Bb saxophone

multiphonic G#4, C5, A#5 & E6

multiphonics     Multiphonic 1 Multiphonic 2 Multiphonic 3 Multiphonic 4 Multiphonic 5 Multiphonic 6 Multiphonic 7 Multiphonic 8

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.

Here, the first open hole is the (small) trill key. With the considerable cross fingering, this could be regarded as a tone hole that produces the note G#4. The C5, on the other hand, may be considered as produced by the second resonance of a modified version of the fingering for F3, with various register holes. The A# might be regarded as the second resonance of the bore terminated by the open D hole, again with a register hole, and some cross fingering. As for E6, which is above the cut-off frequency, the entire bore is involved and one could say that any open tone holes operate not only as register holes, but as minor adjustments to the frequency of the desired resonance.

Sound

Sound spectrum of a Bb saxophone played using fingering for the multiphonic G#4, C5, A#5 and E6.
For more explanation, see Introduction to saxophone acoustics

Sound Clip

You can hear the multiphonic G#4, C5, A#5 and E6 played.