Bb tenor saxophone
A6
| Acoustics of the saxophone |
Bb tenor saxophone |
A6 |
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Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
This is the third note in the altissimo or very high range. It is not a member of a simple register: although technically it plays rather just below the seventh impedance peak or the third 'large-ish' peak, few saxophonists (except those discerning ones who have seen this site) would be aware of that. Perhaps it is just a cross fingered note whose operating peak falls above the cut-off frequency and so cannot readily be described in terms of an effective length.
The first few peaks are very strong, and would tend to dominate (see comment on sound spectrum below). The weakness of this peak (due to the relatively large cone angle of the saxophone) explains why notes in this range are hard to play and require the player to assist the weak impedance peak of the bore with a strong impedance peak of the vocal tract. See this page for an explanation and some interesting results.
Sound spectrum
of a Bb tenor saxophone
played using fingering for A6.
For more explanation, see
Introduction to saxophone acoustics.
You can hear A6
played.
Alternative Fingering |
tenor saxophone |
 |
Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
This is the third note in the altissimo or very high range. It is not a member of a simple register: although it plays at the fourth impedance peak, perhaps it is just a cross fingered note whose operating peak falls above the cut-off frequency and so cannot readily be described in terms of an effective length. The first few peaks are very strong, and would tend to dominate.
The weakness of this peak (due to the relatively large cone angle of the saxophone) explains why notes in this range are hard to play and require the player to assist the weak impedance peak of the bore with a strong impedance peak of the vocal tract. See this page for an explanation and some interesting results.
You can hear A6
played with alternative fingering.
2nd alternative Fingering |
tenor saxophone |
 |
Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
This is the third note in the altissimo or very high range. It is not a member of a simple register: it plays at the third 'large-ish' peak, or the sixth peak... perhaps it is just a cross fingered note whose operating peak falls above the cut-off frequency and so cannot readily be described in terms of an effective length.
The weakness of this peak (due to the relatively large cone angle of the saxophone) explains why notes in this range are hard to play and require the player to assist the weak impedance peak of the bore with a strong impedance peak of the vocal tract. See this page for an explanation and some interesting results.
You can hear A6
played with 2nd alternative fingering.
3rd alternative Fingering |
tenor saxophone |
 |
Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
This is the third note in the altissimo or very high range. It is not a member of a simple register: it plays at the third 'large-ish' peak, or the seventh peak... perhaps it is just a cross fingered note whose operating peak falls above the cut-off frequency and so cannot readily be described in terms of an effective length.
The weakness of this peak (due to the relatively large cone angle of the saxophone) explains why notes in this range are hard to play and require the player to assist the weak impedance peak of the bore with a strong impedance peak of the vocal tract. See this page for an explanation and some interesting results.
You can hear A6
played with 3rd alternative fingering.
|
Contact:
Joe Wolfe
/ J.Wolfe@unsw.edu.au |
a key depressed
a key not depressed
a hole covered 
a hole uncovered
a
part of the mechanism that is not normally touched 
