0:00 Introduction 1:32 Note about finger position 2:13 Orientation of diagrams 2:30 Range of the saxophone 3:32 Fingers and labels 4:03 Where different fingers are used 6:25 Enharmonic Equivalents 7:29 Low Bb 7:53 Low B 8:07 Low C 8:27 Low C#/Db 8:40 Low D 8:59 Low Eb 9:14 Low E 9:20 Low F 9:32 Low F#/Gb 9:50 G 10:11 G#/Ab 10:35 A 10:49 Middle Bb/A# 11:12 Middle B 11:19 Middle C 11:50 C#/Db 12:08 Middle D (first note with octave key) 12:27 Eb/D# 12:39 E 12:46 F 12:55 F#/Gb 13:06 G 13:15 G#/Ab 13:26 A 13:37 Bb with octave key 13:44 B 14:03 C 14:12 C#/Db 14:24 D (with palm key) 14:40 Eb/D# 14:53 E 15:07 F 15:25 high F#/Gb 15:43 Acknowledgments You can get a PDF of this fingering chart included with the beginning saxophone class I made, saxstation.com/saxophone-foundations-beginning-saxophone-class
The best sax teacher I found. Thank you sir. Just starting my sax lesson today through UA-cams, until I discovered your channel now. This is a breakthrough for me. A million thanks!
Thx Neil ! A BIG BIG BIG LIKE 4 you for this great tutorial. That was exactly what im looking for and it helped a lot. Now i know how to play the keys from low to high. Love you man !
Great video. Looking forward to my sax arriving and giving it a go. I play all the brass instruments except French Horn and many of the string instruments so taking another step. I love that you have the notes played so I can make sure I'm matching them. UA-cam is great for that.
I play clarinet in symphonic band but decided to do jazz band and play the alto saxophone. It’s a little hard because I won’t be guided along the way and will have to learn the sax on my own. Although this video helped me a lot! I always struggle with remembering the fingerings and kind of freeze up while playing with the other people in my class. This especially hard knowing I’m the only saxophone player with the 2nd part. Having no one else to hear from on how it should sound. So thank you so much for your help!
Focus on learning a few notes at a time. The octave key simplifies things a bit on the saxophone, so you don't really have to remember 32 separate fingerings because some are very similar, just with or without the octave key.
Now THIS is a useful tool for beginners! I wasn’t even sure I found all the buttons on this thing yet! The palm keys and the left hand table keys are mind-boggling! Lol. At least for now anyway… 😅.
I am so happy with your explenation & video & fingerpositions! As a complete beginner with altsax & long surch on the web & became panique, Yeah ttt This video saved my pleasure 2 play the sax!ç Very helpfull video! Thankxs from the coastside Belgium! ;-)
Sorry for the typo error. I meant to say, "I learned that E# is equivalent to F...". Btw, is there another way to play the high D#/Eb, high E/Fb and high F/E#? Thanks again.
For high Eb, I only use one option. For high F, I showed two options in this video. There is an alternate fingering for high E which uses the front F key, I only use it once in a while though.
What a helpful crash course 👍🎶👍. Didn’t even know how to go pass the octave C, new beginner. Somehow I can play tunes by ear but I am in a music group and I know it’s best to learn the proper way, reading music and writing my parts. Thanks again👍🎵🌙
Cool, two octaves have similar fingerings, but then you get into the palm keys for the top notes and the low notes use some keys you don't use other places.
Trying to get back into alto sax (I played in high school but not since for 8 years so I've completely forgotten all the keys) so this is helpful. But I found out today from the guy at the store that services saxophones that my saxophone (which I don't know if it was ever serviced) is basically completely busted and I would be better off getting a new one then trying to get it fixed up. Apparently my trusty old second hand Armstrong saxophone is from the 70s and all the key pads are ruined. Which maybe explains why I was always a mediocre player. So that was depressing!
That’s cool you’re playing again. It can be tough to fight against pads that need to be replaced! But it’s also an expensive thing to do. It can be worth it, but it depends on the horn.
I don’t play saxophone,but in my school band,we play this song called catapult(lip slurs)and In the 2cnd measure,you could only hear the saxophones.Its a very high note,but same saxophone and it kinda sounds like a beginner oboe.Then I found what the note was
Hello, I am a complete beginner to saxophone (only received mine today) and I am slightly confused as the C that is played in this video matches with an Eb on my guitar. Is this simply how Eb tuned saxes are transposed or is there something else that I have missed? Very comprehensive video tho, thanks.
