Editing Saxhorn (section)

== The saxhorn family ==
[[File:Adolphe Sax instrument catalogue.jpg|thumb|A catalogue showing various Adolphe Sax instruments, including saxhorns, saxophones, and saxotrombas]]
The saxhorns form a family of seven [[brass instruments]] (although at one point ten different sizes seem to have existed). Designed for band use, they are pitched alternately in E{{flat}} and B{{flat}}, like the [[saxophone]] group.

Modern saxhorns still manufactured and in use:
*B{{flat}} soprano saxhorn: [[flugelhorn]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alsmiddlebrasspages.com/brasshistory/flugelhistory.html |title=Greg's Brass History Page – Flugelhorn History |publisher=Alsmiddlebrasspages.com |access-date=2018-03-13 |archive-date=2021-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726141927/http://www.alsmiddlebrasspages.com/brasshistory/flugelhistory.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*E{{flat}} alto/tenor saxhorn: [[tenor horn|alto/tenor horn]]
*B{{flat}} baritone saxhorn: [[baritone horn]] 
*The B{{flat}} bass, E{{flat}} bass, and B{{flat}} contrabass saxhorns are basically the same as the modern [[euphonium]], E{{flat}} bass [[tuba]], and BB{{flat}} contrabass tuba, respectively.

Historically, much confusion exists as to the nomenclature of the various instruments in different languages.

The following table lists the members of the saxhorn family as described in the orchestration texts of [[Hector Berlioz]] and [[Cecil Forsyth]], the J. Howard Foote catalog of 1893, and modern names. The modern instrument names continue to exhibit inconsistency, denoted by a "/" between the two names in use. In the table "Pitch" means the concert pitch of notational Middle C on each instrument (2nd [[Harmonic series (music)#Partial|partial]], no valves depressed) in [[scientific pitch notation]].

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Foote
! Berlioz
! Forsyth
! colspan="2" | Modern
! Pitch
|-
| rowspan="3" |  ---
| Sopranino in C/B{{flat}}
| colspan="3" |  ---
| C5/B{{flat}}4
|-
| Soprano in E{{flat}}
| Sopranino in E{{flat}}
| Sopranino/Soprano in E{{flat}}
| ---
| E{{flat}}4
|-
| Alto in B{{flat}}
| Soprano in B{{flat}}
| Soprano/Alto in B{{flat}}
|flugelhorn
| B{{flat}}3
|-
| Alto in E{{flat}}
| Tenor in E{{flat}}
| Alto in E{{flat}}
| Alto/Tenor in E{{flat}}
|alto/tenor horn
| E{{flat}}3
|-
| Tenor in B{{flat}}
| Baritone in B{{flat}}
| Tenor in B{{flat}}
| Tenor/Baritone in B{{flat}}
| baritone horn
| rowspan="2" | B{{flat}}2
|-
| Baritone in B{{flat}}
| Bass in B{{flat}}
| Bass in B{{flat}}
| Baritone/Bass in B{{flat}}
| euphonium
|-
| Bass in E{{flat}}
| Contrabass in E{{flat}}
| Bass in E{{flat}}
| Bass in E{{flat}}
|E{{flat}} bass tuba
| E{{flat}}2
|-
| ---
| Contrabass in B{{flat}}
| Contrabass in B{{flat}}
| Contrabass in B{{flat}}
|BB{{flat}} contrabass tuba
| B{{flat}}1
|-
| Contrabass in E{{flat}}
| Contrabass in low E{{flat}}
| colspan="3" rowspan="2" |  ---
| E{{flat}}1
|-
| ---
| Bourdon in B{{flat}}
| B{{flat}}0
|}

This list is not exhaustive of historic nomenclature for the saxhorns, for which there may exist no comprehensive and authoritative source.

=== Ranges of individual members ===
The saxhorn is based on the same [[Brass instrument#Valves|three-valve system]] as most other valved brass instruments. Each member of the family is named after the root note produced by the second [[Harmonic series (music)|partial]] with no valves actuated. Each member nominally possesses or possessed the typical three-valve brass range from the note one tritone below that root note (second partial, all valves actuated) to the note produced by eighth partial with no valves actuated, i.e., the note two octaves above the root note.

All the modern members of the family are transposing instruments written in the treble clef with the root note produced by the second [[Harmonic series (music)#Partial|partial]] with no valves actuated being written as middle C, though the [[baritone horn]] often plays bass clef parts, especially in [[concert band]] music and when playing parts written for the trombone.