The

sopranissimo Sopranissimo (from Italian ''Sopra'' "above" and ''-issimo'' "extremely") is any pitch higher than soprano. One example is the sopranissimo saxophone in B♭. This instrument is pitched an octave above the normal soprano saxophone, and is currentl ...

saxophone (also known as the piccolo or soprillo saxophone) is the smallest member of the

saxophone family The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

. It is pitched in B, one octave above the

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, sop ...

. Because of the difficulties in building such a small instrument—the soprillo is long, with the mouthpiece—it is only since the mid-2010s that a true sopranissimo saxophone has been able to be produced. The keywork only extends to a written E₆ (sounding D₇), rather than F, F, or sometimes G, like most saxophones, and the upper octave key has to be placed on the mouthpiece. The extremely small mouthpiece requires a small and focused

embouchure Embouchure () or lipping is the use of the lips, facial muscles, tongue, and teeth in playing a wind instrument. This includes shaping the lips to the mouthpiece of a woodwind instrument or the mouthpiece of a brass instrument. The word is of ...

, making the soprillo difficult to play, particularly in its upper register. There is very little market demand for soprillos, reducing the economy of scale and making the soprillo more expensive than more common saxophones like the

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

. As of 2015, soprillos were being manufactured by the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

instrument maker

Benedikt Eppelsheim Benedikt Eppelsheim is a German instrument maker of extreme high- and low-voiced woodwind instruments. He is the inventor and exclusive manufacturer of the '' soprillo'', a piccolo saxophone an octave above the B♭ soprano saxophone, as well as ...

, and the retail price is approximately US$3,400.

References

External links

Nigel Wood Music
– information about the soprillo and the National Saxophone Choir of Great Britain * Benedikt Eppelsheim'
Soprillo page

at the web site of Jay C. Easton; includes pictures and sound clips of his soprillo.

Listening

Soprillo MP3s
from Benedikt Eppelsheim site
Soprillogy: CD dedicated to the soprillo.
Saxophones B-flat instruments {{SingleReed-instrument-stub

See also

References

External links

Listening