Very new player on Sax. I love this video and thank you! Its setup really well for a rookie like me. I realize this is an older thread but can someone tell me why I’m exactly a half step low from this video on every note
I’m a 7th grade saxophone who goes to band at school for 45 mins to 1 hour every day! I’m about to be a 8th grade Saxophone! ❤️I’m only watching this video because I’m bored lol! Anyways beginners have fun and don’t give up! Keep working hard! Anyone who wants help can reply and I’ll check! Good luck soon to be 🎷 players!❤️
On saxstation.com I show diagrams for four major scales that are free. I also made a class about scales that you can buy. saxstation.com/saxophone-scales-book-class
Thanks for your works, please i need your assistance on sax, I have a difficulty with adding ornaments to my playing and my fingers are not playing fast, also, my ears are not turned yet. Please how can you assist me sir.
It´s a little bit confusing no showing all the keys on the chart, even if they are not used, because gives you a positioning picture of the whole sax. Also, I think the chart image is mirrored in the video as the position of the *4 'flat' keys* on the left hand should be on the right and the *side keys* of the right hand on the left. But thanks anyway. I think I will create my own chart with a more accurate image. Great video. Thanks for sharing! I will do the same when I have my own chart.
Yes, it is mirrored. The perspective of having a saxophone in front of you. I also show my hands with video. Feel free to make your own chart though if it makes more sense to you.
You can get a PDF of this fingering chart included with the beginning saxophone class I made, saxstation.com/saxophone-foundations-beginning-saxophone-class
Hello Neal! Just wanted to know if something (like a teeth protector) can be used as a layer between the lower teeth and the lower lip, when we do the embouchure? Especially when the teeth are crooked, and that impacts the blowing technique. Did you ever face this trouble?
Some people use something like that. I never have. I don't have my bottom lip curled over my teeth very much at this point, there's not a lot of pressure on my lip from my teeth. That has changed since I started. You might be able to reduce the pressure by having your bottom lip a little farther forward.
Oh great! So we do have something! Do you know what it is called, and can it be found online? Actually I did try to reduce the pressure by placing my lip farther forward, but unfortunately that kind of leads to lot of hissing sound in my case.
Confused by the "explanation", so, I'll ask a straightforwars question: When I tune an alto, with my only in-house reference being a normally tuned piano, and say I apply the fingering for a low G, then what note corresponds with that on the piano?
I know nothing about Sax but I bought one at a garage sale the other day, it looked like it was in good condition. The note that is played when I have no button pressed down is D. What type of sax do I have?
Seems like you’re about half a step flat from what I saw you write. You can push the mouthpiece a bit farther on the cork. Also try thinking of more of an “EE” sound for the setup of your embouchure.
I can play some altissimo on alto, but I have spent a lot more time working on it on tenor. How long have you been playing saxophone? And do you want to pay for lessons?
@@SaxStation I can play all my notes and sustain them without skips or breaks in my tone. I just figured altissimo is the next challenge. How much are your lessons
Hey neal i just got a brand new alto sax, and the problem im having is whenever i play a, d, d# or g, i only get a squeak, but when i play any other note, they come out crisp. Is there a solution to this problem or is it a player problem?
@@SaxStation just found out its a retired rental sax so its got some issues and needs some TLC and tuning. I got it to sound out the higher 3 notes but it struggles with them and low b flat. I played for two years in grade school.
Hey man. I was wondering if you could help me out. I’m unable to play anything below a G L3 on my alto saxophone I can’t tell what the problem is. It keeps going into a higher octave.
@@SaxStation Thanks for responding. Yeah man, I already did that and they gave me an estimated repair costing $600 which i don't have at the moment. I only bought the yamaha yas 23 sax for $300 so I wanted to find out if it was just a problem with my embechure or soemthing but I'm disappointed that you're saying that it might be a more serious problem. But regardless thanks for the feedback.
That's possible. I don't know since I haven't played the horn. If you know someone nearby who plays sax they might be willing to try your sax and then you would know better. It definitely could be something that requires repair, think about whether the repair costs are worth it though.
is there a more preferable way to chose the keys to play a note. for example you can try to play a song from a music sheet but the notes or some don't sound like the recording. that is because for example the D note instead of being played with the upper D key it is played with the low D But the octave key or vice versa or instead of the upper B key the note is played with the low B with octave key. We can definitely see that there is a difference in timbre. Nobody seems to talk about this
That happens sometimes, but I don't think it's the main reason why you might not sound like a recording when playing from sheet music. A lot of the sound comes from inside a person. And people develop their own sounds. With control, you can sound like others. That takes quite a bit of work. It's not as simple as just moving your fingers to a different position.
you mean you don't hear a difference between a middle B played with the top key and the B played with the low B with the octave key pressed.? one sounds clearer
@@SaxStation there are 1000s of songs that if they are just played from a music sheet without hearing the original ones would probably not sound like them because one would perhaps not use the same keys especially when playing the middle B to E.
