What meets the eye is a gorgeous metal pipe that produces the most sensational sounds when you behold any saxophone being played by a skilled individual. Many people are surprised to find that the saxophone is a woodwind instrument. The sax fits the class of instruments as a woodwind due to the fact that saxophones were once made from wood. 

Some people believe the wooden reed affixed to the mouthpiece of a sax is the reason for the classification. However other woodwind instruments such as flutes are not played with a reed. Music made on the saxophone sounds magical to some, let’s discuss the science behind this! 

How Sound is Produced on Sax

It boils down to the fact that woodwind instruments create sound when the user blows wind through the mouthpiece. The user hold the mouth in a form known as an embouchure.  Brass instruments, for example a tuba, which resemble the outside metal appearance of the typical saxophone, get their sound when lips rapidly flap and buzz a musical flare while pushing air from such vibrational activity!

 Sax is the Man

Time Magazine did an article on Adolphe Sax which explained how his invention of the saxophone was not a viral sensation initially.  Plagued by several harmful mishaps as a lad, the Belgian born, Sax overcame them with this single contribution to the music world today!

The article goes on to elaborate how orchestras, military bands, and most music venues accept the saxophone into the musical myriad of instruments.  However, Sax himself was not alive to relish in this accomplishment of his invention.