The sarrusophone is rarely scored in classical music today, but there are a few examples. Conn made contrabass sarrusophones, instead of contrabass saxophones, because the sarrusophones were easier to ship across seas, and to send through the mail, due to their lightness. This makes them more convenient to carry around, fitting into cars more easily, and putting less strain on one's muscles while carrying or playing it. These mouthpieces are similar in size to soprano or alto saxophone mouthpieces.Ĭontrabass sarrusophones are extremely light for contrabass instruments, weighing only about as much as a baritone saxophone, and being approximately four feet tall, about the same height as a bass saxophone. Sarrusophones are traditionally played with a double reed, but single reed mouthpieces have also been used.
Contrabass sarrusophone reeds are still manufactured by Vandoren. This leads to most people making their own reeds (as is the practice of most oboe and bassoon players). The contrabass sarrusophone is sometimes confused with the reed contrabass, to which it bears a superficial resemblance.Ĭontrabass sarrusophones take rather large reeds they are larger than contrabassoon reeds. The EE ♭ and BB ♭ sarrusophones are transposing instruments. Contrabass sarrusophones come in two bore widths: big pipes, which sound mellower and softer, but are still reedy and small pipes, which are extremely reedy. The BB♭ contrabass sarrusophone is the lowest of the sarrusophones, and was the lowest-pitched wind instrument until the invention of the EEE♭ octocontra-alto and the BBB♭ octocontrabass clarinets, and the BB♭ subcontrabass tubax.
The EE♭ sarrusophone has the tone of a reedy contrabass saxophone, while the CC sarrusophone sounds much like the contrabassoon.