The Saxophone Intonation Learning Curve

The Saxophone Intonation Learning Curve

When a player begins playing the saxophone it is natural to accept just about any sound and tuning as acceptable. After all there are some many other things to think about and the instrument is designed to blow easily and usually does - as long as we provide it with a reasonable air stream and allow the reed to vibrate.

As one slowly gets better and wishes to demonstrate more control over the tone quality a progression towards the use of stronger reeds begins and this is to be welcomed. As the embouchure and the ability to support the air column both develop there is frequently a perception that, in order to keep a reed from 'closing up', a still stiffer reed and possibly a more open tip mouthpiece must be used. While this might be true in some cases is is certainly questionable for many players.

Why is this important? Because the degree of effort required to produce the basic sound and the related embouchure strength used contribute very directly to the ability to play the saxophone in tune.

When beginning the middle range notes we first encounter are fairly predictable and our standards are lower. We do not know how to play 'up high' and are not often asked to do more than honk out low notes. The overall tuning is often rather flat and the tone unfocused. As progress is made and high notes are attempted they are usually found to be thin in tone and can be unreliable. It follows then that we are suggested to try a stronger reed to aid playing in this upper register. In the normal course of events this change makes the high palm key notes easier to produce and makes the playing of lower notes more challenging. With a bit more practice and progress a sensitivity to a more consistent tone and pitch begins to develop and, following tuning to a concert A (or Bb) as one will usually start out doing, comes the realisation that even in this 'in tune' position upper octave notes will often be quite sharp, lower register notes (low D and below) quite flat, middle D very sharp and, especially when played in close proximity to the middle D, the middle C# will be found to be very flat.

This realisation can be and often is very upsetting to the player and can be the beginning of a great deal of searching for answers to the problem of 'playing out of tune' including changes of equipment and much self doubt. What is missing is a simple realisation that all players and especially teachers should try to keep in mind at all times:

The design of all acoustic wind instruments is a compromise and best performance relies upon the player understanding the compromises made.

 

An octave key is only an aid, it is not a substitute for correct blowing and proper 'voicing' in the aural cavity for the register desired. An embouchure that is ill formed (too tight or too lose) can distort the tuning of any instrument. A poorly supported air column will cause response and tonal problems even with the finest of equipment available. An internal shape in the aural cavity will compromise the response and tuning despite the very best embouchure.

The best tuning position for the mouthpiece on the crook is where (with whatever skills the player has by that stage developed) the greatest portion of the instrument's range can be manipulated into an acceptable 'pattern' of tuning.

 

 Manufacturers try to anticipate what their customers will be able to manage and are of course taking advice on their designs from highly experienced performers. Each firm then decides how to accomplish the goal of creating instruments of character with stable intonation patterns.

The saxophone, with its two and one half octave standard range, relies upon two octave vents that are automatically linked to switch depending upon the fingering used (the exchange happens between upper G# and A). The first note that benefits from an octave key will always have a tendency to be sharp - on saxophones this is middle D and upper A.

NB - If for the player these two notes (middle D and upper A) are not able to be adjusted down ('lipped down') to pitch successfully then this is an indication of a deeper problem with air support and embouchure that must be rectified - this will benefit all notes on the sax. I suggest checking the pitch sounded playing on the mouthpiece alone. This should be no higher than a concert A, better an Ab, for the alto, for tenor concert G, better a Gb, for the soprano concert C and for baritone concert D.

The last notes prior to the engagement of an octave key will be weaker and have a tendency to be flat - on saxophones this is middle C# and upper G#. The upper G# in particular (and sometimes G) will often 'fall' or break downwards in the absence of a well supported air stream. The response and accuracy of all other notes within the range of the interval of the vent's use will vary proportionally with their position within the range of the vent. There will always be a 'stretch' between the octaves of the same fingered pitch.

The longest 'bell' notes will often be flatter not only because the instrument often does not 'warm-up' sufficiently for this end of the sax but they must not be tuned 'sharp' or the overall overtone characteristics of the instrument will be affected. High register palm key notes will often be sharp not only because they are at the mercy of a correct embouchure and air balance but also because that end of the instrument becomes very warm through constant playing and the last thing a player wishes to find is that they should have to 'lip up' a high note when so much effort is being made to achieve the best tone and tuning through relaxing the embouchure throughout the rest of the range.

Understanding and accepting that such compromises in designs are inescapable will hopefully prompt attention being given to achieving the best possible air/embouchure/aural cavity position while playing and lead on to anticipating the now much smaller corrections required to address the remaining subtleties of correct pitching.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.
 

Thomas Dryer-Beers