C soprano saxophone

Unlike most other saxophones, it is not a transposing instrument, a quality it shares with the C melody saxophone (also called the C tenor saxophone). The C soprano has an identical range to the oboe. American production of C sopranos commenced at Buescher in 1915 and generally ended in the late 1920s. The same companies that made C melody instruments manufactured C soprano saxophones, and they were marketed to those who wished to perform oboe parts in military bands, vaudeville arrangements, or church hymnals. C sopranos made by some French manufacturers exist. However, the C sopranos made by some French manufacturers exceedingly rare. In the early 2010s, the New Zealandbased company Aquilasax contracted a factory in China to produce C sopranos, with modern keywork but a bore copied from C. Conn's 1920s model. These received a mildly positive response from players and technicians who encountered them, but demand was low and only a small number were produced. Aquilasax is now defunct, and the factory that produced these instruments is no longer operational. C sopranos are the same shape as B sopranos and differ in length by only around 3 cm. Nearly all vintage examples are keyed from low B to high E. Aquilasax's 2010s models were keyed to high F and F. C soprano saxophones usually have a "C" stamped on them, close by to the serial number. The range of the standard vintage horn from 1920–1928 is a concert/written Bflat 3 to Eflat 6. The 2010 models are keyed from Bflat 3 to F 6 or Fsharp 6 (or G 6 for models with a High-G key).

• Name — C Soprano Saxophone • Range — { \new Staff \with { \remove "Time_signature_engraver" } \clef treble \key c \major \cadenzaOn bes1 \glissando g1 } C soprano saxophone sounds as written.

The C soprano saxophone was written for by Richard Strauss in his Symphonia Domestica, which included parts for four saxophones, including a soprano saxophone in C.