True, it can be fun, and even beneficial, to try and figure out some of the fingerings yourself. Readers with a background in electricity, seeing the region of the curve in which flow decreases with increasing pressure, will recognise this as a negative (AC) resistance. Something that many saxophone fingering charts fail to address is the names that key groupings are regularly referred to by. As is the case with most small saxophones, it is considered difficult to play in-tune with a good tone. By way of summary, tenor and soprano saxophones are B-flat in the Key of B-flat, whereas alto and baritone saxophones are in the key of E-flat. My only main recommendation is that if you learn sax, you should start with the alto. This got me wondering about how extensive the saxophone family is. Note that if we broaden our definition of what counts as a “saxophone,” however, then we could say that there are even more than nine. How to play the notes on alto sax. The reason this idea is often spread is because it is based in a kernel of truth. To the full extent of my knowledge, no famous musicians are known to play the soprillo saxophone. I’ve provided a saxophone fingering chart key that labels the key groupings. As the bari sax is less common than the alto and tenor saxes, there is somewhat of a shortage of classical solo literature for the bari sax. When there’s more than one fingering listed, the saxophone fingering chart I’ve provided has each note’s fingerings listed in order of preference; in order of which fingering is most commonly utilized. 7 Hold the saxophone on your right side against your right leg. As is the case with the alto saxophone, you may even find the tenor saxophone in orchestras on rare occasion. Few jazz bands or wind bands will use them, and I certainly don’t know of any orchestral piece which has used one.The only context that you might frequently see a contrabass saxophone is in a saxophone choir, or in a very niche selection of chamber music and solo literature. Next is the key marked 2. Figuring out how the saxophone works on your own, self-directed study, can be a valuable process, one that can further ingrain the fundamentals as well as solidify the learning experience. We are participants in a variety of affiliate programs designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. Next is the key marked 1. Which type of saxophone should I play? The very top key marked OK stands for Octave Key. Click below for my video on how to make palm key risers at home. If you click a link to a different site and make a purchase, there is a high probability that we will receive monetary compensation. Considering that the standard contrabass and subcontrabass saxophones run into problems in these areas, the tubax might be considered an improvement. This saxophone is still quite uncommon, though not as much as the soprillo saxophone. The contrabass saxophone is almost never seen in most ensembles. In jazz bands, the lead alto saxophone will usually be the most audible instrument in the saxophone section; the other saxophones tend to harmonize to the lead alto. The soprano saxophone is not typically one which is recommended for beginners, as many people find it is difficult to maintain tone and intonation. The alto sax is also fairly common in rock and pop music. Musicians who are looking for a particularly exotic sound may be drawn to the contrabass saxophone. The chart at the top of this article lists the key that the saxophone is typically in, but this is not universal. Saxophone Keys Explained; 8 Comments. I also know that the “1+1” fingering sounds absolutely terrible on my particular horns. The baritone saxophone (or “bari sax”) is the largest of the four most common saxophones. The hardest saxophone to play is the subcontrabass saxophone, since there are only a few people in the world who can actually play it. You have to lift your finger off the B key and then reset it over both the B and Bis key. That being said, the contrabass saxophone can play a nice role in a saxophone choir. In other words, a new fingering is naturally more difficult than what you’ve become used to, but getting past the initial learning curve will make the new fingering ultimately more efficient. Typically, however, they are considered to just be variations of other types of saxophones, rather than constituting a separate category. Having a saxophone fingering chart is essential. DON'T BOOKMARK THIS PAGE: we are moving the site and there is a more recent version of this page. Though it is typically thought that the larger saxophones allow for easier control of tone and intonation, the bass saxophone is such a large instrument that it requires a substantial amount of air support and skill to produce a consistent sound out of. Hey John, My recommendation is that you learn to read music. Bass is in Bb. On some premium models, the