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What Is a Sopranino Saxophone?
The sopranino saxophone, a rare type of saxophone, is on the high end of the register for the set of various saxophone instruments. The saxophone is a horn that is in the woodwind family. It is a brass instrument, and manufacturers provide it with an array of musical ranges. The sopranino saxophone has a range that is about an octave above that of the soprano saxophone.
In terms of its manufactured pitch, the sopranino saxophone has a key of E. flat. This smaller saxophone is thinner and has a smaller mouth than the traditional middle C saxophone. It also lacks the curved shape of that conventional saxophone that is popular as an accompaniment in various musical genres. The sopranino saxophone still has similar controls, made up of brass buttons and bars, although experts note that on this very small saxophone, manufacturing these controls can be exceedingly difficult.
In addition to the difficulty in manufacturing the sopranino saxophone, musicians will find that very few manufacturers even make this instrument. Its production is specific to certain areas of the world, and its use is rarely called upon in the standard repertoire. For this and other reasons, sopraninos tend to be rather expensive.
Music experts have often likened the sopranino to a clarinet. In terms of size and register, this comparison can be made, though saxophone enthusiasts point out that the sopranino sax has a different timbre and voice specific to the saxophone family. Overall, it is a specific horn with its own unique utility in a band or orchestra.
To many of those professionals who use it, the sopranino saxophone has its own repertoire. This instrument is particularly useful for a variety of songs that correspond to its high E flat register. Some of these songs, like Mozart’s Queen of the Night aria form The Magic Flute, are familiar to many classical music listeners as melodies that are also sung in an operatic style. The repeating high notes and motifs of this piece make it a favorite for many sopranino saxophone players.
Other songs that are often played on the sopranino version of the saxophone have different types of melodic resonance. Along with brighter, more Ionian or major works, some of the songs in the sopranino sax repertoire are more Aeolian, or melancholy in their sound. Both the major and minor sounds can be achieved in a crisp, fresh way with this high quality, high register woodwind instrument.
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Discussion Comments
@titans62 - I love Queen of the Night, but I never knew that there was a saxophone of any type that was playing. I would assume the article is talking about the extremely high part of the aria, which is probably the most famous section.
When I was in my college wind symphony, we actually had another piece that was written to include a sopranino saxophone. I wish I could remember what it was or who wrote it, but it was several years ago. I just remember seeing the instrument and knowing it wasn't a soprano sax.
I think a lot of the reason that the sopranino isn't given parts in music is because, for the "classical" music, the saxophone hadn't even been invented. Then, the saxophone became almost exclusive to jazz. Only recently has the saxophone been included in wind symphonies and even then a lot of the people writing them aren't saxophone players and probably don't even know the sopranino exists.
@kentuckycat - I would say the sopranino is so unpopular for the opposite reason that the tenor or alto saxophone IS popular - because they are closer to the range of the human voice. In things like jazz music, those two horns can sort of take the musical role of the melody that someone would be singing. Obviously, the difficult manufacturing plays a role, but if there were more demand, companies would find a way to start producing more of them.
I think it is nice though having specialized instruments like that. For saxophone players, stumbling upon instruments like that or even the bass saxophone on the other end of the spectrum is always exciting. That is just the way I look at it, though. Maybe some day someone will start writing sopraninos into their arrangements.
@Emilski - Technically the sopranino is the smallest saxophone widely available to buy. There is something called a sopranissimo saxophone that is even smaller. Since the sopranino is difficult to build so small, you can imagine how hard it is to make one an octave higher.
I have played the saxophone for most of my life, and have only seen three or four sopranino saxophones. I usually play the tenor saxophone, but like to experiment with the other horns. I saw a sopranino saxophone for sale one time, but it was way too expensive just to have as something to play for fun.
Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other recordings that use a sopranino sax. A lot with soprano, but not sopranino. I couldn't really tell you why it is so unpopular, either.
So, is the sopranino saxophone the smallest saxophone type that is made? When I was in band, we had someone who used to play the soprano sax, but I had never heard of this type before.
Why don't the sopranino saxes get used more often? The article mentions that they are hard to make and aren't usually called for in orchestras, so I'm just curious why that is the case. Are they are to play or something? If they are about the size of a clarinet, I doubt that would be an issue.
Are there any other famous sopranino saxophone songs or people who have played a sopranino sax? I would guess probably Kenny G, but besides him. Maybe in jazz music.
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