Bb tenor saxophone
B6
| Acoustics of the saxophone |
Bb tenor saxophone |
B6 |
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Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
We can think of this as the fingering for F3 with three
register
holes: the speaker key and the third finger holes on each hand. It plays
somewhere near the eleventh harmonic (compare with the eleventh harmonic in
the sound spectrum of F3). The register holes diminish
and shift the five lower peaks (which, for F3, correspond to the 1st, 3rd, 5th,
7th and 9th harmonics) so that the desired peak (the sixth) is the strongest.
However, we are now so far above the cut-off
frequency that such discussions are rather simplistic and approximate. With this and all
high notes, there is always the danger of the reed operating at one of the lower
peaks. A hard reed has a higher natural frequency and one can help it with the
embouchure.
Sound spectrum
of a Bb saxophone
played using fingering for B6.
For more explanation, see
Introduction to saxophone acoustics
You can hear B6
played.
Alternative Fingering |
Bb saxophone |
 |
Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
You can hear XX
played with 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 