key button material is used to form the convex key touches for other keys. I'm now determined to learn to play every woodwind instrument that I can get my hands on, and this is the site where I share everything that I've learned. Each music key signature comes with a particular number of sharps and flats. Leo. When manufacture of the YAS-23 and YAS-25 ended they were superseded by the YAS-275, which was in production as of 2010, but was eventually replaced by the YAS-280. The upper thumb rest stabilizes the instrument while leaving your fingers free to hit the keys. Just remember, what is comfortable at the moment is not always what’s ultimately best. If you really want to get a sense for what the bari sax sounds like, try listening to Moanin’ by Charles Mingus. Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered what kind of saxophone is featured in Careless Whisper and the Epic Sax Guy song, that would be the alto sax. Wish i had read this article years ago. To the extent of my knowledge, they were either replaced with better designs or abandoned entirely. Alto is in Eb. These differences may actually make the tubax easier to play than the contrabass saxophone or subcontrabass saxophone. In this video, I go over all of the names for the keys on a saxophone. But some are not. As stated above, the fingerings on the provided saxophone fingering chart are, for the most part, in order of preference. Occasionally, you will read that there are 14 different types of saxophones. However, many of the saxophone fingering charts out there come with little or no explanation on how to read and interpret them. To distinguish alternate fingerings, certain keys are referred to as the “bis key” or the “front F key”. Thank you for this valuable information on the saxophone fingering. The number of musicians who can actually play the subcontrabass saxophone is perhaps even more limited. Log in to Reply. Tenor is in Bb. A lesson to help you learn this system. In wind bands, the tenor sax is usually in the low woodwinds section. However, this is actually misinformation. The same goes for alto and bari sax. However, its much easier to sound like a dying duck when you play sax! These are things that will develop over time. The remainder of the saxophones will usually only be found in saxophone choirs, or for purposes of showcasing the specific instrument. If you try to play B to B-flat using the Bis key fingering, you’re in trouble. There are numerous saxophone fingering charts out there. That being said, provided that an instrument is played by blowing air through it, there are several key criteria which determine whether it is a brass or woodwind instrument. While marching bands will almost always use alto and tenor saxes, many of them draw the line at the bari sax. Need Help Finding a Teacher? The next key marked X is for an alternate fingering which you will learn in another lesson. In jazz bands, the bari sax maintains an important role of playing the lowest voice of the saxophone section, and in some instances may be functionally treated as a member of the rhythm section. The tenor saxophone is slightly larger than the alto saxophone, and is recognizable for having a curved neck. However, with time and experience, you may figure out some more possible alternate fingerings that work well for you. Impedance curves on the lowest note of my alto saxophone . Ultimately, in order to ensure accuracy and to avoid potential frustration, it’s a good idea to have a reliable reference on hand. It’s easy to call a bad habit the easiest option. Saxophone Keys Explained; 7 Comments. The bass saxophone is even larger than the baritone saxophone, and is relatively rare to see in any ensemble outside of a saxophone choir. I’ll explain why this is, and also clear up some common misconceptions about how many saxophones there actually are. On rare occasion, a saxophone may be made in a key that it is not typically in. In fact, the tubax is thought to be closer to the original designs of the saxophone than the standard contrabass saxophone. It is often considered suitable for children, since it is small enough for kids to handle while also being large enough to be reasonably easy to control tone and intonation. In addition to those on the internet, there are also several saxophone fingering charts available in various saxophone method books. Here’s a diagram showing the different key signatures, major and minor on the bass and treble clef. If the palm keys feel too far away from your hand, try adding palm key risers so they fit closer to your hand. Most of the chart you can get to from this page, you can sign up on the side with your email to get a password for the fingering chart on this page. The provided saxophone fingering chart is in no way an exhaustive resource. The tenor sax holds an important place in jazz ensembles and wind bands. Many