Acoustics of the saxophone

Bb tenor saxophone

A#5

Music Acoustics UNSW

Conventional Fingering

Impedance

Fingering
a key depressed
a key not depressed
a hole covered
a hole uncovered
a part of the mechanism that is not normally touched
Details in fingering legend.

Acoustic schematic
a closed tone hole
an open tone hole

Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance
Non-specialist introduction to saxophone acoustics

Notes are the written pitch.
Frequencies are the sounding frequency, for Bb saxophone.
Unless otherwise stated, the impedance spectrum is for a Bb saxophone.


Impedance spectrum of a Bb tenor saxophone measured using fingering for A#5.

This is the eighth note in the second register. It differs from A#4 (the corresponding note in the first register) in that it uses a register hole. This causes a leak in the bore that weakens the first impedance peak, but has little affect on higher peaks – see register hole for an explanation, and compare with A#4, whose impedance spectrum is almost identical except for the first peak. Above about 1 kHz, the third peak is weakened and the rest of the curve is irregular: see the discussion in cut-off frequency. This is the second lowest note to use the first register hole (a small hole, but not the one near the mouthpiece). The saxophone has an automatic octave key.

Compare with the impedance spectrum for a soprano sax on written A#5: same fingering but sounding one octave higher.

Sound


Sound spectrum of a Bb tenor saxophone played using fingering for A#5.
For more explanation, see Introduction to saxophone acoustics.

This sound spectrum includes some transient excitation, and so has traces of a subharmonic being excited, seen in the range about 2 kHz.

Sound Clip

You can hear A#5 played.

Alternative Fingering

tenor saxophone

Impedance

Fingering
a key depressed
a key not depressed
a hole covered
a hole uncovered
a part of the mechanism that is not normally touched
Details in fingering legend.

Acoustic schematic
a closed tone hole
an open tone hole

Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance
Non-specialist introduction to saxophone acoustics

Notes are the written pitch.
Frequencies are the sounding frequency, for Bb saxophone.
Unless otherwise stated, the impedance spectrum is for a Bb saxophone.


Impedance spectrum of a Bb tenor saxophone measured using alternative fingering for A#5.

Sound


Sound spectrum of a Bb tenor saxophone played using alternative fingering for A#5.
For more explanation, see Introduction to saxophone acoustics.

Sound Clip

You can hear A#5 played with alternative fingering.

2nd alternative Fingering

tenor saxophone

Impedance

Fingering
a key depressed
a key not depressed
a hole covered
a hole uncovered
a part of the mechanism that is not normally touched
Details in fingering legend.

Acoustic schematic
a closed tone hole
an open tone hole

Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance
Non-specialist introduction to saxophone acoustics

Notes are the written pitch.
Frequencies are the sounding frequency, for Bb saxophone.
Unless otherwise stated, the impedance spectrum is for a Bb saxophone.


Impedance spectrum of a tenor saxophone measured using 2nd alternative fingering for A#5.

Sound


Sound spectrum of a tenor saxophone played using 2nd alternative fingering for A#5.
For more explanation, see Introduction to saxophone acoustics.

Sound Clip

You can hear A#5 played with 2nd alternative fingering.
Fingering legend
How were these results obtained?

Contact: Joe Wolfe / J.Wolfe@unsw.edu.au
phone 61-2-9385-4954 (UT +10, +11 Oct-Mar)
© 1997-2009 Music Acoustics UNSW