So when he places multiple fingers for example to form a G, are those notes that for a G chord, or what? im confused 🤔 i play guitar and know my music theory and can form chords but this i can’t figure help 🤔
No, not for a chord. Just for the single note. You play one note at a time on saxophone. There are a few people who can play 'multiphonics', but that isn't what is done by most people on the saxophone.
I don't know about the A My saxophone has 3 big pearls on the mid range, and between the first and the second, there is a tiny pearl. I see yours is between the second and the third... What does that mean?
The top key with a pearl on my sax is the front F key. It’s possible your saxophone doesn’t have that key or it might look different. What year was your saxophone made?
So it's a modern saxophone. I think it should have the same setup. Some saxophones have metal buttons in places where others have pearls. The bis key shouldn't really be in a different location.
Probably that is a little more information than necessary for someone very early on. But it’s probably good to know sooner rather than later. I get a few questions about enharmonics..
Hm. I’m not sure how to blow properly with lower notes, I do the correct fingerings but it makes, let’s say a low B note sound like a middle B… not sure why
Learn a song. You can basically take two directions, learning to read music or learning music by ear. What is a song you would like to play? And probably start with a simple melody at first.
@@SaxStation Just got the sax about 7 days ago. I haven't done anything apart from the notes. I am a complete beginner. Should i rather start with the scales first?
When you say "You could stop here if you're in the beginning stages of playing the saxophone" once you get to high F. Should a beginner really be able to play high F? Or even anywhere close to it? I cannot even get close. Its hard for me to get above B or C. And I have around 12 hours in.
On day one, it's very unlikely to be able to play all the notes. There probably are a few people who can, but not most. Don't expect to be able to play that note after twelve hours. Just keep playing and you should reach it in some time.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend going beyond high F/F# until after at least three years. (and it's not absolutely essential for most people ever to) It's more important to play music well than to simply have an extensive range.
@@SaxStation Oh ,thank you for your response .I played day before yesterday ,so don't remember .I will play again and tell you . Seems I didn't have the mouthpiece in far enough. But it didn't seem like I should push in in farther on . Will check it . Thank you. Yes I think it was a half step to low .
The fingerings for altissimo are not as consistent across saxophones. So it will probably take more experimentation. Better to look at a chart with quite a few options and figure out what works for you. If you're ready to play altissimo that is.
@@SaxStation I only ask because I have my first sax, and when I play along, I am out of tune. Since I have only been playing for 3 days, there is always a chance that it's me!
I figured you were. That's true of almost everyone when they start playing. And many people don't know about transposing at first either. Probably better to not assume you play more in tune than me or someone else who has been playing a while after only three days though. We all learn these things as we go.
0:00 Introduction
1:32 Note about finger position
2:13 Orientation of diagrams
2:30 Range of the saxophone
3:32 Fingers and labels
4:03 Where different fingers are used
6:25 Enharmonic Equivalents
7:29 Low Bb
7:53 Low B
8:07 Low C
8:27 Low C#/Db
8:40 Low D
8:59 Low Eb
9:14 Low E
9:20 Low F
9:32 Low F#/Gb
9:50 G
10:11 G#/Ab
10:35 A
10:49 Middle Bb/A#
11:12 Middle B
11:19 Middle C
11:50 C#/Db
12:08 Middle D (first note with octave key)
12:27 Eb/D#
12:39 E
12:46 F
12:55 F#/Gb
13:06 G
13:15 G#/Ab
13:26 A
13:37 Bb with octave key
13:44 B
14:03 C
14:12 C#/Db
14:24 D (with palm key)
14:40 Eb/D#
14:53 E
15:07 F
15:25 high F#/Gb
15:43 Acknowledgments
You can get a PDF of this fingering chart included with the beginning saxophone class I made, saxstation.com/saxophone-foundations-beginning-saxophone-class
Notes about finger position
8:07, low C key doesn’t seem to be showing up! It still show B/Cb. Also 8:40 key D
I'm a clarinet player trying to learn saxophone in a week to teach a new student and this was literally, exactly what I needed. Thank you man🙏
Cool
Me too, except TYG I don't have to teach anybody else. I never realized the clarinet was so quiet!
