Playing the saxophone fingering question

[fibracell]

how does Larry play B, Bb top F in this video. It looks like he's not using fork top F or plam keys. Is it possible that you might overblow normal F and get the overtone top F?

I always find this sequence somewhat awkard.

View: https://youtu.be/uLaFGjHbNZ0?si=QNwW-P6oq_SLxN1j&t=26

 

[Colin the Bear]

Front F? It's a bit too small to see on this phone. Nice clip. I've not come across him before.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Hard to see exactly but I suggest he's holding the bis from the previous note and venting it with the side E. You can get an F like this.

 

[fibracell]

Hard to see exactly but I suggest he's holding the bis from the previous note and venting it with the side E. You can get an F like this.

but that means rolling onto the bis from the B natural. I can't do that roll onto the bis. I can roll off the bis to the B though. 😉

 

[MikeMorrell]

I bow to my superiors on this question!

But just as a bog amateur, I've occasionally found that I play notes that I intend to play in the lower octave that 'sound' in the higher octave. This is always a mistake. And it's probably due to inadequate 'note imagination' and or 'voicing' on my part,

Entirely speculative, but I just wonder whether professional sax players (occasionally) deliberately use these kinds of techniques to quickly switch to a higher octave note without using the octave key. Which would be the obvious and usual way.

 

[fibracell]

Nice clip. I've not come across him before.

I've just recently discovered Larry Mckenna, and really like his playing a lot. So, much that I've transcribed a couple of his solos!
😎

 

[Pete Thomas]

but that means rolling onto the bis from the B natural.

It shouldn’t be too tricky at that tempo. I can’t imagine what else he is doing.

 

[fibracell]

Hard to see exactly but I suggest he's holding the bis from the previous note and venting it with the side E. You can get an F like this.

thanks I did not know this!

 

[PiccoloPirate]

Using the bis key, on sax, my LH1st, did the same on flute.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Hard to see exactly but I suggest he's holding the bis from the previous note and venting it with the side E. You can get an F like this.

Try as I might I get a flabby D.

 

[JSL]

but that means rolling onto the bis from the B natural. I can't do that roll onto the bis. I can roll off the bis to the B though. 😉

It could be how the bis key is set up on your horn, or simply a lack of practice. I find it very easy to roll both on and off the bis key, using a simple rotation of the index finger, on both my Mark VI tenor and Buescher 156 Aristocrat.

 

[skeller047]

It could be how the bis key is set up on your horn, or simply a lack of practice. I find it very easy to roll both on and off the bis key, using a simple rotation of the index finger, on both my Mark VI tenor and Buescher 156 Aristocrat.

Yes, me too, but I still use side A# in keys like B or F# major. Funny, when playing in Eb minor, though, I favor the bis key…

 

[JSL]

Yes, me too, but I still use side A# in keys like B or F# major. Funny, when playing in Eb minor, though, I favor the bis key…

Yeah Steve, the side key is handy and perfectly fine. I just find myself favoring the bis fingering in most situations. For example, speaking of F# major, I definitely find the bis key A# to work best playing an F# maj or F#7 arpeggio (just the index finger for that note, rather than index finger + side key). A lot depends on what you get used to. There's been a lot of discussions on use of bis Bb vs side key.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Lh1 and RH 1, 2 or 3 is the one that gets overlooked.

 

[JSL]

Lh1 and RH 1, 2 or 3 is the one that gets overlooked.

For good reason. 🙂 Lh1 and RH 1, 2 or 3 is not really the best 'go-to' fingering on the sax for Bb, although it does work well for a B - Bb trill. That's about the only place I'd use it.

 

[Colin the Bear]

It's literally the same pad that closes as when fingering Bis. If playing a series of Bb's it can add interest as they voice slightly differently.

I came frm clarinet and double 50/50 at the moment. Long and side keep my brain from exploding.

 

[turf3]

Well, the question isn't whether or not one should use 1 and 1 for Bb, it's how do you go from Bb to high F cleanly.

Personally I'd probably go from 1 and 1 to front F by sliding my left index finger, but I don't really like that answer. I practice going to and from palm keys a lot, and one could go from bis Bb to palm key F but I think it'd tend to be sloppy if not VERY carfeul. Someone who uses the side key Bb a lot would probably slide the LH index finger and let up the side key.

Keep in mind that a reasonable high F can be had with just two or three of the side/palm keys.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Well, the question isn't whether or not one should use 1 and 1 for Bb, it's how do you go from Bb to high F cleanly.

Personally I'd probably go from 1 and 1 to front F by sliding my left index finger, but I don't really like that answer. I practice going to and from palm keys a lot, and one could go from bis Bb to palm key F but I think it'd tend to be sloppy if not VERY carfeul. Someone who uses the side key Bb a lot would probably slide the LH index finger and let up the side key.

Keep in mind that a reasonable high F can be had with just two or three of the side/palm keys.

All of those do seem to be clunkier than the bis plus side

 

[Colin the Bear]

All of those do seem to be clunkier than the bis plus side

Still can't get it. 😐

 

[turf3]

bis Bb plus side E? I have never tried that! Will give it a try soon. Even old farts can learn something new!