4 Ways The Saxophone's Had A Weird, Dark History

3The Saxophone Was One Of The Most Controversial Instruments In History

Adolphe Sax created an early prototype of the saxophone in 1840. Despite it being made from brass, it generated sound with a single-reed mouthpiece, technically making it a woodwind. That’s… cool? I guess? But the design and the range the new instrument offered were apparently so revolutionary, it kinda broke everyone’s brains. People were either seeing the saxophone as an unholy abomination, like the instrument equivalent of pineapple on pizza, or they were so amazed by its design, it made them angry that they didn’t come up with it. “It’s not fair!” they lamented. “I could’ve built something like that if I was smart enough to build something like that!”

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When Sax tried to exhibit his prototype in 1841 at a Brussels expo, a jealous rival actually took one look at it and kicked it across the hall, badly damaging it. The following year, Sax left Belgium for Paris, where he set up a workshop to perfect his design, which ended up winning a few awards, got a nice article written about it by a famous French composer, and was actually added to a few music schools and orchestras. In 1846, Sax was even granted a patent for his invention … making the saxophone one of the first pirated musical instruments in history, as unauthorized models started flooding France that same year. Picture it: a wave of saxophone music sweeping France. Like sprinkling Spanish fly on Viagra.

4 Ways The Saxophone's Had A Weird, Dark History
Source: Pinoy Daily News