I’m a clarinet player too but I’m going to learn sax for some fun
Relearning the sax from 9 years ago and this video taught me notes that I dont think I knew even when I played! Haha thanks for the refresher!
Glad it was helpful Brittany! Good to know the chromatic scale.
Got an alto sax today, always wanted to learn and play the careless whisper rift I'm jumping from the basics straight into that
Might be a little difficult, but I have seen people do that.
Glad I could play the b flat on my first day with the alto sax...coming from a flute background and hit and miss on the low c with my flute
Cool, good to hear that.
this is super creepy but.. im a flute player as well and i got a sax today...
Seriously same
One month into playing sax, I include this demo as one of the best I've seen. Fun and informative.
Thanks Pat, glad it was helpful. What is the first song you learned how to play?
@@SaxStation I learned The Pink Panther theme
Low note fingerings on sax start: 7:29
Mid range at 9:11
Higher Notes 9:32
Thank you for the opportunity to learn this I just bought my saxophone
This was convenient
Thank you so much mon, i needed a little encouragement in this area, glad i came across your video, really appreciate your time!
Glad it helped.
Wow, that was a wealth of information! Will rewatch when my 1932 conn sax comes!!! Thanks so much!!! 💜💜💜
Glad it helped. I also made a beginning saxophone class that you can get on Saxstation.com
The best sax teacher I found. Thank you sir. Just starting my sax lesson today through UA-cams, until I discovered your channel now. This is a breakthrough for me. A million thanks!
Thanks Leo, I appreciate that.
As a beginner saxophonist, it is very helpful..
Thanks for saying so
this is incredibly helpful, awesome job! exactly what video i was looking for
Thanks, glad it helped! What questions do you have about playing saxophone?
I was a trumpet player ...but now switch to alto..fell in love with 🎷
39 y o newbie for Sax. Thanks for this. The best tutorial I've seen.
Thanks for saying so, glad it helped.
I'm still new in sax, and your video really help me to learn the sax keys. Thank you
thx im in begginging band in scholl i forget the fingering thx
Transitioning from clarinet to alto sax pretty soon. This video is really helpful!
Glad to hear that
This makes me miss playing the saxophone. Great intuitive and comprehensive video.
Thanks for saying so
Thx Neil ! A BIG BIG BIG LIKE 4 you for this great tutorial. That was exactly what im looking for and it helped a lot. Now i know how to play the keys from low to high. Love you man !
Thanks for saying so Cecilya!
I switched from trombone to saxophone and this helped a lot
This is a great lesson
Thanks! Glad it helped
@@SaxStationI am saving for a Jean Paul USA AS-400 Intermediate Alto Saxophone
Taking out my sax after 20+ years. The last time I played was in 8th grade! This is so helpful, thank you!!
Happy to help!
Great video. Looking forward to my sax arriving and giving it a go. I play all the brass instruments except French Horn and many of the string instruments so taking another step. I love that you have the notes played so I can make sure I'm matching them. UA-cam is great for that.
Have fun!
I play clarinet in symphonic band but decided to do jazz band and play the alto saxophone. It’s a little hard because I won’t be guided along the way and will have to learn the sax on my own. Although this video helped me a lot! I always struggle with remembering the fingerings and kind of freeze up while playing with the other people in my class. This especially hard knowing I’m the only saxophone player with the 2nd part. Having no one else to hear from on how it should sound. So thank you so much for your help!
Focus on learning a few notes at a time. The octave key simplifies things a bit on the saxophone, so you don't really have to remember 32 separate fingerings because some are very similar, just with or without the octave key.
@@SaxStation Thank you for the advice!
Thank you for the help I'm glad that I bumped into the video
Glad it helped
This is actually the only good notes video thanks
Thanks Yoshey
Thank you, it helped me a lot.
I love this, thank you so much. I wish there was a pdf or something that has all this information on it.
There is. It’s included with Saxophone Foundations on Saxstation.com
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for saying so Madhav
Thanks a lot, great work 👏👏👏👌👍✌
🎼💗🎷💗🎼
Now THIS is a useful tool for beginners! I wasn’t even sure I found all the buttons on this thing yet! The palm keys and the left hand table keys are mind-boggling! Lol. At least for now anyway… 😅.
