C melody saxophone
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The C melody saxophone is a saxophone pitched in the key of C, one whole step above the tenor saxophone. The C melody saxophone was part of the series of saxophones pitched in C and F, intended by the instrument's inventor, Adolphe Sax, for orchestral use. It is no longer produced; since 1930, only saxophones in the key of B♭ and E♭ (originally intended by Sax for use in military bands and wind ensembles) have been produced on a large scale.
The C. G. Conn Straight-Neck Tenor in C is the most common of the actual orchestral saxophones and has a more classical sound and plays in tune throughout the instrument's range. This is one of the few models actually made for professional use.
Cheaper, novelty C melody saxophones were marketed from the late 1910s through the early 1930s as a version of the saxophone intended for amateur use, in homes, schools, and town bands. It was made with a bore considerably narrower than that of the B♭ tenor saxophone, being more or less a "stretched" version of the alto saxophone bore. One selling point was the fact that the player could read regular music in the key of C (such as that for flute, oboe, piano, or voice) without having to transpose or read music parts that have been transposed into B♭ or E♭, as most other saxophones would require. This enabled amateur musicians to play along with a friend or family member by reading off of the same sheet of music. A second selling point was that the C melody produces a smaller, quieter tone than the E♭ alto or B♭ tenor. Many novelty tunes, most influenced by 1920s dance music, were written specifically for the instrument.
The C Melody was the saxophone most commonly associated with famed performer Rudy Wiedoeft.
By the late 1920s, however, it had faded dramatically in popularity. Sales of all saxophones fell after the U.S. stock market crash of October 1929, and the C melody was one of several models that were terminated from production soon after. In the 1960s, Vito produced a few C-Melody saxophones, though it is thought that they manufactured less than 20.
Some early jazz players got their start on the C melody, including Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins, though Carter eventually moved to the alto, and Hawkins to the B♭ tenor. The most famous C melody player was Rudy Weidoeft. Although he played alto and soprano saxophones as well (the latter in ensembles with Arnold Brilhart, Alford Evans, and others), he made his most famous recordings on the C melody, and was a significant factor in the saxophone craze that resulted in so many C melody instruments being sold in the 1920s. Another famous C melody player was Frankie Trumbauer, a jazz player who was known for his superb technical ability on the instrument.
A few modern-day saxophonists occasionally perform on C melody instruments, including Anthony Braxton, Scott Robinson, Rick Arbuckle, and Joe Lovano.
Despite the fact that they have not been manufactured in over 75 years, C melody saxophones are readily available today, due to their limited use and the sheer number that were produced in the early 20th century. They can be found at stores that carry used instruments, tag sales, rummage sales and pawn shops across the United States.
[edit] Related and new instruments
- Another saxophone pitched in C, called the contralto saxophone, has been produced by California instrument maker Jim Schmidt since the late 1990s.[1] It is a modern design and differs from the vintage C melody instruments in several ways, most notably its fingering system.
- A New Zealand company called Aquilasax announced plans in 2006 to begin producing a new "C-melody tenor saxophone" in 2007. A prototype has been built, and production has now started. There were quality control and packaging problems with the first batch, apparently these problems are now solved and will not occur again. The second batch was to be available in December, however these had intonation problems found to be related to the construction of the necks (both straight and curved).[2] Latest word from the source as of May 23, 2008: “The necks are still being worked on. They got the neck right but the octave lever is a bit short and so doesn’t look professional standard. They are making a new octave lever mold (and should just about be finished by now). Once again I expect to have them in a couple of weeks and the rest of the batch should follow.”
[edit] External links
- UK C-Melody & C-Soprano Sax Website
- "A View of the C.: The Fall and Rise of the C-melody Saxophone" by John Robert Brown
- C Melody Saxophone Forum
- Melody from the Sky: Scott Robinson Plays C-Melody Saxophone
- Article about C melody saxophones by Malcolm Dickinson
- Saxophone buyers guide, including specific C Melody Information
- A rare Vito C Melody Saxophone, made in the 1960s. In German, but lots of pictures.
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