Esther Briggs, age 12, of Haggerstown, Md., for her question:

WHO INVENTED THE SAXOPHONE?

A saxophone is a single reed woodwind instrument made of brass. It was invented in 1840 by a Belgian instrument maker named Adolphe Sax.

The saxophone combines the conical tubing of the cornet type instruments with the single reed tone of the clarinet. Military bands were the first to put the instrument to work and it was then soon added as an important part of concert and dance bands.

Saxophones have been used in a number of important orchestral works as solo instruments.

The size of saxophones can range from the little used E flat and B flat sopranos to the contrabass in E flat. The E flat alto and the B flat tenor are the saxophones used most frequently.

A musician plays different notes on the saxophone by pressing keys that open and close the tone hole sockets on the instrument.