Glad it was helpful! Just get to them as you can. You likely won’t use them for a bit at least.
I am so happy with your explenation & video & fingerpositions! As a complete beginner with altsax & long surch on the web & became panique,
Yeah ttt This video saved my pleasure 2 play the sax!ç
Very helpfull video!
Thankxs from the coastside Belgium! ;-)
Thanks for saying so Frank
Awesome tutorial very easy smoothly Gide line..💯
Thanks for saying so
Am beginner. It's great. Thank you very much
Thanks
Thank you for this very helpful tutorial clip. I learned what E# is equivalent to F...
Sorry for the typo error. I meant to say, "I learned that E# is equivalent to F...". Btw, is there another way to play the high D#/Eb, high E/Fb and high F/E#? Thanks again.
For high Eb, I only use one option. For high F, I showed two options in this video. There is an alternate fingering for high E which uses the front F key, I only use it once in a while though.
What a helpful crash course 👍🎶👍. Didn’t even know how to go pass the octave C, new beginner. Somehow I can play tunes by ear but I am in a music group and I know it’s best to learn the proper way, reading music and writing my parts. Thanks again👍🎵🌙
Cool, two octaves have similar fingerings, but then you get into the palm keys for the top notes and the low notes use some keys you don't use other places.
Excellent man, thank you
Glad it helped
Very good explanation
Thanks a lot for this video !
You are welcome!
Thank you for this great video!
Thanks for saying so
Thanks for all the great work you're doing it is appreciated
Thanks Jason
Trying to get back into alto sax (I played in high school but not since for 8 years so I've completely forgotten all the keys) so this is helpful. But I found out today from the guy at the store that services saxophones that my saxophone (which I don't know if it was ever serviced) is basically completely busted and I would be better off getting a new one then trying to get it fixed up. Apparently my trusty old second hand Armstrong saxophone is from the 70s and all the key pads are ruined. Which maybe explains why I was always a mediocre player. So that was depressing!
That’s cool you’re playing again. It can be tough to fight against pads that need to be replaced! But it’s also an expensive thing to do. It can be worth it, but it depends on the horn.
Got my sax today hope this helps...
Knowing where to put your fingers for the notes is something you will need to know
Very helpful thank you!
Glad it was helpful Stefan
Thank you!!!!
Thanks
What a great video! exactly what I needed, thank you so much for your teaching skills!
Thanks for saying so Annie
Thank you neal!!!
I don’t play saxophone,but in my school band,we play this song called catapult(lip slurs)and In the 2cnd measure,you could only hear the saxophones.Its a very high note,but same saxophone and it kinda sounds like a beginner oboe.Then I found what the note was
Cool, the tone of the sax can sound different depending on the player and some on the equipment.
Love it extremly helpfull 🎷😃
Thanks Austin
Thank u
Hello, I am a complete beginner to saxophone (only received mine today) and I am slightly confused as the C that is played in this video matches with an Eb on my guitar. Is this simply how Eb tuned saxes are transposed or is there something else that I have missed? Very comprehensive video tho, thanks.
That is correct. The note you read as C on alto sax is a concert Eb (like it is on guitar)
Thank you
Thanks for saying so!
Very new player on Sax. I love this video and thank you! Its setup really well for a rookie like me. I realize this is an older thread but can someone tell me why I’m exactly a half step low from this video on every note
Thanks. If it's a half step, you're probably playing flat. Check out this video, ua-cam.com/video/Yig2kZxAxL0/v-deo.html
God bless you !
Thanks
I’m shocked I’m a trumpet player and I got to the highest note today is my first day!! This was so helpful but the low notes are hard
Cool, keep practicing
Thanks much for this
Thanks Jason
I’m a 7th grade saxophone who goes to band at school for 45 mins to 1 hour every day! I’m about to be a 8th grade Saxophone! ❤️I’m only watching this video because I’m bored lol! Anyways beginners have fun and don’t give up! Keep working hard! Anyone who wants help can reply and I’ll check! Good luck soon to be 🎷 players!❤️
Thanks. We don't really know how well you play though since I don't see any videos on your channel.
