The Bluesy Sounds of the Bass Saxophone
The bass saxophone is one of the largest instruments of the saxophone family, but is not one that is commonly used. The instrument is so large that it can be awkward to carry around and there is not as much music written for the bass saxophone as there is for other saxophones like the alto or the tenor.
In fact, most music today that would normally be played by a bass saxophone is often played by other instruments that can reach the bass notes. The popularity of the bass saxophone has declined since the early twentieth century when they were used more often, especially when the electric bass was developed.
There does not appear to be too much need for the bass saxophone in today's music, though there is always the chance that it could a favored instrument in new music that will be developed as time goes on. It would appear that the bass saxophone is often used in jazz. Other music genres just don't seem to include the instrument, possibly because the electric bass or the double bass are more common to use and are also instruments that are more familiar to young musicians today. This is not to say that there is no place for the bass saxophone at all. There is always an opportunity for music to change to something else that would include such an instrument.
As mentioned before, there is music written that includes parts for the bass saxophone. They are just often played by other instruments because the people writing and/or playing the music might not have access to someone who plays the bass saxophone. In most cases, it is easier to find a bass guitarist or someone who plays the tuba because these are two examples of instruments that are more publicized in today's world.
Rock bands tend to make use of the electric bass guitar and many schools will often have a tuba instead of a bass saxophone because they are more affordable. These two areas are extremely influential on young aspiring musicians. This could very well be one of the main reasons why the bass saxophone will often be forgotten when new musicians are deciding on what kind of instrument they would like to learn to play, and possibly continue to play throughout their musical career.
The bass saxophone might be awkward to carry around and it might not have a lot of music that is written specifically for it, but if more people were to start playing the instrument there would probably be more call to write music for it and include it in bands and so on. It is one of the more expensive instruments, so this could be one of the main reasons why few schools, if any, would have it in their bands. It could also be why few younger musicians will choose to play it, besides the fact that the instrument can be bulky and a little more difficult to play. Being so large, the instrument would demand a musician with strong enough lungs to put enough air into it to make the sounds.
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