What many people do not realise about saxophones is that the whole family was invented in conjunction with one another. Adolphe Sax might be best known for the alto saxophone, but the truth is that his genius was actually behind the design of every saxophone we know and love today.

The tenor saxophone sits alongside the alto as the most popular and common throughout music, both with professional jazz musicians as well as with amateur enthusiasts.

How Tenor Saxophones Stand Out

The easiest way to distinguish a tenor saxophone from an alto or soprano sax is by looking at the crook – the distinctive bend in the neck of the instrument as the tube runs up to the mouthpiece. In comparison to an alto saxophone, the tenor will also have a larger mouthpiece, reed, and ligature.

In terms of the pitch of the tenor saxophone, the instrument in in the key Bb, although some modern tenor saxophones might have the ability to play different notes for a more unique sound.

Where Tenor Saxophones are used

As one of the common variants of sax, you can see tenor saxophones in almost every musical situation. They will often be key components in jazz bands, both large and small, either individually or alongside alto saxophones, and also in marching bands for the military, which was their original purpose when invented, as well as within boy and girl scout groups and other similar institutions.

When played in concert situations, it is common to find the tenor sax playing a supporting role. Often, an alto saxophone, if present, will play the lead and any solos, while the tenor will generally play harmonies in conjunction with other brass instruments of a different mood, such as the trombone.

Within the jazz genre, tenor saxophones are more prominent than the alto in terms of the sound they produce, and tend to be more audible when both are played in harmony, although solo sections will usually be shared depending on the musician and specific sub-genre of jazz being played.

Tenor saxophones are also commonly used if musicians in other genres, especially R&B, are looking to bring a jazz vibe into their music.

Image Source:  Mike Miley

Despite having a rich history behind them in the guitar industry, Yamaha is not a name most people would immediately associate with the instrument. However, while the likes of Gibson and Fender lead the way, Yamaha does enjoy a portion of the market and is still a respected name when it comes to guitar production.

Yamaha’s First Guitars

Yamaha released their first solid body guitar – they prefixed their models with ‘SG’ – in 1965. The SG-3 was their first real mainstream model, and the detail and appearance was magnificent, particular in comparison to early Fender models. However, the SG-3 remained very much within Japan; very few were exported to the United States and around the world owing to the dominance of Gibson and the emergence of Fender around the same time.

Between 1965 and 1981, further SG models would be released, with 1966’s SG-7 their first electric model.

RGX & RGZ Guitars

From the 1980’s to today, Yamaha have released RGX and RGZ guitars. There have been four generations of the RGX models, although as Yamaha have looked to cater for the widest market possible, there is a lot of crossover between the first three.

The first models were released in 1987, notable for their resemblance to the famous Jackson Soloist and Fender ‘Superstrat’ models. RGX models were also known for having 24 frets – more in some cases – and a bolt-on neck, a feature that even today still fuels much debate around the perceived advantages and disadvantages of it. Yamaha were criticised in some quarters owing to the perception that the design and appearance of their guitars had taken a backward step from the original 1960s models.

The evolution of Yamaha guitars moved quickly at this time. By 1994, the company was working exclusively on their third generation RGX models, and aiming to get back their reputation for delivering great looking detail and features. RGZ models had enjoyed limited success, so were discontinued at this time.

Late 90’s & Today

Production of the third generation RGX models ceased in the late 90’s, and 2003 would see the launch of their first fourth generation RGX, the RGX 121 S. A handful of other guitars would be launched between 2003 – 2005, all of which went back to looking brilliant while also delivering the latest technology and features guitarists around the world expected.

Yamaha have not launched any new models since this time, but haven’t definitively said they’re not going to do so. The history of Yamaha demonstrates they frequently have lengthy gaps between products, which allows them to produce things that are clearly new and updated rather than the same product with a tweak here and there.

It remains to be seen whether we’ll see a new launch of Yamaha guitars in this decade, however.

Image Author: Freebird_71

Soul is one of the most popular genres in the music business today. Not only is it widely loved on its own, it is also a huge influence on various other types of music, and a major source of inspiration for musicians the world over.

