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for flute, oboe, violin, piano, guitar or voice) without having to transpose or read music parts that have been transposed into B ♭ or E ♭, which most other saxophones would require. As a result, the player could read regular printed music (e.g. Ī major selling point for the C melody saxophone was the fact that in contrast to other saxophones, it was not a transposing instrument. However, in the early years of the 21st century, small-scale production of new C melody saxophones had commenced in China for a company called Aquilasax though production ceased by 2015. Since 1930, only saxophones in the key of B ♭ and E ♭ (originally intended by Sax for use in military bands and wind ensembles) have been produced on a large scale. C melody saxophones are usually marked with a letter "C" above or below the serial number. Most C melody saxophones have curved necks (with a similar shape to that of the tenor saxophone) though C.G.Conn did make straight-necked C melody instruments (more similar to the alto). When seen in profile, its shape bears some resemblance to a tenor saxophone, though it is smaller and the bell appears longer.
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The bore on most models has a diameter and taper more like a 'stretched' alto than a tenor. The instrument enjoyed popularity in the early 1900s, perhaps most prominently used by Rudy Wiedoeft and Frankie Trumbauer, but is now uncommon.Ī C melody saxophone is larger than an alto and smaller than a tenor.
C g conn saxophone serial numbers series#
The C melody was part of the series of saxophones pitched in C and F intended by the instrument's inventor, Adolphe Sax, for orchestral use. In the UK it is sometimes referred to as a "C tenor", and in France as a "tenor en ut". The C melody saxophone is a saxophone pitched in the key of C, one whole tone above the B-flat tenor saxophone. In C: sounds one octave lower than written.
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