Alternative Fingerings for Saxophone

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H om e | Saxophone Tut ori al s | Tam i ng The Saxophone Vol um e I I I| Al t ernat e Saxophone Fi ngeri ngs

When t o use al t er nat i ve f i nger i ngs

1. W hen i tw oul d be t oo di f f i cul tt o use a r egul ar f i nger i ng,use t he al t er nat i ve.Thi s of t en appl i es t ot r i l l s butal so t o di f f er entscal es and i nt er val j um ps.W e show som e exam pl es bel ow of m usi calpassages,butonce you know t he al t er nat i ves t hen you can j usthave a go ateach one and deci de w hi ch t o use by r i aland er r or . 2. I n som e cases t her e ar e ver y sl i ghtdi f f er ences i n sound and/ or i nt onat i on so you m ay j ustdeci de t o use a cer t ai nf i nger i ng f or i t s sound,e. g.t he

Al t er nat eorAl t er nat i ve?

The f i nger i ngs w e ar e l ooki ng ather e,and show n i nt he char tbel ow ,ar e al t er nat i ve f i nger i ngs, ei t her f or ease off i nger i ng or pr ef er r ed sound.These ar e di f f er entt o f al se f i nger i ng w hi ch act ual l y

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Alternative Fingerings for Saxophone

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si de C i s som et i m es cal l ed t he bal l ad Cas som e peopl e consi der i tt o have a bet t er t one t han t he r egul ar ( f r ont )C.

al t er nat ef r om one t ot he ot her and back agai n and ar e used t o cr eat e a speci al ef f ect .

A char tofcom m on al t er nat i vesand when t o use t hem

I nt he f i nger i ng char tbel ow t he t op F and t op E need t o be used w i t ht he oct ave key,al lt he ot her f i nger i ngs appl yt o bot h upper and l ow er r egi st er oft he saxophone.

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Alternative Fingerings for Saxophone

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Top F
The al t er nat i ve t op F i s pr obabl y m or e com m on t han t he r egul ar f i nger i ng.For exam pl et r y a basi c F ar peggi oi nt he upper r egi st er :i t s m uch easi er t o use t he al t er nat i ve t han t he pal m keys. Agai ni nt he D b ar peggi ot he al t er nat e f i nger i ng w or ks ver y w el l .Tr y bot h of t hese w i t h pal m keys and not i ce t he di f f er ence. So l et sl ook atw hen w e m i ghtuse t he pal m F.U nl ess you ar e usi ng i tpur el yf or t he bet t er sound,onl yt w o scenar i os com e t omi nd.

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Alternative Fingerings for Saxophone

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1.A chr om at i cr un up and/ or dow n t ot op D.

The pal m keys m ake t he m ostsense her e as t he t r ansi t i on f r om D # t o al t er nat i ve E i s qui t e cl um sy. 2.Fr om or t o Eb.I nt he nextexam pl e w e w oul d use t he pal m key F w hen goi ng f r om Eb t o F,how ever i n bar 3 w her e w e have a C t o F,i tm akes sense t o sw i t ch t ot he al t er nat i ve F.

I fyou ar er eadi ng m usi c,t hi si s a scenar i o w her ei t s ver yi m por t antt o be l ooki ng and t hi nki ng ahead,ot her wi se i t s easy t o be caughtout .
BestSound

You w i l lpr obabl yf i nd t hatt he pal m key f i nger i ng sounds bet t er ,so f or l ong not es you shoul d pr obabl y use t hi s,butdo exper i m entand m ake up your ow n m i nd.

Top ( Fr ont )E
Thi sr eal l y onl y w or ks w el lbet w een E and C or E and F so i tw or ks w el lon an F m aj7 ar peggi o:

W hen t he onl y not es i nvol ved ar e E and F,t hen ei t her t he f r ontkeys or pal m keys can be used,t he deci si on t o use one or t he ot her shoul d be based on w hatnot s com e bef or e or af t er .

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Alternative Fingerings for Saxophone

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You coul d use ei t her t he pal m or f r ontF f or an E t o Ft r i l l ,buta t r em ol o bet w een C and E i s bet t er w i t ht he f r ontE: Ot her wi se,f or m ostot her hi gh E f i nger i ngs you w oul d use t he pal m key,so i nt hi s exam pl e, i ti s aw kw ar dt o use t he f r ontE af t er t he A:
BestSound

Agai n,t he pal m key f i nger i ng usual l y sounds bet t er .

