Adolphe Sax patented the saxophone in 1846 after developing it to combine woodwind and brass qualities.
Sax designed the instrument in the 1840s while working in Belgium and France. Although it is usually made of brass, the saxophone is classified as a woodwind because its sound is produced by a single reed attached to a mouthpiece. Sax intended it to offer the agility of woodwinds with the strength and projection of brass instruments.
The first saxophones were made in several sizes, from soprano to bass, and were originally aimed mainly at military bands and orchestras. They later became especially important in jazz, popular music, concert bands, and marching bands. A common mistake is to classify the saxophone as a brass instrument solely because of its metal body; its reed-based sound production determines its family classification. The modern saxophone family includes several sizes, though alto and tenor are among the most widely recognized.