Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone at some time during the 1840s. No one knows the exact date; Sax filed a patent for the instrument in 1846, although there are various accounts given by friends that date the saxophone as far back as 1840.

Early Development

Sax was a clarinet player, born in Belgium but predominantly working in Paris. Sax’s aim was to develop something that combined the positive features of a brass and woodwind instrument. He had already gained a reputation for making changes to his own brass clarinet to increase the musical range, and this drove the development of the saxophone.

The Alto Saxophone

Sax’s original patent application contained 14 different designs, incorporating seven different saxophones ranging between Sopranino and Contrabass.

The Alto saxophone is two octaves lower than the Sopranino, and is currently the most widely used saxophone in classical and jazz compositions, while also being the most popular model among amateur and casual musicians. The Alto is a durable instrument in the mid-range of saxophones in terms of size, has a smaller mouthpiece than most of the other models, and as such is seen as the ideal type of sax for anyone looking to learn the instrument.

Expiration of Patent

Sax was granted an additional five years patent protection to his original 15-year patent, meaning he lost sole rights to the saxophone in 1866. At this time, companies and saxophone players were queuing up to make their own tweaks to the instrument, although the main body of the design would stay the same.

There would be no major changes to the design of the entire saxophone family until the 1950s, when the sax was redeveloped to allow for playing of a different style and sound, although this wasn’t around for long, and isn’t seen today.

Availability of Alto Saxophones

Owing to the popularity of Alto Saxophones, they are widely available from music retailers. They range in price from £150 for beginner models up to £9000 for the best top of the range models.

Image Source: Tom Marcello