C
The r egul ar C f i nger i ng i sf i ne f or m ostcases,butt he si de key f i nger i ng i s ver y good w hen f astpassages,e. g.t r i l l s,bet w een B and C ar er equi r ed.
BestSound

M any peopl et hi nk t he si de key f i nger i ng has t he bestsound and so use t hi s w hen t her e ar e sust ai ned l ong not es.It hi nk i tm ay j ustsound bet t er t ot he pl ayer di et ot he f actt hat t he si de key t one hol ei s near er t he pl ayer s ear st han t he f r ontt one hol e.

Bb
The m ot her ofal t er nat i ve f i nger i ngs t her e ar e so m any choi ces. The r egul ar ( si de key)f i nger i ng can be aw kw ar df or m any i nt er val s due t ot he f actt hatyou need t o appl y or r el ease t wo f i nger s ofopposi t e hands atonce.I n m ostcases t he bi s f i nger i ng i sa l oteasi er . For t hi sr eason i t s bestt ol ook atw hen t he bi s does not w or k so w el li . e. w hen t o use t he si de key Bb or t he f or k Bb.
W hen nott o use t he bi skey#1

The bi s key i s m ost l yaa di sadvant age w hen goi ng f r om Bb t o C,so t hi si s good t i m et o use t he si de key,f or exam pl ei nt he key ofBb t he openi ng t r i l lf r om Bb t oCi sf ar easi er on t he si de key.H ow ever t he descentback f r om t he D i s good on t he bi s,pr ovi ded t her ei s nota C i m m edi at el y af t er agai n w hen r eadi ng m usi ci t si m por t antt ot hi nk ahead.
W hen nott o use t he bi skey#2

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Alternative Fingerings for Saxophone

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W hen you have passages i nvol vi ng A# t o B:

You can use ei t her t he f i r stor second f i nger ofyour r i ghthand as show n i nt he char t .The f i nalnot e oft hi s exam pl e coul d be a f or k or bi s,you w i l lnot i ce t hati fyou pl ay t he f or k f i nger i ng and t hen appl yt he bi s key,i ti s al r eady hel d dow n aut om at i cal l y anyw ay.
BestSound

M ostpeopl e consi der t he r egul ar or Bi st o be bet t er t han t he f or kf i nger i ng

F#/Gb
The al t er nat i ve F# i s usual l yr ef er r ed t o as t he F# t r i l lkey,and t hati si t s pr i m ar y use.J ust t r yt r i l l i ng f r om F t o F# w i t ht he r egul ar F# and you l lgett he poi nt . I ti s al so usef uli n var i ous scal e passages,especi al l yi nt he key ofF# and C# ( G b) ,e. g.i n C# or F# pl ay f r om C#,up t o F# and dow n agai n. I nt hi s exam pl e,st ar tw i t ht he r egul ar F# and use t he si de F# att he t op oft he scal e:

H ow ever as t hi s scal ei s cont i nui ng on t he t ot he G #,t he al t er nat i ve F# i s aw kw ar d and i n t hi s case i t s bestt o use t he r egul ar f i nger i ng:

Ar t i cul at ed G#/C#
Thi si s a ver y ver y usef ulf i nger i ng and appl i es t o any shar p keys w i t h 3 or m or e shar ps ( A

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Alternative Fingerings for Saxophone

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and onw ar ds) .You m ay know t hatyou can hol dt he r egul ar G # key dow n w hi l e pl ayi ng any ot her not e( exceptG ofcour se) .For exam pl e w hi l e pl ayi ng an A m aj or scal e you can keep your f i nger i nt he G #,w hi ch obvi ousl y m akes your f i nger i ng l i f e easi er .H ow ever t he except i on t ot hi s usef ulbehavi our i st he l ow C#.

Tr yt hi s passage w i t ht he r egul ar G # and sw i t ch t o C# att he l ow er end oft he scal e:

N ow t r yi tbuthol d dow n t he C# ketf or t he ent i r e passage and see how m uch easi er i ti s t han sw i t chi ng f r om G # t o C#. You m ay f i nd t hatdoi ng t hi sa l oti sr at her a st r ai n on your l ef thand pi nky,especi al l ywi t h som e ol der i nst r um ent s,so i t si m por t antt o m ake sur e your saxophone i s w el lr egul at ed and oi l ed.

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