Acoustics of the saxophone

Bb tenor saxophone

F#4

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 saxophone measured using fingering for F#4.

At frequencies below about 1 kHz, this curve looks rather like that for E4 and F4, but raised in frequency. At higher frequencies, however, the situation is complicated by the cut-off frequency. Here, the 1 kHz cutoff is also weakening the third peak. The first peak can be reduced in magnitude and shifted in frequency using a register hole (operated by the octave key): see F#5.

This note is, acoustically at least, a cross fingering: there is a key closed below the first open key, as the schematic inset shows. This contributes to the irregularity of the impedance just above 1 kHz.

For general comments about the first register, see A#3. Compare with the impedance spectrum for a soprano sax on written F#4: same fingering but sounding one octave higher.

Sound


Sound spectrum of a Bb saxophone played using fingering for F#4.
For more explanation, see Introduction to saxophone acoustics.

For general comments about the sound spectra of the first register, see A#3, which is the first note of that register.

Sound Clip

You can hear F#4 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 saxophone measured using alternative fingering for F#4.

Sound


Sound spectrum of a Bb saxophone played using alternative fingering for F#4.
For more explanation, see Introduction to saxophone acoustics. For general comments about the sound spectra of the first register, see A#3, which is the first note of that register.

Sound Clip

You can hear F#4 played with 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