Invented in the 1840s by Adolphe Sax, for whom it was named, the saxophone is a brass-bodied woodwind instrument that bridges the tonal qualities of brass and reed instruments.
Today, it is commonly used in jazz, military bands, and popular music, while maintaining a place in classical repertoire.
The saxophone is unusual among musical instruments in that it was conceived by a single inventor rather than evolving gradually. Adolphe Sax (1814-1894), a Belgian instrument maker, sought to create an instrument that combined the power and projection of brass with the flexibility and expressiveness of woodwinds. Intended for orchestras and military bands, the saxophone was patented in Paris in 1846.
Early adoption came from French military bands, which valued its strong, penetrating tone. While designed for orchestras, it was rarely embraced by classical composers beyond a few works. In the early 20th century, the saxophone found its true home in New Orleans jazz, later becoming iconic through the work of players like Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane. Today, the instrument is heard across jazz, rock, funk, ska, pop, and classical ensembles.
Despite being made of brass, the saxophone is classified as a woodwind because it uses a single reed mouthpiece like the clarinet. Its main parts include the mouthpiece and the reed, which produce vibration; the neck, which connects the mouthpiece to the body; the body, a conical brass tube with tone holes and keys; and the bow and bell, a curve and flare that project sound. A typical saxophone has 25 tone holes operated by a complex system of keys, pads, and levers, allowing rapid fingering and wide pitch control.
Adolphe Sax originally designed a family of 14 saxophones, although only a handful are common today. These include the Soprano (Bb), the Alto (Eb), the Tenor (Bb), and the Baritone (Eb). Less common members include the sopranino, bass, contrabass, and subcontrabass saxophones, as well as experimental instruments like the aulochrome and tubax.
The saxophone is most closely related to the clarinet, sharing the single-reed mouthpiece and fingering similarities. It also has kinship with oboes and bassoons in its woodwind classification, while its brass body and projection link it to trumpets and trombones. This hybrid identity is what Sax intended.
Common usage of the instrument is military and marching bands, jazz, classical music, and popular music.
Several informational and instructional resources for the saxophone may be found below. However, e-commerce sites offering saxophones for sale may be found in our Musical Instruments category, which can be found within the Shopping & eCommerce section of our guide.
Recommended Resources
Maintained by Pete Thomas and Café Saxophone LTD, the online international saxophone forum and resource hub for saxophonists of all levels hosts discussion forums, tutorials, a shop, member blogs, a calendar, and periodic features such as a monthly "Song of the Month" and reviews. Its discussion forum is powered by a XenForo script, and its content is set as read-only without registration or a login, although membership is free. Advertising opportunities are also available.
https://cafesaxophone.com/
International Saxophone Committee
The ISC is the organization that supports and organizes the World Saxophone Congress, and promotes the saxophone through commissioning new repertoire, presenting recitals and clinics, and fostering communication among saxophonists. The Committee and the Congress have helped produce hundreds of new compositions and provided a global forum for performance, pedagogy, and ensemble work. Its history, organizational structure, meeting minutes, and leadership are introduced.
https://www.saxophonecommittee.com/
Run by Greger Hillman, this online saxophone teaching site offers free beginner resources, a newsletter (including a free PDF sax fingering chart), and articles on scales, transposition, tuning, and lessons for adults. Included are a beginner's guide, a saxophone fingering chart, scales and blues scales, transposition aids, tuning tips, informational articles on topics such as altissimo and glissando, and lesson pages. Included is a practical practice plan and contact details.
https://learnsaxophone.com/
The Saxophone Academy is Dr. Wally Wallace's free virtual saxophone school, offering a year-long fundamentals course, along with downloadable exercises and etudes, and a podcast and YouTube channel to support tone, technique, and musicality. Suggestions on how to use the program to master the saxophone (30-60 minutes daily) are provided, along with a 12-week progressive plan using site resources, a daily habit checklist, and additional resources and practice aids are included.
https://www.thesaxophoneacademy.com/
North American Saxophone Alliance
Established in 1976 under the leadership of Frederick Hemke, the NASA is a professional organization for saxophonists in North America devoted to promoting the saxophone through performance, education, research, and community-building. The organization presents regional and biennial national conferences, competitions, masterclasses, and publications to advance saxophone artistry and scholarship. Membership benefits, sponsorships, and advertising information are included.
https://saxophonealliance.org/
Created by Saxgourmet Products, Saxgourmet is Steve Goodson's comprehensive saxophone resource site offering articles, history, repair guidance, mouthpiece and neck designs, vintage value guides, and repair/supply products. Includes are technical pieces on acoustics, neck design, saxophone history, buying worksheets, and player-oriented essays. Timelines, serial-number guides, maker histories, and historic ads are included. Also included is a product catalog and online shopping.
https://www.saxgourmet.com/
This is a long-running saxophone resource and shop operated by Pete Thomas, offering lessons, tutorials, downloads, books, and gear for beginners through advanced players. Included are beginner guides, tone and sound, vibrato, subtone, altissimo, embouchure guidance, and over a hundred tutorials and exercises, along with beginner-to-advanced improv and theory material, chord/scale explanations, and arranging and composing tips. An online shopping area features books, CDs, and digital material.
https://tamingthesaxophone.com/
Based in Arlington, Virginia, Tommy Greco is a saxophonist offering performance and instruction. His website outlines his performance, including a performance calendar and booking information, an overview of his instruction services and lessons, along with sample photos and videos, as well as direct contact information for gigs or lessons. Tommy Greco has performed in classical, jazz, and rock groups, and is currently the leader of Allstars Jazz, a swing orchestra.
https://www.tommygreco.com/
The Virtual Saxophone Museum is a player-run site that collects historical articles, serial-number guides, audio and video reviews, a trading post, a teacher directory, and an active forum for saxophonists. The forum is read-only for those without a login, although membership is free. Museum articles include historical research, rare primary-source documents, feature articles about makers and models, and serial-number guides for dating instruments and identifying models.
https://www.saxophone.org/