Oh I don’t do videos I was just offering lol! Have fun though and work hard!❤️❤️
Same here I'm 7th grade sax going into 8th. I know most notes but I don't know a few. Mostly just the high version of notes or low.
thank you so much...this really helps
Thanks for saying so Samuel, glad it helps.
i would really appreciate if you could please use the same procedure to show us the the fingering of every scale please
On saxstation.com I show diagrams for four major scales that are free. I also made a class about scales that you can buy. saxstation.com/saxophone-scales-book-class
this one is awesome
Thanks Luis
Thanks for your works, please i need your assistance on sax, I have a difficulty with adding ornaments to my playing and my fingers are not playing fast, also, my ears are not turned yet. Please how can you assist me sir.
How long have you played saxophone? And how many days a week do you practice?
Please I need a clips on running all the diatonic scales. I can identify the keys but I can't run it in ascending and descending.
will the chromatic tuner read these notes out of the box? or is it better to trust your hearing to the video?
Some tuners can if they’re able to be set for a transposed instrument. Do you understand how transposition works for alto sax?
I""realyy to this ,,
thank you, really love this video and the explanations. i learn a lot
Thanks Julius, glad they're helpful.
7:29
That's where the notes start, starting with low Bb.
Tenor Sax Fingering chart video: ua-cam.com/video/WAENjRA6-OY/v-deo.html
Alto Sax fingering chart video: ua-cam.com/video/ZUz_iuCSZRg/v-deo.html
Soprano sax fingering chart video: ua-cam.com/video/wgWF_-gRM4s/v-deo.html
It´s a little bit confusing no showing all the keys on the chart, even if they are not used, because gives you a positioning picture of the whole sax.
Also, I think the chart image is mirrored in the video as the position of the *4 'flat' keys* on the left hand should be on the right and the *side keys* of the right hand on the left.
But thanks anyway. I think I will create my own chart with a more accurate image.
Great video. Thanks for sharing! I will do the same when I have my own chart.
Yes, it is mirrored. The perspective of having a saxophone in front of you.
I also show my hands with video.
Feel free to make your own chart though if it makes more sense to you.
You can get a PDF of this fingering chart included with the beginning saxophone class I made, saxstation.com/saxophone-foundations-beginning-saxophone-class
Hello Neal! Just wanted to know if something (like a teeth protector) can be used as a layer between the lower teeth and the lower lip, when we do the embouchure? Especially when the teeth are crooked, and that impacts the blowing technique. Did you ever face this trouble?
Some people use something like that. I never have. I don't have my bottom lip curled over my teeth very much at this point, there's not a lot of pressure on my lip from my teeth. That has changed since I started.
You might be able to reduce the pressure by having your bottom lip a little farther forward.
Oh great! So we do have something! Do you know what it is called, and can it be found online?
Actually I did try to reduce the pressure by placing my lip farther forward, but unfortunately that kind of leads to lot of hissing sound in my case.
@@MsYnikita It's possible you will get away from that with practice. Not sure offhand of where to look.
Alright! Thanks, Neal! 👍🏻
Confused by the "explanation", so, I'll ask a straightforwars question: When I tune an alto, with my only in-house reference being a normally tuned piano, and say I apply the fingering for a low G, then what note corresponds with that on the piano?
. . or "should it be in tune with" . .
Bb. I made this short about transposition, ua-cam.com/video/hRLs54KcSI0/v-deo.html
I know nothing about Sax but I bought one at a garage sale the other day, it looked like it was in good condition. The note that is played when I have no button pressed down is D. What type of sax do I have?
I think it’s probably an alto. But a bit out of tune since you just started. C# on alto is an E on the tuner, but could go down to a D if it’s flat.
Very informative😊 but How come on when I press key b and c on my alto sax gives a different sound? Help please
In what way is the sound different?
@Sax Station on the key c and b it sounded different on my alto sax
How is it different? Is the pitch higher or lower? Is the tone different? Will you be specific? Thanks
@@SaxStation like key B you press on L1 but for me it sounds B when I press L2 please help
Seems like you’re about half a step flat from what I saw you write. You can push the mouthpiece a bit farther on the cork. Also try thinking of more of an “EE” sound for the setup of your embouchure.
Neal I would like some help with achieving altissimo for alto sax.
I can play some altissimo on alto, but I have spent a lot more time working on it on tenor. How long have you been playing saxophone?
And do you want to pay for lessons?
November gone was only two years.@@SaxStation
Maybe think about whether altissimo is important for you right now. Do you want to pay for lessons?
@@SaxStation I can play all my notes and sustain them without skips or breaks in my tone. I just figured altissimo is the next challenge. How much are your lessons
$60/hour on skype. Or you could get feedback on your playing and things to work on at saxophonetribe.com
Hey neal i just got a brand new alto sax, and the problem im having is whenever i play a, d, d# or g, i only get a squeak, but when i play any other note, they come out crisp. Is there a solution to this problem or is it a player problem?