notes on the saxophone have only one possible fingering. An accurate saxophone fingering chart is an invaluable tool for every beginning saxophone student. However, there is some debate as to whether or not it actually counts as a “saxophone,” since there are key differences in design between the tubax and the typical saxophone. Michael Bishop says: April 3, 2019 at 6:52 pm. Learn about key signatures (and how to play piano) with Rocket Piano lessons. In the context of a jazz band, the lead tenor sax tends to play the main harmony of the saxophone section. Some composers, such as Percy Grainger, have known to be especially fond of the soprano saxophone and wrote solos for it in various wind band pieces. Maybe it sounds good on your horn. It is the closest in embouchure to the clarinet. If you search the internet, you’ll find countless examples. For instance, Leonard Bernstein’s original score for West Side Story included a bass saxophone part, as did Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. The bass saxophone may rarely be seen in the contexts of jazz and rock bands, but almost no serious saxophonist plays it as their primary instrument. The key system works similarly for both instruments. Contrabass is in Eb. Transposed Key of A E-flat Instruments *Alto and baritone saxophones are in the key of E-flat. The number ‘14’ refers to the number of different designs of saxophone that Adolphe Sax originally patented in 1846 and 1850. This system for naming the keys is easier because each key on the saxophone is given a simple identifier name. 0 0. Great blog post Johnny When I bought my Trevor James Alto from Massullo Music, one Sax player told me I should have put that money on a good Tenor Sax instead. The course is not a complete on-line tutor for beginners as it originally relied on weekly lectures to fully explain the topics and demonstrate the examples, however anyone with a reasonable basic knowledge of theory should be able to pick up a lot of new ideas and approaches. He is available for teaching lessons in the NY/NJ area and his Musika teaching profile can be found here, Thank you for this great Fingering chart. The added complication of measuring these curves for a saxophone is the vast amount of possible fingerings. This is one of the least common saxophones, and you will almost never see one at your typical band or jazz band concert. Let me explain. All saxophones have a thumb rest right below it and it is pressed using your thumb as required. Other materials are used for some mechanical parts and keywork. Usually, wind band and jazz band composers will only include a soprano saxophone in their scores if they intend to feature it as a solo instrument. Some claim that the tubax gets the deeper sound of the low saxophones while still allowing the musician to maintain consistency of tone and dexterity in technique. The list also includes solos for flute, clarinet and EWI. If you count these as unique types of saxophones, then perhaps one could say that there are actually more than nine kinds of saxophones. The fingerings on the provided saxophone fingering chart will most likely be the fingerings you use 90-100% of the time. Groups of keys have names. Unlike the soprillo saxophone, there are several notable musicians and pieces of music that use the sopranino saxophone. However, the sopranino part is much more commonly played on a soprano saxophone. Pressing the octave lever only opens the neck octave key, while the G key opens the body octave … Most notes on the saxophone have only one viable fingering. I live in Palatine, Illinois and enjoy playing every woodwind instrument that I can get my hands on. It’s tuned to the key of Eb, and plays a full octave above the alto saxophone. Much easier. It is a transposing instrument, which means that it sounds an octave and major second lower than the written pitch. If you search the internet, you’ll find countless examples. There are nine different types of saxophones in total, but only the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones are commonly used. Rather than describing your “side C key”, it is simply named TC (or trill – C). Of course, there are a few dedicated saxophonists who can play it and still sound fantastic. Standing at 7 feet and 5 inches (2.25 meters), it takes lots of skill and air support just to get a few notes out. I’ll go through each of these below, and explain why the saxophone strictly fits into the “woodwind” category. He specializes in jazz, but regularly performs in all genres including classical, pop, funk, R&B, reggae, and gospel. I was frequently guilty of poor... Oiling your keys is a basic instrument-care process which every flutist should know. Impedance curves for all keys closed on a soprano and tenor saxophone Figure 2. It is beneficial to have a good saxophone fingering chart, especially for beginning