saxophonist plays a C, the actual pitch that sounds is a B♭ a major ninth lower. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (400x615, 19 KB) Yanagisawa Tenorsaxophon, eigenes Instrument und eigenes Bild (kku), Februar 2004, GNU-GPL GNU General Public License File links The following pages link to this file: Tenor saxophone ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube), in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. ... A woodwind instrument is a wind instrument in which sound is produced by blowing against an edge or by a vibrating reed, and in which the pitch governed by the resonant frequencies of an enclosed air column. ... An aerophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes, and without the vibration of the instrument itself adding considerably to the sound. ... The playing range of a musical instrument is the region of pitch in which it can play, i. ... Image File history File links Alto_sax_range. ... In music theory, the term interval describes the difference in pitch between two notes. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... The soprillo, a piccolo or sopranissimo saxophone, is the worlds smallest saxophone. ... An E-flat sopranino saxophone (right). ... The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument. ... Mezzo-soprano (left) and alto (right) saxophones. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The C melody saxophone is a saxophone in the key of C, one whole step above the tenor saxophone. ... The baritone saxophone is one of the larger and lower pitched members of the saxophone family. ... The bass saxophone (or bass sax for short) is the second largest existing member of the saxophone family (or third largest, if the subcontrabass tubax is counted). ... The contrabass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family (the largest being the triple B-flat subcontrabass tubax, although the tubax is not technically a member of the saxophone family due to its narrower bore). ... A B-flat subcontrabass tubax (right), the closest extant instrument to a subcontrabass saxophone. ... A B-flat subcontrabass tubax (right). ... Explanation of columns: s = Sopranino S = Soprano A = Alto T = Tenor B = Baritone b = Bass c = Contrabass sc = Subcontrabass (i. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family, usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece like the clarinet. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family, usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece like the clarinet. ... Life-size statue of Adolphe Sax outside his birthplace in Dinant, Belgium. ... A transposing instrument is a musical instrument whose music is written at a pitch different from concert pitch. ... In music theory, the term interval describes the difference in pitch between two notes. ...

In the early 20th century, instrument makers manufactured a saxophone slightly smaller than the tenor which was pitched in the key of C. This was known as a C melody saxophone. C melody saxophones became common during the American saxophone craze (1918-1929) but the instrument passed out of style. No C melody saxophones have been mass manufactured since 1929, and C melody saxophones are not included in any present-day band or jazz ensemble.^{[citation needed]} The C melody saxophone is a saxophone in the key of C, one whole step above the tenor saxophone. ...

The tenor saxophone is used in many different types of ensembles, including concert bands, big band jazz ensembles, small jazz ensembles, and marching bands. It is occasionally included in pieces written for symphony orchestra and for chamber ensembles; two examples of this are Ravel's Boléro and Webern's Quartet for violin, clarinet, tenor saxophone, and piano. In concert bands, the tenor plays mostly a supporting role, sometimes sharing parts with the euphonium and trombone. In jazz ensembles, the tenor plays a more prominent role, often sharing parts or harmonies with the alto saxophone. A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family and percussion instrument family. ... A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from 1935 until the late 1940s. ... An American college marching band on the field (University of Texas) A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors, and who incorporate movement â€“ usually some type of marching â€“ with their musical performance. ... Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ... Joseph-Maurice Ravel (March 7, 1875 – December 28, 1937) was a French composer and pianist, best known for his orchestral work, Boléro, and his famous 1922 orchestral arrangement of Modest Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition. ... The Boléro is Maurice Ravels (1875-1937) most famous musical composition. ... Anton Webern (December 3, 1883 – September 15, 1945) was a composer of classical music and a member of the so called Second Viennese School. ... A quartet is a group of four identical or similar objects, or a grouping of four persons for a common purpose. ... The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. ... The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The tenor saxophone became better known through its frequent use in jazz music. It was the pioneering genius of Coleman Hawkins which lifted the tenor saxophone from its traditional role of adding weight to the ensemble and established it as a highly-effective melody instrument in its own right. Many prominent jazz musicians from the 1940's onwards have been tenor players. Since then, the tenor saxophone and its deep soulful tone have been considered one of the key instruments of blues and jazz music. The tenor is also extremely common in rhythm and blues music. As a result of its prominence in American jazz, the instrument has also featured prominently in other genres. These include rock and roll and more recent rock music as well as Afro-American, Latin American, Afro-Caribbean, and African music. Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States around the start of the 20th century. ... Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins, nicknamed Hawk and sometimes Bean, (November 21, 1901 or 1904 - May 19, 1969) was a prominent jazz tenor saxophone musician. ... Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences — first performed by African American artists. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... African American music (also called black music, formerly known as race music) is an umbrella term given to a range of musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. ... Latin American music, sometimes simply called Latin music, includes the music of many countries and comes in many varieties, from the simple, rural conjunto music of northern Mexico to the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, from the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos to the simple and moving Andean flute. ... A poster of African Reparation, Reconciliation and Restoration Conference The African diaspora is the diaspora created by the movements and cultures of Africans and their descendants throughout the world, to places such as the Americas, (including the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America) Europe and Asia. ... Hand drumming has a significant role in African music African music is as vast and varied as the continents many nations and ethnic groups, so a general description of African music is not possible. ...

Approximately 90% of all student saxophonists start learning the instrument using the alto saxophone. Approximately 20% of student saxophonists later learn to play the tenor. Switching from one saxophone to another is not very difficult, since all modern saxophones are transposing instruments and all saxophones share the same fingerings. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A close-up of the first bar of Applicatio in C major, BWV 994, from Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach that shows the fingering guide on the score. ...

The tenor saxophone requires a slightly larger mouthpiece, reed, and ligature than the alto. The mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument is that part of the instrument which is placed partly in the players mouth. ... A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to make music. ... Two Selmer C85 120 mouthpieces with ligatures. ...