Contrabass saxophone

The contrabass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family (the largest being the B-flat subcontrabass tubax, although the tubax is not technically a member of the saxophone family due to its narrower bore). It is extremely large (twice the length of tubing of the baritone saxophone, with a bore twice as wide) and heavy, and is pitched in the key of E-flat, one octave below the baritone. Although the instrument is still produced, it is quite rare (perhaps partly due to its great expense) and only a few players use it. Especially in its lowest register, the instrument produces a massive and somewhat harsh, foghorn-like tone. Because of its extremely low register (like the contrabassoon), it can be difficult for listeners to perceive individual pitches; instead of hearing a clearly defined melody, listeners may instead hear a series of "buzzy" tones with little pitch definition.

Related Topics:
Saxophone - Tubax

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