The contrabass saxophone in the right hands can sound great, although it is by definition somewhat limited in scope when it comes to the kind of florid passagework to which we have become accustomed from smaller members of the sax family. There are very few of them around and they are about as unwieldy as they look. Even in the big band music from half a century and more ago, it hardly ever featured - even the bass sax only rarely put in an appearance in such ensembles. I have written a part for one in my Concerto for 22 Instruments (an all-wind group that includes four saxes - soprano, alto, baritone and contrabass) although I have, I think wisely, suggested that this part may be played instead on the tubax, which is a kind of saxophone, albeit rather more practically designed as large bass wind instruments go - at a distance, it looks not that dissimilar to a metal contrabassoon and has the distinct advantage of a standard baritone sax mouthpiece, so both fingering and blowing are rather easier than with the contrabass sax. The sound is not quite so rich, in my view, largely because the bore of the tubax is a little smaller than that of the contrabass sax. The final chord in the second movement of my concerto has the euphonium and bass tuba, baritone and contrabass sax and bassoon and contrabassoon each playing their lowest notes, making a six-note chord that some (possibly including that most refined gentleman whom we know and love as Thal) might describe as the best way to fart in B flat minor...
I haven't voted but I have to confess that the sound of the banjo is not one of my most favourite things - sorry, Thal...
And that's more than enough of that here, I imagine...
Best,
Alistair
Poll
Topic: least favorite instrument