FingeringFundamentals

Dr.MarkWatkins,BYUIdaho Thefollowingphotosprovideinformationthatmaynotbeobviousonafingeringchart.Note considerationsproceedfromlowBflatthroughhighFsharp.

CONTACTPOINTS

OctaveKey Thethumbcontactsthebuttononthefirstknuckleandpivots.

PalmKeys Depresspalmkeysatthesecontactpointsforupperregisterandpivotnotes.

SideE Contactclosetothelargeknuckleoftheindexfingerwhilekeepingthefingertipsangleddown towardthepearls.

HighFsharpKey DepressthehighFsharpkeywiththerighthandmiddlefinger.

LOWNOTES
LowBtoAsharpPivot WhilefingeringBtiltthelittlefingertowardstheBflatkey.

LowBtoCsharp Keeplittlefingercurved.

LowCsharptoB AnglelittlefingersothattiphitstheBrollerlikethefrontofaski.

LowCsharptoAsharp ThelittlefingerstayscurvedandslidesontoAsharp/Bflatkey(unlikemovingfromBtoA sharp/Bflatandback).

LowEflattoC Avoidstraighteninglittlefinger;keepitcurvedandanglemiddleknuckledown.

LowCtoEflat Thefingertipslidesacrossrollerskeepinglittlefingercurved.

CROSSFINGERINGS

ChromaticFsharp InthekeysofCsharpandFsharpandforthechromaticscale,oneshoulddevelopproficiency withboththestandardfingeringsforEsharptoFsharpandthechromaticfingering.Withthe additionoftheoctavekey,thesefingeringsaresuccessfulinbothoctaves.

FtoFsharpCrossFingering(onefingerliftswhiletheotherdepressesthuscrossingeachother)

ChromaticFsharp:Thekeyisdepressedbytherighthandringfinger.

CsharpandFsharpMajor

SideC Anotherlocationonthesaxophonerequiringcrossfingeringskillisontheupperstackforthe notesBandC.Whencontinuingintotheupperregister,itismostcommontousethecross fingering;however,iftheCisapivotnotewithsubsequentnotesreturningdownward,orfora trill,thesideCmechanismisoftenpreferred.Asabove,withtheadditionoftheoctavekeytheside Cworks. BtoCCrossFingering

SideC:Depresskeywithindexfingermakingcontactclosetothelargeknuckle.Keepfingertips angleddownandclosetopearls.

CMajor

GMajor

BFLAT
TherearefourfundamentalfingeringsforBflat.Withtheadditionoftheoctavekey,allworkin theupperoctave.

1. Thebiskey:Manysaxophonistsconsiderthebiskeyfingeringtheirfirstchoiceanduseit primarilyinflatkeys.Thekeyisdepressedwiththelefthandindexfingerbetweenthetwo keys.

WhenpivotingonCinflatkeys,thesideCfingeringmaybeusedtofacilitatespeedbuttheC willbeflatandshouldnotbesustained.

FandBflatMajor

Anotheroptioninthissituation,andfortrills,istousethesideBflat(#2below)andliftfinger 1fortheC.

EflatMajortriad,ascendinganddescending(bisfingering)

2. SideBflat:ThisisoftenthefirstBflatfingeringtaught.Likethebiskeyfingering,itiswellin tuneandhasatonethatmatchesotherpitchesinthemidregister.DepressthesideBflatkey withthelargeknuckleoftherighthandindexfinger.

ItisoftenusedwhenprecededorfollowedbyBnaturalasinthekeysofBandFsharpMajor.

3. Left1,Right1(1&4):UseofthisfingeringshouldbelimitedtotheBflatMajortriadarpeggio (seeAdditiveTriadExercisebelow).Itislowinpitchanditstoneisnotasfocusedasthebis andsidefingerings. BflatMajortriad,ascendinganddescending(1&1fingering)

4. Left1,Right2(1&5):TherearesituationssuchastrillsfromAsharptoBorpassagesthat descendthroughBtoAsharpandreturnupwardthatthisfingeringwillfacilitatewell.Itis notasfocusedasthebisandsideoptionsandisslightlylowinpitchbutitisbetterthan1&5.

5notePatterns:The1&2(1&5)fingeringapplieswhenthepatternstartsonAsharp. Althoughthedeffinitionaboveexplainsthatthe1&2(1&5)fingeringismostcommonwhen descending,pivotingonAsharp,andretruning;whenrepitionofthe5notepatternoccursthe Asharpbecomesapivotnoteandthepatternentersthescenario.OnemaystartonSideBflat (Asharp)andusethe1&2(1&5)uponsubsequentrepetitins.

