Reading a fingering chart
You can learn how to play almost any note on the saxophone if you can read a fingering chart. Your band book has a small fingering chart each time it shows you a new note. There is also a master fingering chart in the back of your book.
Reading a fingering chart is really simple. The chart has circles for each key that you press. If a circle is colored in, you press that key down. If the circle is NOT colored in, that finger stays up. Remember that your LEFT hand goes on the top half of the saxophone with your thumb on the dot and your RIGHT thumb pushes out on the saxophone under the thumb hook. Make sure your hands are not pushing down extra keys (especially the palm keys)!
Here are some examples of fingering charts:
Reading a fingering chart is really simple. The chart has circles for each key that you press. If a circle is colored in, you press that key down. If the circle is NOT colored in, that finger stays up. Remember that your LEFT hand goes on the top half of the saxophone with your thumb on the dot and your RIGHT thumb pushes out on the saxophone under the thumb hook. Make sure your hands are not pushing down extra keys (especially the palm keys)!
Here are some examples of fingering charts:
What do these notes sound like?? |
The notes on the saxophone sound different than the same notes on the piano. If you play the note B on the saxophone it sounds the same as the note D on the piano. A on the saxophone sounds like C on the piano and G on the saxophone sounds like Bb on the piano. Do you see the pattern? Each note on the saxophone sounds the same as the note TWO LETTER NAMES HIGHER on the Piano!
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