Likely it's because of you. You could have someone else try playing your saxophone to check it though.
I need the same notes in concert
Basically C on alto sax is concert Eb. So go up from any alto sax note by a minor third or three half steps to get to concert.
Hi sax station can you tell me how my lower notes keep going into my higher notes
That depends on how long you have been playing and the condition of the saxophone. So specify those if you want a more useful answer.
That high f sharp is hard to hit on a stiff reed. Any tips
How long have you played saxophone? And can you easily get the F a half step below that?
@@SaxStation just found out its a retired rental sax so its got some issues and needs some TLC and tuning. I got it to sound out the higher 3 notes but it struggles with them and low b flat.
I played for two years in grade school.
Got it. Playing low notes with repairs needed can be much harder and sometimes close to impossible
should you revise your instrument when you hear that certain notes are way higher?
Do you mean repair? That could be the issue. How long have you played?
So the octave key is to go an octave higher?
Basically. There is about one octave of notes that you can press the octave key for and get the same note an octave up.
Hey man. I was wondering if you could help me out. I’m unable to play anything below a G L3 on my alto saxophone I can’t tell what the problem is. It keeps going into a higher octave.
Something might be damaged, might need to take it to a professional repair person.
@@SaxStation Thanks for responding. Yeah man, I already did that and they gave me an estimated repair costing $600 which i don't have at the moment. I only bought the yamaha yas 23 sax for $300 so I wanted to find out if it was just a problem with my embechure or soemthing but I'm disappointed that you're saying that it might be a more serious problem. But regardless thanks for the feedback.
That's possible. I don't know since I haven't played the horn. If you know someone nearby who plays sax they might be willing to try your sax and then you would know better. It definitely could be something that requires repair, think about whether the repair costs are worth it though.
is there a more preferable way to chose the keys to play a note. for example you can try to play a song from a music sheet but the notes or some don't sound like the recording. that is because for example the D note instead of being played with the upper D key it is played with the low D But the octave key or vice versa or instead of the upper B key the note is played with the low B with octave key. We can definitely see that there is a difference in timbre. Nobody seems to talk about this
That happens sometimes, but I don't think it's the main reason why you might not sound like a recording when playing from sheet music. A lot of the sound comes from inside a person. And people develop their own sounds. With control, you can sound like others. That takes quite a bit of work. It's not as simple as just moving your fingers to a different position.
you mean you don't hear a difference between a middle B played with the top key and the B played with the low B with the octave key pressed.? one sounds clearer
I do hear a difference. I did not say otherwise. What recordings are you talking about specifically and how long have you been playing saxophone?
@@SaxStation there are 1000s of songs that if they are just played from a music sheet without hearing the original ones would probably not sound like them because one would perhaps not use the same keys especially when playing the middle B to E.
Name one so I could know what you're talking about. And how long have you been playing saxophone?
So when he places multiple fingers for example to form a G, are those notes that for a G chord, or what? im confused 🤔 i play guitar and know my music theory and can form chords but this i can’t figure help 🤔
No, not for a chord. Just for the single note. You play one note at a time on saxophone.
There are a few people who can play 'multiphonics', but that isn't what is done by most people on the saxophone.
You can hear what I play for each note in this video.
I don't know about the A
My saxophone has 3 big pearls on the mid range, and between the first and the second, there is a tiny pearl.
I see yours is between the second and the third... What does that mean?
The top key with a pearl on my sax is the front F key. It’s possible your saxophone doesn’t have that key or it might look different. What year was your saxophone made?
@@SaxStation Its a cavelier, i bought it around 2018, but i'm nit sure how to check the date
So it's a modern saxophone. I think it should have the same setup. Some saxophones have metal buttons in places where others have pearls. The bis key shouldn't really be in a different location.
@@SaxStation hmmm, i have no idea. I will have to listen to all the notes again and pinpoint which one is it
To play an A it should be the two keys that are above and below the smaller bis key.
Merci !
Sir ji hello ... Sir, we want you to write and play music ke nots, we don't know it, tell us
How long have you been playing saxophone? I don't understand exactly what you're asking.
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Very useful guide.
Probably not so necessary to keep mentioning the "E is aka F flat" stuff....that must confuse the heck out of newcomers lol!
Probably that is a little more information than necessary for someone very early on. But it’s probably good to know sooner rather than later. I get a few questions about enharmonics..
