The saxophone family is a big one, maybe one of the biggest in the whole band and orchestra.
Aside from the normal 4 instruments, there are many others you’ve probably never even heard of.
In this article, I wanted to share the unheard-of instruments in the saxophone family.
Look ahead for the 9 you’ll want to learn about (including videos for each!).
If you’re looking to learn about the saxophone family of instruments with more focus on the main ones, click the link to the article.
Table of Contents
Sopranino Saxophone
The sopranino saxophone is a smaller and higher saxophone than the soprano.
It’s an Eb instrument like the alto saxophone, which means it plays an Eb when it reads a C on the staff.
The sopranino is also called the soprillo saxophone by some.
It’s featured in some specialty literature and saxophone music, but it’s most famous for its part in Bolero by French composer Maurice Ravel.
Interestingly, Ravel called for a saxophone in F rather than Eb, but since those don’t exist anymore, it’s played by the standard sopranino sax.
While rare, it was one of the original 7 types of saxes invented by Adolphe Sax.
Listening to it, I’m reminded of the oboe.
C Melody Saxophone
The C melody saxophone is an interesting diversion of the sax as an instrument.
It’s similar in size to the tenor saxophone (a Bb instrument) but pitched in the key of C.
It’s the only sax where the note you read is the same as the note you play.
While Adolphe Sax intended for F and C variations of the saxes as a key to play in for orchestras, it never really took off.
It gained a bit more traction as an instrument to use and play any concert pitch piece of sheet music, but it’s still largely dropped off the face of the earth at this point.
It sounds very similar to the tenor.
Sopranissimo Saxophone
The sopranissimo sax (double soprano saxophone) plays an entire octave above the soprano sax.
It’s also a Bb instrument, meaning when you read a C, it comes out as a Bb.
It is the smallest of the sax family and not one of the ones originally planned by Adolphe Sax.
The mouthpiece is so small it’s very difficult to play, even at the professional level.
The upper range of notes is the most difficult of all.
While it functions in a similar range to the piccolo, it doesn’t sound out nearly as well.
As such, there is little to no demand for this type of sax anywhere.
In fact, only a few instrument makers in the world even produce this type.
Bass Saxophone
The bass saxophone is one of the original saxes invented by Adolphe Sax and probably the 5th most common of the saxes (and the most common on this list).
Most people have heard of this one, but I thought it was rare enough it deserved to make the cut for this list.
It’s a Bb instrument, sounding an octave below the tenor saxophone.
Size-wise, it’s quite difficult to play and finger and much more in line with the functional range of the tuba.
You’ll see these only in advanced classical music and saxophone ensembles (even then, rarely).
Contrabass Saxophone
Contrabass saxophones are rare, but not so much you’ll never run across one.
These are largely specialty instruments and are only called for in rare pieces.
Most people who’ve played these do so at instrument museums or companies that use it as an attraction, more than a practical instrument.
The contrabass sax requires a ton of air to play and is a full octave lower than the baritone saxophone.
Check out this famous sax player checking out the contrabass.
Contralto Saxophone
A contralto saxophone is a more modern version of the C melody sax.
It’s the same range and size, but California instrument maker, Jim Schmidt, decided to open up the bore and change the fingering for an easier playtime and richer tone than the standard C melody sax.
Check out why the sax isn’t in the symphony orchestra.
Subcontrabass Saxophone
The subcontrabass saxophone is a legendary instrument.
Adolphe Sax imagined this instrument and designed it, but he never produced it.
It is a full octave lower than the Bb Bass Saxophone, which is rare on its own.
This saxophone is almost never used, and like the contrabass, it’s more of a novelty than a practical instrument.
Slide Saxophone
A slide saxophone is so rare almost no one has ever seen it.
Essentially, it’s a soprano sax where you replace the keys with a slide.
The slide moves in and out to change the pitch, exactly as a trombone slide does.
It gives access to a variety of specialty techniques not normally available to a sax, but it also loses the agility the saxophone is typically known for.
The Conn-O-Sax
The Conn-O-Sax is a specialty alto saxophone in the key of F instead of Eb.
It was made by Conn in the 1920s for a limited series.
While it never really took off, it remains somewhat legendary because of its mellow tone and unusually cute appearance.
The saxophone is straight with a bubble near the bell.