istic
clarinet tone is less noticeable; it is, however, largely used in
military bands. The Basset horn had the deep compass of the bass
clarinet which separates it from the present alto clarinet, although
it was more like the alto in caliber. The alto clarinet is also used
in military bands; and probably what the Basset horn would have been
written for is divided between the present bass and alto clarinets.

Preceding the invention of the sarrusophone, by which a perfected oboe
was contrived in a brass instrument, a modified brass instrument, the
saxophone, bearing a similar relation to the clarinet, was invented in
1846 by Sax, whose name will occur again and again in connection with
important inventions in military band instruments. The saxophone is
played like the clarinet with the intervention of a beating reed, but
is not cylindrical; it has a conical tube like the oboe. The different
shape of the column of air changes the first available harmonic
obtained by overblowing to the octave instead of the twelfth; and also
in consequence of the greater strength of the even harmonics,
distinctly changing the tone quality. The sarrusophone may fairly be
regarded as an oboe or bassoon; but the saxophone is not so closely
related to the clarinet. There are four sizes of saxophone now made
between high soprano and bass. Starting from the fourth fundamental
note, each key can be employed in the next higher octave, by the help
of other two keys, which, being opened successively, set up a
vibrating loop. The saxophones, although difficult to play, fill an
important place in the military music of France and Belgium, and have
been employed with advantage in the French orchestra. The fingering of
all saxophones is that attributed to Boehm.

The cup shaped mouthpiece must now take the place of the reed in our
attention. Here the lips fit against a hollow cup shaped reservoir,
and, acting as vibrating membranes, may be compared with the vocal
chords of the larynx. They have been described as acting as true
reeds. Each instrument in which such a mouthpiece is employed requires
a slightly different form of it. The French horn is the most important
brass instrument in modern music. It consists of a body of conical
shape about seven feet long, without the crooks, ending in a large
bell, which spreads out to a diameter of fifteen inches. The crooks
are fitted between the body and the mouthpiece; they are a series of
smaller interchange