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Why are there C-Melody saxophones?
Why
indeed. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, home
entertainment was very different than it is today. Electrical lighting was in most homes. However, there were few electrical entertainment devices. Of course, there was the radio. However, television was in its infancy, and
still a curiosity rather than a part of everyone’s dreams.
When
families and friends got together, they usually gathered around a piano and
sang songs. Piano and vocal sheet music
was easily available. Many people
played instruments such as the saxophone.
However, saxophone music was not easy to come by, especially as an
accompaniment to the piano and vocal music favored at the parties of the day.
So,
various saxophone manufactures began building soprano and tenor saxophones in
the key of C. These instruments could
play the piano melody (hence the name C-Melody) without the problem of
transposing. Vocal music could easily
be played on these saxophones as well.
So started the “play at home” craze of the 20’s and 30’s.
As
times changed, and more electronic entertainment came into the home, the play
at home craze died. The C-Melody
saxophones did not easily join the existing bands that were structured around
the Eb and Bb saxophones. The C-Melody
voices were not different enough from the Bb Soprano and the Bb Tenor to make any
difference to a band, so they fell by the wayside.
Saxophones
were also manufactured in the keys of A and F.
These saxophones are called the orchestra saxophones, and were designed
to fit with the keys of the instruments in a typical orchestra at the time of
their invention. However, orchestras
have always been reluctant to use saxophones.
The strong voice of a saxophone easily overpowers the strings, and
double reed instruments. As a result,
the orchestra saxophones were not popular.
Note: I have received numerous emails about
saxophones in the key of A. Basically,
they say that no such animal exists. I
have read the patents and know that they were included in the original designs,
however it appears that none have ever been produced. This email I received seems to state why the rumor of an
A-Soprano Saxophone seems to persist:
From H. Thorp:
“I can't find this saxophone in any Conn catalogs of this time period.
There are explanations for the "rumor" that an "A" soprano
was built in 1928 - a large chamber mouthpiece on the 18M Conn produced a horn
that could not be tuned to A=440, hence the "rumor" of the A soprano. I have several 18M Long Conns in my soprano
collection of 60+ horns, and can duplicate the tuning malady.”
The
orchestra saxophones had their counterparts in the jazz, swing, and military
bands. These saxophones were built in
the keys of Eb and Bb. Since the
orchestra saxophone voices were not different enough from the band saxophones,
they were not used in most bands.
As
a result of the history outlined, saxophones in the keys of A and F are no
longer manufactured. These are fairly
rare instruments and generally find their way into collections. Likewise, the C-Melody saxophones are no
longer manufactured.
However,
unlike the orchestra saxophones, the C-Melody saxophones were manufactured in
large numbers. This is especially true
of the C-Tenor. As a result, C-Tenor
saxophones are readily available. They
are gaining popularity for use in church groups today.
Most
church music is written for piano, organ, guitar and voice. All of these instruments (yes, the human
voice is a musical instrument) are in the key of C. Adding flutes to a church ensemble is easy, since flutes are also
in the key of C. Add a saxophone to the
church group and the old problem of transposing comes back, just like during
the play at home craze of the 1920’s and 1930’s.
Once again, the C-Melody saxophones solve the problem! Once again the C-Melody saxophone is becoming popular! However, getting reeds and mouthpieces for these old saxophones is another story …
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