Rob Buckland Saxophone Workshop

[tris]

Linky_Lee wrote:
most of the world play at A442.

It's only really in the UK where we play at A440.

We are all making alterations in pitching when we play so that we can play with other people in the UK. If you were playing in France you would be tuning to A442. And your saxophone would stand a better chance of being bang in tune.

Yeah you told us... 😉 (I first found out about this when I first started using sequencing software and I thought it was running sharp until I discovered the 442 truth!)

But what I want to know is as follows:

A sax is made to intonate well at A442 but does that design require an "input" from the MP of A880 or A884?

We are all told to blow A880 but I think A884 might work better. (I have good ears.. thankfully.)

 

[Linky Lee]

I didn't actually know we were supposed to be giving a certain pitch into the instrument. I pretty much just blow, the only time I consciously sing into the thing is when I want to growl.

And my singing is great for growling! So many clashes 😛

 

[tris]

The idea is that if you can blow an A880 with the MP lig & reed this is the perfect setup-with which to get the sax to intonate.

 

[Linky Lee]

ah I see. Then I would assume blowing an A884 would be a much better idea!

Though I though they were supposed to produce concert G as a standard?

 

[Bobby G]

I would think it would only take very minimal adjustment to blow 884 instead of 880, wouldn't it? It's a difference of less than 0.5% in pitch, an amount during playing I'm sure your pitch occasionally wanders away from concert anyway (sometimes intentionally).

Cheers, Bob

 

[tris]

G is for tenor..... A for Alto

This is not really effecting my playing as I am sounding great and playing in tune but there is an academic interest for me.

http://tinyurl.com/243a3q

if you want to know more

 

[Linky Lee]

Cheers, it was interesting to look at, but like you said it's really for when you're first starting out and forming your embouchure.

Good info in their though. Cleared up the whole mouthpiece tuning thing for me anyway.