saxophone students. It has a low, full sound that can help substantiate the bassline. Adding certain keys to the main basic fingerings can slightly change intonation, timbre, or resonance. I first picked up a saxophone when I was ten and fell in love with it. Bolero by Maurice Ravel is a well-known piece of classical music which features the sopranino saxophone. Where there is more than one fingering listed, the fingerings are listed in order of which is utilized more often. http://HowToPlaySaxophone.org - this beginner's saxophone lesson covers the main fingering on the saxophone. The Different Types of Saxophones and Their Keys: Sopranino is in Eb. I'm Ryan Groch. The tubax is a slightly modified version of the saxophone which comes in either the contrabass or subcontrabass size. If the alto saxophone is the most common saxophone, then the tenor saxophone definitely holds second place. 1 decade ago. Building one is an intense undertaking for even the best of manufacturers, and are generally only made on the basis of individual commissions. There is a fairly large body of classical music written for the tenor saxophone, though perhaps not as much as there is for the alto saxophone. You can even make these at home. Most other fingerings you will figure out will just be slight adjustments to the fingerings on the provided chart. So, how many types of saxophones are there? The soprano saxophone is one of the four most common saxophones. This is the kind of saxophone which tends to be larger than the musician playing it. It plays at a full octave above a soprano saxophone, and is usually about 12 inches long. As a saxophonist, I’ve long been familiar with the soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. From my experience, I also believe that it’s the most popular opinion on the subject, but it’s not the only one. There are numerous saxophone fingering charts out there. Since 1920, most saxophones have replaceable key buttons operating the stack keys, usually made from either plastic or mother of pearl. This saxophone fingering chart is simply a good resource to have on hand when you are learning play the saxophone. Indonesia. There are a few orchestral pieces which call for a bari sax, though having a bari sax in an orchestra is rare unless the composer happened to be particularly fond of saxophones. Chris K. is a saxophone player based in New York City. I just started playing the alto sax two months ago and I have a method book that illustrates the fingering, but you info is more extensive. I’m a newbie in playing saxophone, it’s very simple and helpful. This does not include products made by Bösendorfer, which has been a wholly owned subsidiary … Out of the four most common types of saxophones, however, soprano is typically considered the hardest to play since it requires excellent control of one’s tone and intonation to produce a good sound. There is very little classical literature for it, but it nonetheless enjoyed its hay day in the 1950’s and 1960’s in musical theatre. The alto saxophone is also a staple in nearly every jazz band and wind band. However, many of these designs were neither named nor constructed. The rarest and largest saxophone out of all the ones listed here, there are only a small handful of subcontrabass saxophones in existence. I’m not sure why everyone thinks the Tenor is a ‘better’ Saxophone. Composers who write specifically for saxophones may often try to include parts for the contrabass saxophone in their music. The chart I’ve provided is intuitive, accurate, concise, and precise, but is in no way exhaustive. Baritone is in Eb. These things aren't just random occurrences where one day a saxophone builder woke up and decided he'd make it play in a different key just for hell of it. The high F# on my tenor saxophone runs a little flat, so I add the Bb spatula key whenever I can to bring it in tune. And therein lies the secret to correct fingering of the Bis key on the saxophone. It is also one of the most difficult to play well; with a screeching-high range that goes even higher than a piccolo (given that the written range of a piccolo is D4 to C7), you might imagine that it would take quite a bit of skill to get this instrument to sound like anything other than a painful shriek. For instance, it uses relatively small tone holes considering its size, and the tubing is both much thinner and much more compact compared to the standard saxophone. Hello Sax Players Saxophone finger chart for beginners. Nonetheless, some marching bands still use it. I’ll go through each of the nine types of saxophones individually. It is often thought of as the easiest to play, and the most suitable for beginners. A well-maintained saxophone can last a long time. Saxophone Keys Explained; 2 Comments. Nonetheless, whether you consider this to be a unique type of saxophone, something other than a saxophone, or