h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: How to play the Saxophone - A769737
Author: Gnomon [Link to Meet Pictures at my space] - U151503

Everything you always wanted to know about playing the Saxophone. I hope this step by step guide is not too detailed to be included as an Edited Entry.

Looks pretty good to me. It's obviously written by someone who is following the advice 'write what you know about'

I would suggest that there's enough there about the history and structure of the saxophone to rename the entry something like 'The Saxophone and how to play it', because I doubt that anyone could write another entry about the sax without repeating most of what's already here.

I think that should be 'write about what you know'

The only trouble with that is that there is already an Edited Guide Entry called "Saxophones", which is quite good and amusing in its own way. I wanted to get this into the Guide without disturbing the other one.

I'll be away until 11-Aug. If anybody posts any comments in the mean time, I'll deal with them when I return.

This looks excellent to me - very thorough and very readable. I'm no musician, but I certainly found it interesting and informative. To the Edited Guide with it!

Ok, but sax.tutor publications are easier to read.
Sorry guys but the sax is really classified as a BRASS instrument these days, the woodwind title is very debatable. The M.U. agrees, and who would disagree with the might of the Musicians' Union( Very dramatic music!)

In what sense are sax publications easier to read? This entry seems clear enough to me!

As for the woodwind/brass instrument issue, one entity that would disagree with the MU is Dictionary.com, which concurs with Gnomon's definition of the sax as a woodwind instrument: http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=saxophone

(Not quite gone yet)

It's true that a sax book would be easier to read because it would have pictures in it, showing the fingering positions. But I think this is reasonably well explained.

As for sax being Brass, definitely not! There are plenty of places in h2g2 which will explain why sax is woodwind and not brass.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Well done Gnomon!

Great article!
BTW, I play Tenor Sax, and it is most definately a Woodwind Instrument...

Thanks, folks! I'm just back from a week's holidays, so I've only just realised that this has been picked.

Excellent article. Everything on here is top notch, and clearly written.
By the way, saxophones ARE woodwind instruments, for the simple fact that it uses a reed to produce sound. Were it a brass instrument, it would use a cup mouthpiece, as well as valves to change tone instead of pads and keys. Just because it isn't made of wood doesn't mean its note a woodwind. Look at the flute. It's all in the acoustics.