In addition, soul has been the foundation of many sub-genres, with various interpretations of soul being linked to places around the world. Chicago soul, northern soul, and motown soul are just three examples of sub-genres to come from the original one.

How did soul music come to be so popular?

Origins of Soul

Like reggae, soul was born from the merging of already popular types of music. In this case, Afro-American gospel music and rhythm and blues – also important in the rise of reggae – came together.

The initial emergence of soul occurred in the 1950s and 1960s. Ray Charles is largely credited with being the founder of the genre, owing to his 1954 hit “I Got a Woman,” although fellow legends of the business like Little Richard and James Brown were also hugely influential at the time.

1960s and Atlantic Records

Much like Island Records is seen as the ‘home’ of reggae, Atlantic Records enjoys the same status within the soul genre. Founded in 1947, the label would release the music of many leading artists from this time, being the global leaders of early soul music through the 1950s and 1960s. Many people associate the Motown label with soul music, and although it is probably the leading label for the genre today, it wasn’t founded until 12 years after Atlantic.

With the likes of Charles and Brown already established as global superstars, other artists would emerge on the scene, clearly influenced by their contemporaries but also adding in their own elements to continue the evolution of soul. Peter Guralnick, a leading US music historian and critic, cites Solomon Burke and Ben E. King as artists who continued to help soul break down barriers and become globally popular.

A Female Superstar

In the late 1960s, soul was a male dominated genre. Although there were female artists, none had really made a huge impression on soul music. That all changed in 1967, when a number of Aretha Franklin hits (she was already an established artist, albeit only enjoying modest success) transcended the genre and made her a superstar in a matter of months.

Later Years

Soul quickly became an umbrella term to describe a wide variety of styles, from basic R&B to pop and even rock sounds. This led to the original ‘soul movement’ ending in the late 1960s, although the influence of the genre would continue to be massive.

Through the 1970s and beyond, while artists such as Al Green would continue to release records that were out and out soul, the other big names, most notably James Brown and Stevie Wonder, had moved onto funk and sounds that were pop-inspired more than anything.

Today, there is little in the way of what we’d call traditional soul music, but the influences of the genre can be seen everywhere, especially in R&B and hip-hop.

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Although the traditional jazz-style guitar wouldn’t be born until the 1930s, the first take on a jazz guitar was actually in 1923. This was the Gibson L5, which popular jazz musicians of the time, including Eddie Lang, would use. When the electric guitar was invented in the 1931, it would quickly become the jazz instrument of choice for those playing strings. Until this time, the banjo was the dominant instrument for jazz musicians.

What are the Differences?

Most jazz musicians will use an archtop guitar, which is a Gibson model and colloquially referred to as a jazz guitar. However, many will also use a standard electric guitar, or an electric acoustic, and use a range of gear and equipment to create the jazz sound they’re looking for.

Guitars Within Jazz

Jazz was most popular during the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s. During this time, guitars such as the Gibson ES-150, invented in 1936, would often be played by individual jazz guitarists as well as making up an important part of the rhythm section of popular jazz bands of the era.

Eddie Durham and Charlie Christian are the two musicians most widely credited with being the fathers of jazz guitar. Durham for creating the first jazz guitar solo and Christian for making jazz guitar solos a hugely popular sub-genre of music.

Moving Forward

Throughout the 1950s Gibson would continue to produce archtop guitars, including the L5CES, which was instantly popular with jazz musicians as it could be played as an acoustic or electric instrument. Tal Farlow and Johnny Smith were among the artists who would use this instrument and enjoy great popularity. However, it was Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass who would set the benchmark for what we’d describe as jazz guitar playing in the modern day.

The 1950s would also be the last time there would be any significant changes to the design of the archtop guitar, and as jazz fused with rock and moved into the mainstream through the late 1960s and 1970s, demand for these instruments would sharply fall.

Jazz Revival

The 1980s would see a move back to what many would call traditional jazz, and while the genre of music would regain popularity, it wouldn’t be until the 1990s that sales of the archtop guitar would pick up once again.

Today, the archtop guitar is available from a number of manufacturers – most sell at least one as part of their range – but the Gibson models are still the most in demand and sought after both by professional and amateur musicians.

Image Author: kurisurokku