The subcontrabass saxophone is the largest of the family of saxophones that Adolphe Sax described in his 1846 patent. He called it the saxophone bourdon, named after the very low-pitched 32′ bourdon pedal stop on large pipe organs. Although Sax planned to build one, the first playable instrument was only built in 2010. It is a transposing instrument pitched in B♭ one octave below the bass saxophone, two octaves below the tenor, and three octaves and a major second below its written pitch.[1]
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Classification | Single-reed |
Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 422.212-71 (Single-reed aerophone with keys) |
Inventor(s) | Adolphe Sax |
Developed | Conceived as part of Sax's 1846 patent; first playable instrument built by J’Élle Stainer in 2010 |
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Although described in Adolphe Sax's patent in 1846, a practical, playable subcontrabass saxophone did not exist until the 21st century.[2] An oversized saxophone that might have qualified was built as a prop circa 1965; it could produce tones, but its non-functional keywork required assistants to manually open and close the pads, and it was reportedly incapable of playing a simple scale.[3]
The tubax was developed in two sizes in 1999 by German instrument manufacturer Benedikt Eppelsheim, the lower of which, pitched in B♭, he describes as a "subcontrabass saxophone".[4] This instrument provides the same pitch range as the saxophone bourdon would have, while the smaller tubax in E♭ covers the range of the contrabass saxophone. Whether or not the tubax is truly a saxophone is debated: it has the same fingering, but its bore, though conical, is narrower (relative to its length) than that of a regular saxophone.[5]
The Brazilian instrument manufacturer J'Élle Stainer produced a working compact subcontrabass saxophone in 2010, which was shown that year at Expomusic.[1][6] In September 2012, Eppelsheim built the first full-size subcontrabass saxophone in B♭ (distinct from his B♭ tubax).[7] In July 2013, J'Élle Stainer completed a full-size subcontrabass saxophone.[8][9] It stands 2.74 metres (9 ft 0 in) high and weighs 28.6 kilograms (63 lb).[10]