saxophone
A single-reed instrument made of brass, common in jazz and concert bands.
In Depth
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.
Related Terms
More in Instruments
Browse allA large double-reed woodwind instrument pitched an octave below the oboe, with a rich, powerful tone.
An electromechanical keyboard instrument that plays pre-recorded tape strips of real instrument sounds when keys are pressed.
A dual-coil guitar pickup designed to eliminate the electromagnetic hum of single-coil pickups.
A craftsperson who builds and repairs stringed instruments.
A brass instrument similar to a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore that produces a darker, mellower tone, used primarily in jazz and brass bands.
A pair of small, open-bottomed drums of Cuban origin, played between the knees with the fingers and palms, essential to Latin and Afro-Cuban music.
A string instrument slightly larger and lower in pitch than the violin.
An end-blown reed flute central to Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Sufi devotional music.