saxophone
A single-reed instrument made of brass, common in jazz and concert bands.
In Depth
The saxophone was invented by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax around 1840. Despite being made of brass, it uses a single reed like the clarinet, giving it a unique tonal quality that bridges the woodwind and brass families. The saxophone family includes soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone, with alto and tenor being the most common.
While Sax designed the instrument for military and concert bands, the saxophone found its true home in jazz. Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and countless others made it the quintessential jazz instrument. The saxophone also plays a major role in rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and soul music, and it appears in orchestral works by Ravel, Prokofiev, and many 20th-century composers.
Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, survived a near-drowning, a gunpowder explosion, falling from a three-story building, and poisoning — all before the age of ten.