CONTACT POINTS - Brigham Young University–Idahoemp.byui.edu/WatkinsM/applied/Fingerings/0... ·...
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Fingering Fundamentals Dr. Mark Watkins, BYU–Idaho The following photos provide information that may not be obvious on a fingering chart. Note considerations proceed from low B‐flat through high F‐sharp. CONTACT POINTS Octave Key The thumb contacts the button on the first knuckle and pivots. Palm Keys Depress palm keys at these contact points for upper register and pivot notes.
Transcript of CONTACT POINTS - Brigham Young University–Idahoemp.byui.edu/WatkinsM/applied/Fingerings/0... ·...
FingeringFundamentalsDr.MarkWatkins,BYU–Idaho
Thefollowingphotosprovideinformationthatmaynotbeobviousonafingeringchart.NoteconsiderationsproceedfromlowB‐flatthroughhighF‐sharp.
CONTACTPOINTSOctaveKeyThethumbcontactsthebuttononthefirstknuckleandpivots.
PalmKeysDepresspalmkeysatthesecontactpointsforupperregisterandpivotnotes.
SideEContactclosetothelargeknuckleoftheindexfingerwhilekeepingthefingertipsangleddowntowardthepearls.
HighF‐sharpKeyDepressthehighF‐sharpkeywiththerighthandmiddlefinger.
LOWNOTES
LowBtoA‐sharpPivotWhilefingeringBtiltthelittlefingertowardstheB‐flatkey.
LowBtoC‐sharpKeeplittlefingercurved.
LowC‐sharptoBAnglelittlefingersothattiphitstheBrollerlikethefrontofaski.
LowC‐sharptoA‐sharpThelittlefingerstayscurvedandslidesontoA‐sharp/B‐flatkey(unlikemovingfromBtoA‐sharp/B‐flatandback).
LowE‐flattoCAvoidstraighteninglittlefinger;keepitcurvedandanglemiddleknuckledown.
LowCtoE‐flatThefingertipslidesacrossrollerskeepinglittlefingercurved.
CROSSFINGERINGSChromaticF‐sharpInthekeysofC‐sharpandF‐sharpandforthechromaticscale,oneshoulddevelopproficiencywithboththestandardfingeringsforE‐sharptoF‐sharpandthechromaticfingering.Withtheadditionoftheoctavekey,thesefingeringsaresuccessfulinbothoctaves.
FtoF‐sharpCrossFingering(onefingerliftswhiletheotherdepressesthuscrossingeachother)
ChromaticF‐sharp:Thekeyisdepressedbytherighthandringfinger.
C‐sharpandF‐sharpMajor
SideCAnotherlocationonthesaxophonerequiringcrossfingeringskillisontheupperstackforthenotesBandC.Whencontinuingintotheupperregister,itismostcommontousethecrossfingering;however,iftheCisapivotnotewithsubsequentnotesreturningdownward,orforatrill,thesideCmechanismisoftenpreferred.Asabove,withtheadditionoftheoctavekeythesideCworks.BtoCCrossFingering
SideC:Depresskeywithindexfingermakingcontactclosetothelargeknuckle.Keepfingertipsangleddownandclosetopearls.
CMajor
GMajor
B‐FLATTherearefourfundamentalfingeringsforB‐flat.Withtheadditionoftheoctavekey,allworkintheupperoctave.
1. Thebiskey:Manysaxophonistsconsiderthebiskeyfingeringtheirfirstchoiceanduseit
primarilyinflatkeys.Thekeyisdepressedwiththelefthandindexfingerbetweenthetwokeys.
WhenpivotingonCinflatkeys,thesideCfingeringmaybeusedtofacilitatespeedbuttheCwillbeflatandshouldnotbesustained.
FandB‐flatMajor
Anotheroptioninthissituation,andfortrills,istousethesideBflat(#2below)andliftfinger1fortheC.
E‐flatMajortriad,ascendinganddescending(bisfingering)
2. SideB‐flat:ThisisoftenthefirstB‐flatfingeringtaught.Likethebiskeyfingering,itiswellin
tuneandhasatonethatmatchesotherpitchesinthemidregister.DepressthesideB‐flatkeywiththelargeknuckleoftherighthandindexfinger.
ItisoftenusedwhenprecededorfollowedbyBnaturalasinthekeysofBandF‐sharpMajor.
