Tuning/Transposing

[RECOUPED]

I need a little clarification. I play the Bb Tenor Sax. According to the transposing table with a concert instrument, C equates to a D on my Sax. When I use my Korg TM-50 (set to 440 HZ) if I play a C on my keyboard I get exactly the same read out when I play E on the Sax. The tuner displays an in tune C. They are in tune. I'm confused. when I play a C on the Keyboard shouldn't the corresponding note be a D on the Sax.

 

[jbtsax]

Yes. Have you tuned your sax moving the mouthpiece on to the cork? Play B on the tenor and tune it to A on the Korg tuner. Then start the process of comparing notes with your keyboard again.

 

[Tenor Viol]

agree with JBT. My alto - you push the mouthpiece more-or-less as far as it will go on the cork and it's in tune. Do the same on my tenor and it's nearly a tone sharp - I have to pull it out a long way to tune it.

 

[RECOUPED]

Yes. Have you tuned your sax moving the mouthpiece on to the cork? Play B on the tenor and tune it to A on the Korg tuner. Then start the process of comparing notes with your keyboard again.

Hello jbtsax.

Thanks for the quick reply, but I am still at a loss. When I play B on my Tenor Sax, the tuner displays a straight up Green G#. When I play a Bb on the Sax the tuner displays a straight up green G. Nothing changes much when I move the mouthpiece. I have a Keilwerth SX90R and an Otto Link 6* so I don't think it's my equipment.
What am I doing wrong?

 

[Colin the Bear]

Yes. When playing a B on a Bb instrument you should get an A on the tuner. If it's showing G#/Ab you're flat by a semitone. To raise the pitch of an instrument we shorten it. Put some cork grease on the neck cork and push the mouthpiece further on. You may have to push it quite a way on. Sometimes past the end of the cork.

 

[kevgermany]

Sounds like you're a little new to saxes.

Part of the adjusment is, indeed, position of the mouthpiece on the neck. But I read above that you're a semitone flat at B, a tone flat at E (on the tenor). This seems to be too much variation for just mouthpiece position. It should be more consistent.

It may be that your embouchure isn't under control yet. You'll find that as you loosen/tighten your embouchure, there's over a tone of variability there. Suggest you play the mouthpiece on it's own against the tuner, see what note you're getting, and how stable it is. Assuming you're not stable there, don't worry too much about overall sax tuning until you can blow a stable G concert on it. Once that's there, or nearly there, revisit the mouthpiece Position on the sax, concentrating on maintining your new found embouchure.

 

[Justin Chune]

Bands tune to a specific note, concert A = B on your tenor or concert Bb = C. Are you using a reed that responds easily?

Work on getting the tuning notes in tune and forget the rest for the time being. The cork on the sax neck acts as a tuning slide, but our embouchure has to be in the ball park too. Happy New Year.

Jim.

 

[RECOUPED]

Thanks guys.
Colin the Bear, your help was just right. I didn't realize I had to move the MP so much.I am in tune now. Kevgermany, I will try the MP again. I have done it before but with a different MP. Thanks