National Saxophone Day – November 6, 2022

The saxophone is one of the most iconic instruments in the world and one of the most popular. It has been a mainstay of Jazz music for over 100 years and is used by artists and bands across all genres.

It is the most popular instrument used by brass bands and is often a symbol of a country’s culture and national identity. People from all over America celebrate National Saxophone Day on November 6th to honor the Saxophone inventor, Antoine-Joseph ‘Adolphe’ Sax.

When is the National Saxophone Day?

National Saxophone Day will be observed on November 6th, 2022.

History of National Saxophone Day:

Adolphe Sax had a huge influence on jazz music and his inventions paved the way for many other musical instruments. Belonging to a musical background family, Sax started making clarinet and flutes at an early age and later studied them at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.

He started making important inventions when he was only 24 years old. He improved the design of the “Bass Clarinet” and then patented it.

He invented many other Musical Instruments such as Saxhorn, Saxtromba, and Saxtuba, etc., but his most famous invention, “Saxophone,” came into existence in 1841, and he patented it in 1846. The patented design had 14 different variations based on high to low pitch.

Types of Saxophone:

Adolphe invented 14 different types of Saxophones perceiving the idea of an Orchestra consisting of only Saxophones. However, today there are six main types of Saxophones used Worldwide.

1. Soprano Saxophone:

The Soprano Saxophone is one of the most common types of saxophones in the market. It is

also the smallest in size and is the easiest instrument to play. This is a favorite instrument among beginners. It comes with a metal ring at the base for better control. It can be played with a bow or a finger as well.

2. Alto Saxophone:

It is used for a variety of genres, including Rock, Blues, and Jazz. Alto Saxophones are much larger than Soprano Saxophones and come with a metal ring at the bottom. The mouthpiece is made of brass. Saxophonists mainly use it, and it is the most popular Saxophone in the world.

3. Tenor Saxophone:

It is one of the most famous saxophone types. It is mainly played by Tenors and Sopranos but can also be played by Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone or Flute players.

It has a key range of G3 to C6 and produces a very mellow sound. This Saxophone type is mostly used for Classical Music, Jazz, and Pop.

4. Baritone Saxophone:

This Saxophone resembles a lot like the Alto Saxophone. It is also very popular and is mainly used by Jazz musicians. It comes with a key range of F3 to G6 and produces a mellow sound.

5. Bass Saxophone:

Both Soprano and Tenor saxophonists use this Saxophone type. It has a key range of G3 to C6 and produces a very heavy and strong tone. It is mainly used in jazz and blues music.

6. Contrabass Saxophone:

Contrabass Saxophone is the biggest, rarest, and most expensive among all the saxophones. It can come with a whopping height of 6’4″. It is also known as the Double Bass Saxophone. It is mainly used for Jazz and Blues music and comes with a key range of G4 to C. It produces a loud and deep tone.

Basic notes of the Saxophone:

There are seven basic notes on a saxophone.

1. C3 (C)
2. G3 (G)
3. D4 (D)
4. A4 (A)
5. E4 (E)
6. B4 (B)
7. F4 (F)

A few other notes are not used in music but are played to show the player how to play the Saxophone. They are:

9. C4 (C#)
10. G4 (G#)
11. D5 (D#)
12. A5 (A#)

How to learn to play the Saxophone:

The Saxophone is one of the most challenging instruments to learn. It is an easy instrument to play but hard to master. You must practice for at least three hours a day to get good at playing the Saxophone.

• The first thing you should do is to buy a good quality Saxophone. You must buy one that has a metal ring on the bottom so you can control it easily.
• The second step is to start learning how to blow air into the mouthpiece of the Saxophone. Practice blowing for a few minutes every day.
• Try practicing from the lowest notes to the highest ones.
• Master the scale of notes

These are some of the basic stuff that you can try yourself. Lastly, if you are serious and want to master the art, I recommend learning from a professional.

Saxophone Fingering Chart

Here is the video guide for the Saxophone fingering chart.

How to celebrate National Saxophone Day:

Here are some fun ways to celebrate the day.

1. The best way to celebrate this day would be to pick up the Saxophone and start learning this incredible musical instrument
2. You can use #NationalSaxophoneDay on Social Media and invite your friends for a party or plan to go to the Saxophone Orchestra.
3. Sing some Saxophone songs.
4. If you can’t sing, make a playlist of all the songs you have heard played on a Saxophone and play them at your party.
5. Dance to some Saxophone songs.
6. Make a Saxophone cake.
7. Have a Saxophone quiz.
8. Give a gift of a brand new Saxophone to your loved one.

Conclusion

One of the main reasons I like this day is because it gives us the opportunity to show the world that we love the Saxophone. We can share our passion with the world and celebrate the day all over the globe.

To conclude, I would like you to leave your comments on how you are planning to celebrate National Saxophone Day.

Cheers and have a wonderful day!