Where I'm from (classical guitar world) P = thumb 😁
Thanks, had not heard that before.
I just (guess what) watched a video TRYING TO LEARN ALTO MIND YA clicked on a... TENOR FINGERING VIDEO!!!
They do have the same fingering system. But it might be better to hear an alto as you learn.
Hm. I’m not sure how to blow properly with lower notes, I do the correct fingerings but it makes, let’s say a low B note sound like a middle B… not sure why
That’s a common thing to happen in early stages of playing the saxophone. How long have you played?
am not able to play the lower notes i.e. the first 4 notes is it possible the sax padding is dodgy ?
Could be. How long have you played saxophone? If this is day one for you, I wouldn't expect to be able to play all the lower notes.
@@SaxStation it's been a month now
Do you think the pads might not be in good condition?
@@SaxStation yes that's my worry and how much would it cost for its repair just in case
I haven’t seen your saxophone, so I don’t know. You could take it in to someone who fixes saxophones and get an estimate maybe,
When I play a C# (open key) it plays a regular C. Not sure why that is?
Might be a sticking pad or you might just be playing flat. How long have you played saxophone?
@@SaxStation 2 days 😆I think I fixed it by putting my mouth piece in more, had to buy grease to get it in all the way, it's better now.
Cool, it's pretty easy to play a half step flat if the mouthpiece is not pushed in much and you're just starting to play.
It starts a 7:30
Yes, that's where the notes start, beginning with low Bb.
Somebody help me. After learning the notes, where next?
Learn a song. You can basically take two directions, learning to read music or learning music by ear. What is a song you would like to play?
And probably start with a simple melody at first.
@@SaxStation thank you. I love how you take your time to reach out to people. This means a lot.
@@SaxStation The song is a hymn calles holy holy holy Lord God almighty
@@SaxStation Just got the sax about 7 days ago. I haven't done anything apart from the notes. I am a complete beginner. Should i rather start with the scales first?
You could probably learn that one then. Are you playing along with a recording of it? Or how were you planning on learning it?
My octave key doesn’t work when I press down L3
I understand why you would say that, but check out this video, there's probably nothing wrong. ua-cam.com/video/v_IPX-DOjaU/v-deo.html
When you say "You could stop here if you're in the beginning stages of playing the saxophone" once you get to high F. Should a beginner really be able to play high F? Or even anywhere close to it? I cannot even get close. Its hard for me to get above B or C. And I have around 12 hours in.
On day one, it's very unlikely to be able to play all the notes. There probably are a few people who can, but not most.
Don't expect to be able to play that note after twelve hours. Just keep playing and you should reach it in some time.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend going beyond high F/F# until after at least three years. (and it's not absolutely essential for most people ever to) It's more important to play music well than to simply have an extensive range.
gee, I'm using the right fingering ,but I'm a half step off in pitch .What am I doing wrong ?
Are you a half step flat?
@@SaxStation Oh ,thank you for your response .I played day before yesterday ,so don't remember .I will play again and tell you . Seems I didn't have the mouthpiece in far enough. But it didn't seem like I should push in in farther on . Will check it . Thank you. Yes I think it was a half step to low .
I figured you were, but I did not know. Try pushing it farther on and imaging more of an EE sound for the shape of your mouth as you play.
Why does everyone stop at F# I’m trying to go above to the altissimo notes
The fingerings for altissimo are not as consistent across saxophones. So it will probably take more experimentation. Better to look at a chart with quite a few options and figure out what works for you.
If you're ready to play altissimo that is.
Wait, so between each note, there is always a flat note?
Basically, yes. You can call the notes different names though. And between B & C and E & F, you don’t have another note.
G sharp doesn’t come out for me it’s just g still this is confusing
Check to see if the G# key makes a pad rise. That’s probably the most common pad to get stuck.
Is your sax a bit sharp?
Could be in this video.
@@SaxStation I only ask because I have my first sax, and when I play along, I am out of tune. Since I have only been playing for 3 days, there is always a chance that it's me!
ah, then you're probably flat. Which would make it seem like I'm sharp relative to you. You can use a tuner to check.
You'll laugh at this: I AM actually flat, but I didn't understand that when I play a "A" on my sax, it's a "C" on my tuner...oops.
I figured you were. That's true of almost everyone when they start playing.
And many people don't know about transposing at first either. Probably better to not assume you play more in tune than me or someone else who has been playing a while after only three days though. We all learn these things as we go.