Venova

History of the Venova

The venova is a relatively new creation, first developed and released by the Japanese corporation Yamaha in 2017. The idea was to create a single reed woodwind instrument that could emulate the saxophone while being light-weight and easy to carry. The outcome was the original YVS-100 that establishes a straight cylindrical bore but a tight twisting system of piping that can create the sound of a conical bore. There were no valves added and instead the player uses their fingers over sound holes like a recorder. Due to the relative simplicity of the venova’s two octave range, Yamaha has often marketed this instrument as an instrument for casual playing. Its tuning is in C. The venova is still at the beginning of its history in the world of musical instruments and has yet to have any notoriety for its use in popular and classical music recordings. However, it is becoming a popular portable instrument in Japan in particular. Unlike many brass and woodwind instruments, the venova is made entirely of a plastic ABS resin meaning it is one of the first instruments of its kind that can be washed.

Inventor: Yamaha Corporation