Discovering the Beginning

　　The beginning of the saxophone goes back to the Nineteenth Century. It was invented by Antoine-Joseph Sax (1814-1894), who is also known as Adolphe, of Dinant, Belgium. The term "saxophone" was obviously derived from his family name.

　　Adolphe's father Charles Joseph was a famous musical instrument craftsman. From a very young age, he observed his dad building and maintaining woodwind instruments, fueling his passion for this type of instrument. Adolphe was actually more interested in a bass clarinet that looked similar to a saxophone.

Antoine-Joseph Sax, (1814~1894)

　　A bass clarinet's main body is long and thick with large tone holes, and with button mechanism to control the musical notes, unlike a regular clarinet that requires human fingers to cover the apertures. A bass clarinet's bent mouthpiece and the bell section became the inspiration for Adolphe's invention of the saxophone.

　　In 1842, Adolphe went to the art capital Paris, where he obtained the help of the famous classical musician Hector Berlioz and the favorable reporting of the local media. In 1844 Adolphe finally made a bass clarinet into a saxophone, which made its debut during an industrial invention show in Paris. He received a patent in 1846.

　　At the time, classical music and opera music were very popular in Paris. Since the saxophone has good acoustical properties, its sound can completely mask the sound of other instruments. Therefore, the saxophone was not suitable for opera music or symphony music. Besides the classical musicians Berlioz and Wagner who would include saxophone in their philharmonics, only the military musicians would use saxophones.

　　It wasn't until 1885 when American Gus Buescber obtained the right to manufacture saxophone. Jazz music benefited from the use of saxophone, and it has finally received widespread recognition thanks to the African-American population. Between 1910 and 1920, the saxophone has become the requisite instrument for a jazz music performance. Famous composers such as Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington would always include a section for saxophone in their works.

　　Comparing to other musical instruments, even though saxophone has a rather short history of one hundred sixty years, it does have a profound effect on the American jazz music. A saxophone is clear sounding, its musical notes are both loud and precise. It is a perfect instrument for playing solo. Belgium's people are very proud of the saxophone and are respectful of Adolphe, as their paper currency has the picture of a saxophone on it to commemorate him.

The pictures of Antoine-Joseph Sax and Saxophone on the Belgian bank note