just another variation of the contrabass and subcontrabass saxophones is up to you. Solo transcriptions This page lists 1043 solo transcriptions that are available somewhere on the Internet. But on occasion, I’ve had the privilege of seeing and hearing saxophones that fall outside of these four. These octave keys are controlled by the octave lever at the back of the saxophone. One on the neck, and another at the body. If you are starting out, you will probably want to pick up the alto saxophone. Wrap your fingers around the neck and place them on the 3 keys on the upper neck of the saxophone. The rods and screw pins … Though it is a full octave below the soprillo saxophone, it is still a relatively smaller saxophone and thus may be difficult for beginners who are still developing their embouchure. Likewise, the alto sax may on rare occasion be made in the key of F, also a whole step above its usual key. The mouthpiece is larger, and the rods and tone holes are longer. Saxophone Keys Explained; 2 Comments. Over time, you would develop a feel for what is comfortable for you. Anonymous. The few instances where the instrument is played is usually for the purposes of showing off the instrument itself, or the musician’s rare ability to play it. There are about 2-octave keys on a saxophone. These sharps and flats have a particular order as you will notice below. Sharp keys, the number and order of sharps. Most people I’ve talked to about it don’t. For the most part, when there is a second fingering listed, it is a fingering that’s used for trills or for fast chromatic passages. This saxophone is still quite uncommon, though not as much as the soprillo saxophone. Hand position is a topic which I’ve found is often neglected among saxophonists, but is nonetheless critically important to both playing well and avoiding injuries. Since most fingering charts come with little or no explanation, I’ve decided to provide a brief explanation of scenarios when you would use one of the alternate fingerings in place of the main fingering. Try this passage with the regular G# and switch to C# at the lower end of the scale: Now try it but hold down the C# key for the entire passage and see how much easier it is than switching from G# to C#. When i bought my sax, i researched it before buying, my requirements at the time where cheap price, sound brand name, good resale value, reliable working sax – how it sounded and felt playing wise didn’t come into the equation. As is the case with most small saxophones, it is considered difficult to play in-tune with a good tone. john says: December 17, 2019 at 10:53 am. This is an effect you can use, a la Brecker, with certain notes, such as middle Bb, B, C, C#, high G, etc. Which saxophone is hardest to play? In any case, the alleged family of “14 saxophones” is nothing like the modern family of saxophones that we are accustomed to today. Call now 877-687-4524 or, © Copyright 2001 - 2021 Musika All Rights Reserved, Piano Chord Chart: Basic Chords and Intervals, Piano Keys Chart for Beginner Piano Students, Basic Saxophone Maintenance: Caring for Your Instrument, Jazz Exercises for the Saxophone: An Introduction to Playing in 12 Keys, Jazz Exercises for the Saxophone: Thinking in 12 Keys, Jazz Exercises for the Saxophone: Advanced Studies in 12 Keys. This will give you an idea of what someone is referring to when they talk about the “palm keys” or the “spatula keys” or the “side keys”. For instance, the orchestral version of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition features a single alto saxophone solo in the movement The Old Castle. There also a link mechanism on modern saxophones that allows you to use the C# key for G#. I've since added flute and clarinet to my repertoire, and have spent a sizable portion of my life playing in wind bands and chamber ensembles. Many notes on the saxophone have only one possible fi… The dark circles represent the keys that should be closed to make the note. You may find that certain notes on your particular horn benefit from adding other keys in some situations. Nonetheless, this problem is gradually getting repaired as more composers write pieces for it. Some saxophone players use the “1+1” fingering as their main Bb fingering. Your email address will not be published. This is for your middle finger. John Chattle says: December 16, 2019 at 7:58 pm. Most of them were just intended to be prototypes. In that case, you should use an alternate fingering for B-sharp, not the Bis key. This is your index finger. It is, admittedly, still somewhat uncommon, and is not part of the standard instrumentation for most wind bands. This seemed more intuitive to me. It is extraordinarily rare to find this saxophone outside the context of a saxophone choir or a smaller ensemble that uses exclusively saxophones. 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