BMajor

Fsharp

CROSSINGTHEBREAK
Crossingthebreakpresentsparticularproblemsincludingmovingfromfewfingersonkeysto manyandmovingfromfundamentaltofirstovertoneharmonically.Therearespecialfingerings thatsaxophonistsusetofacilitatecertainsituations.Playersmustpracticestandardandspecial fingeringswhenplayingpatternsthusaidingtheperformersflexibilityforbothwrittenand improvisedlines. Thechallengesareamplifiedwhenonlyonenotecrossesthebreak,eitherascendingor descending.PalmkeypivotfingeringsfacilitateupwardcrossingsandtheLongCsharpfingering helpswithdescendingcrossings.Whencontinuingineitherdirection,standardfingeringsshould beused. PalmKeyPivotFingerings Therearethreecombinationstoconsiderforstepwisemotion:CtoD,CsharptoD,andCsharp (Dflat)toDsharp(Eflat).

1. CtoDPivot:Thisfingeringisflatinpitchbutoftenpreferredinlieuofthecumbersomequality ofcrossingthebreakandimmediatelyreturning.ThealternateDfingeringcarriesasomewhat unfocussedtoneatmezzopianoandlouderdynamiclevelsandshouldnotbesustained.When usedasasoftfingering,forpianoandpianissimolevels,tonecanbematchedtostandard fingeringsandthefingeringfacilitatesmoreaccurateintonation.Seethephotoabovefor contactpointandhandposition.

5notePatterns: CandGMajor

FandBflatMajor

EflatMajor

2. CsharptoDPivot:Thisfingeringissharpbutmaybepreferableforasmoothertechnique. Notably,thestandardDfingeringissharponmostsaxophonessocompensationisnecessary regardless.Itshouldnotbesustained,asitisnotacceptablysonorous.

DMajor

AMajor

3. Csharp(Dflat)toDsharp(Eflat)Pivot:LiketheCsharptoDpivot(ortrill)fingering,this noteissharpbutmaybepreferableforasmootherfingertechnique.Thisfingeringshouldnot besustained,asitisnotacceptablysonorous.LiketheDPivotfingering,thestandardD sharp/Eflatfingeringisalsosharponmostsaxophonessocompensationisnecessary regardless.

5notePatterns: EMajor

AflatandDflat(Csharp)Major

FsharpandBMajor

LongCsharp Mostoftenusedwhendescendingfromthesecondoctave,pivotingonCsharp(Dflat)and returning,thisfingeringcreatesasmoothtechnicalflowandsustainsthetimbreoftheupper register.SomesaxophonistspreferthelongCsharpfingeringinothersituationsforitstoneand intonation. FundamentalLongCsharpFingering ThelongCsharpwillworkwithanyfingersdepressingrighthandkeys(fornotesincludingD,E flat,E,F,andFsharp).

5notePatterns:TheLongCsharpfingeringapplieswhenthepatternstartsonCsharp.Although thedeffinitionaboveexplainsthattheLongCsharpfingeringismostcommonwhendescending, pivotingonCsharp,andretruning;whenrepitionofthe5notepatternoccurstheCsharp becomesapivotnoteandthepatternentersthescenario.OnemaystartonOpenCsharpanduse theLongCsharpuponsubsequentrepetitins. DMajor

AMajor

EandBMajor

FsharpandCsharpMajor

AMajor,pivotonCsharp(LongCsharpfingering)

Dflat/CsharpMajor,pivotonDflat/Csharp(LongCsharp)

Frontfingeringsserveasalternatesforpalmkeystofacilitatetechnique.Theyalsofunctionasthe bridgetothealtissimoregister. ByuseoftheFrontFKey,onecanplayhighE,F,Fsharp,G,andGsharp(onaltonottenor).Thee keysareconsideredthebridgetothealtissimo.Theirfundamentaltimbreandtoneproduction characteristicshavethequalityofaltissimo.Itisreasonabletoconsiderthemthefirstaltissimo pitches.

FRONTFINGERINGS

PivotindexfingeratthelargeknuckletodepressfrontFkey.

SopranoandAlto

Tenor

Baritone

Whenmatchingtonewiththenormal(nonaltissimo)rangeofthesaxophone,thepalmkey fingeringsshouldbeusedifthefingertechniqueisfeasible.However,therearesituationsthat warranttheuseoffrontfingerings.Theseconsiderationsincludetheflowofmelodiclineor

enteringintothealtissimorange.Likethecrossingthebreakpivotfingeringsabove,asmooth, easysoundingtechniquemayoverridetimbre. Oneshouldpracticefrontfingeringsbyfirstmatchingwithpalmkeys. EPalmtoEFront

FPalmtoFFront

FsharpPalmtoFsharpFront

Soprano/Alto

Tenor/Baritone Oneshouldpracticeallexerciseswiththestandardpalmkeyfingeringthroughoutandthenrepeat withthefrontfingering.

Whenprogressingfromapalmkeyfingeringtoalefthandpearlfingering,onecanoverlapthe pearltomaintainamoresmoothtransition.Subsequentfingeringscanreturnthelefthandfinger contacttothepearls.

Examples CMajor

AMajor

FMajor

Dflat/CsharpMajor

Fsharp/GflatMajor