Page 5 - Info Magazine nr 15 JANUARY 2021

Are the saxophone and the clarinet similar?
The soprano saxophone and the clarinet look similar at first glance, but they are completely dif-
ferent. First, the clarinet is cylindrical. It seems to swell slightly in the middle sometimes, but it
is essentially a straight cylinder. The soprano saxophone, on the other hand, is a progressively
widening cone.
The alto, tenor, and all saxophones are
conical. The inventor, Adolphe Sax, de-
signed the first saxophone as a conical
tube with a three-degree taper. "Taper"
means to become progressively narro-
wer toward one end, and, with musical
instruments in particular, it indicates the
angle of the graduation of the taper. For
example, it might be easier to imagine if
you think of an umbrella that is partially
opened. A different taper will give a com-
pletely different tone and pitch.

Because it is tapered and not cylindrical, the
saxophone can
produce a sound that is very similar to the
human voice.
This gives it a wide range
of emotional expression, and makes it ideal
as a solo
instrument.

A soprano saxophone (left) and a clarinet (right)
A soprano saxophone (left) and a clarinet (right)
There is a technique called "trilling" that allows musicians to embellish a melody by alternating
rapidly between one pitch and the one just above it. The video below shows an example of tril-
ling between F and F♯ using fingering.

Brass is used to make the metal parts of a saxophone. Brass is an alloy composed of copper and
zinc, and compared to iron, it has good rust resistance properties and is easy to work with. Some
saxophones are gold plated or silver plated, but underneath the plating is brass.