Acoustics of the saxophone |
Bb tenor saxophone |
G6 |
Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
From an acoustical point of view, this note starts a new register, because
we now have three register
holes: the speaker key and the holes of the first and third fingers of the
left hand. It is useful to compare it with the fingering and the impedance curve
for its 'fundamental', A3. These register holes together
weaken and displace the first peak (that would otherwise play A3), the second
peak (that would otherwise play E5, the third harmonic,
a twelfth above A3) and the third peak (that would otherwise play C#5,
the fifth harmonic, a seventeenth above A3). Instead we get something close
to the 7th harmonic. This would normally be a very flat minor twenty-first above
A3 (two octaves and a flat minor seventh - see the sound spectrum for A3),
however the positioning of the register holes sharpens it more or less into
tune.
Sound spectrum
of a Bb saxophone
played using fingering for G6.
For more explanation, see
Introduction to saxophone acoustics
Alternative Fingering |
Bb saxophone |
Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
Contact:
Joe Wolfe
/ J.Wolfe@unsw.edu.au |