Saxophone beginners Which note to tune to

[Iorwerth.jones1888]

Wish to use the da tuner app to help tune my alto. What do I tune it after, which note?

 

[jbtsax]

I like to tune low F# - (A on the tuner), then check F# with the octave key. That gives me a good starting point to play the other notes in tune by listening and adjusting.

 

[jazzdoh]

Me too i tune to concert A,F# on alto.

 

[Iorwerth.jones1888]

I like to tune low F# - (A on the tuner), then check F# with the octave key. That gives me a good starting point to play the other notes in tune by listening and adjusting.

Does this mean I need to set the transpostion on the tuner to A? Maybe a silly question but I'm a total beginner.

Thanks..

 

[kevgermany]

Does this mean I need to set the transpostion on the tuner to A? Maybe a silly question but I'm a total beginner.

Thanks..

No, set the transposition on the tuner to the pitch of the sax, Eb for alto, Bb for tenor. The tuner then shows the sax note, not concert note - so in JBT's example, the tuner will show F# instead of A.

 

[sushidushi]

The transposition screen in the app should look like this:

 

[Jeanette]

Out of habit from playing with orchestra I automatically use B for tuning but was recently told to use G (I think!) didn't get chance to ask why at the time but which note do other people use and why?

Thank you

Jx

 

[Nick Wyver]

B on alto and sop?
Concert A is pretty usual so F# on alto/bari and B on sop/tenor. G on alto (concert Bb) is quite common in concert/military type bands.
I'd avoid notes that have a minimum number of keys pressed - they're more unstable - and stick to the lower octave.
I use low B quite a lot.
It helps a lot if you know the tuning quirks of your sax.

 

[Chris]

Out of habit from playing with orchestra I automatically use B for tuning but was recently told to use G (I think!) didn't get chance to ask why at the time but which note do other people use and why?

Thank you

Jx

Hi Jeanette, I thought you tuned to concert 'A', so 'B' on sop and Tenor, F# on alto and Bari..
My tutor tuned to G2 on his tenor, he knew it was sharp at the top end of his sax so by tuning up there
and just remembering to relax a lot more lower down sorted him out, got some funny looks though
from what he was saying.. I just told him to get his sax serviced by a good tech but hey what do I know

 

[Jeanette]

B on alto and sop?

At orchestra B on sop and F# on alto (not played alto with orchestra much hence I mentioned B) The suggestion for G was not in orchestra. I was thinking more about when I'm at home and using a tuner. I would still use B with either alto or sop. Nicks explanation is probably the reason I was told not to used B then.

Thanks guys

Jx

 

[Colin the Bear]

Trumpet players.😛

 

[Merryfisher]

Out of habit from playing with orchestra I automatically use B for tuning but was recently told to use G (I think!) didn't get chance to ask why at the time but which note do other people use and why?

Thank you

Jx

who told you?

 

[jbtsax]

I like to use written F# (A concert) on alto. It is very near the ideal octave vent position so adding the octave key does not produce sharpness. I tune the low octave first and then check the upper octave both with and without the octave key. Then I check the low B fingering overblown to the 3rd harmonic which is F#2 to ensure that it matches as well. I do the same on tenor and soprano with their written F# (E concert). If the ensemble is tuning to A concert, the E can be tuned against it being a perfect fifth away.

I don't agree that short tube notes are "unstable". I have an old Conn tenor on which the middle finger C is the most solid note on the sax. If anything the "short tube" notes are affected the most by moving the mouthpiece on or off the cork and so when tuned don't fairly represent the tuning of the "long tube" notes. This is one of the reasons I like to tune to written F# because it is somewhere in the middle and gives a good "average" between the long tube and short tube notes.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Short tube notes may well be stable for you (and me) but I'm used to teaching beginners. 🙂

 

[MandyH]

As an aside, but maybe relevant - I tune with my eyes closed!
😉

 

[Jeanette]

As an aside, but maybe relevant - I tune with my eyes closed!
😉

I can't read the tuner then

Yes I do take your point 🙂

Jx

 

[MandyH]

people tend instinctively to lip up or down until the tuner says they are in tune.
I blow the note (concert A for me always) until I feel it feels right, then continuing to blow like that I open my eyes and look to see whether it is in tune.

 

[Colin the Bear]

The best answer I got about tuning was from a clarinet player. " I don't need to tune up. It was in tune when I bought it "

 

[jbtsax]

Remember: Instruments don't play out of tune. People play out of tune.

I taught my students to "match pitch" by "lipping" regardless of where their tuning apparatus was set. Then they could move the tuning apparatus to where they didn't have to adjust as much. On the saxophone, of course, that is the mouthpiece on the neck cork. To be effective, tuning needs to be all about listening and matching rather than looking at a needle on a tuner.

 

[jbtsax]

Short tube notes may well be stable for you (and me) but I'm used to teaching beginners. 🙂

I understand what you are saying. I taught elementary (6th and 7th grade) band for 27 years. My take on this concept is that it is futile to address tuning with beginners other than the teacher putting the mouthpiece "approximately" where it should go, until the tone production is stable. Once the student can sustain a steady long tone with a characteristic sound at mezzo forte, then tuning is possible on any note in the student's range.