3. Left1,Right1(1&4):UseofthisfingeringshouldbelimitedtotheB‐flatMajortriadarpeggio(seeAdditiveTriadExercisebelow).Itislowinpitchanditstoneisnotasfocusedasthebisandsidefingerings.
B‐flatMajortriad,ascendinganddescending(1&1fingering)
4. Left1,Right2(1&5):TherearesituationssuchastrillsfromA‐sharptoBorpassagesthatdescendthroughBtoA‐sharpandreturnupwardthatthisfingeringwillfacilitatewell.Itisnotasfocusedasthebisandsideoptionsandisslightlylowinpitchbutitisbetterthan1&5.
5‐notePatterns:The1&2(1&5)fingeringapplieswhenthepatternstartsonA‐sharp.Althoughthedeffinitionaboveexplainsthatthe1&2(1&5)fingeringismostcommonwhendescending,pivotingonA‐sharp,andretruning;whenrepitionofthe5‐notepatternoccurstheA‐sharpbecomesapivotnoteandthepatternentersthescenario.OnemaystartonSideB‐flat(A‐sharp)andusethe1&2(1&5)uponsubsequentrepetitins.
BMajor
F‐sharp
CROSSINGTHEBREAKCrossingthebreakpresentsparticularproblemsincludingmovingfromfewfingersonkeystomanyandmovingfromfundamentaltofirstovertoneharmonically.Therearespecialfingeringsthatsaxophonistsusetofacilitatecertainsituations.Playersmustpracticestandardandspecialfingeringswhenplayingpatternsthusaidingtheperformersflexibilityforbothwrittenandimprovisedlines.Thechallengesareamplifiedwhenonlyonenotecrossesthebreak,eitherascendingordescending.PalmkeypivotfingeringsfacilitateupwardcrossingsandtheLongC‐sharpfingeringhelpswithdescendingcrossings.Whencontinuingineitherdirection,standardfingeringsshouldbeused.PalmKeyPivotFingeringsTherearethreecombinationstoconsiderforstepwisemotion:CtoD,C‐sharptoD,andC‐sharp(D‐flat)toD‐sharp(E‐flat).
1. CtoDPivot:Thisfingeringisflatinpitchbutoftenpreferredinlieuofthecumbersomequalityofcrossingthebreakandimmediatelyreturning.ThealternateDfingeringcarriesasomewhatunfocussedtoneatmezzopianoandlouderdynamiclevelsandshouldnotbesustained.Whenusedasasoftfingering,forpianoandpianissimolevels,tonecanbematchedtostandardfingeringsandthefingeringfacilitatesmoreaccurateintonation.Seethephotoaboveforcontactpointandhandposition.
5‐notePatterns:CandGMajor
FandB‐flatMajor
E‐flatMajor
2. C‐sharptoDPivot:Thisfingeringissharpbutmaybepreferableforasmoothertechnique.
Notably,thestandardDfingeringissharponmostsaxophonessocompensationisnecessaryregardless.Itshouldnotbesustained,asitisnotacceptablysonorous.
DMajor
AMajor
3. C‐sharp(D‐flat)toD‐sharp(E‐flat)Pivot:LiketheC‐sharptoDpivot(ortrill)fingering,this
noteissharpbutmaybepreferableforasmootherfingertechnique.Thisfingeringshouldnotbesustained,asitisnotacceptablysonorous.LiketheDPivotfingering,thestandardD‐sharp/E‐flatfingeringisalsosharponmostsaxophonessocompensationisnecessaryregardless.
5‐notePatterns:EMajor
A‐flatandD‐flat(C‐sharp)Major
F‐sharpandBMajor
LongC‐sharpMostoftenusedwhendescendingfromthesecondoctave,pivotingonC‐sharp(D‐flat)andreturning,thisfingeringcreatesasmoothtechnicalflowandsustainsthetimbreoftheupperregister.SomesaxophonistspreferthelongCsharpfingeringinothersituationsforitstoneandintonation.FundamentalLongC‐sharpFingeringThelongCsharpwillworkwithanyfingersdepressingrighthandkeys(fornotesincludingD,E‐flat,E,F,andF‐sharp).
5‐notePatterns:TheLongC‐sharpfingeringapplieswhenthepatternstartsonC‐sharp.AlthoughthedeffinitionaboveexplainsthattheLongC‐sharpfingeringismostcommonwhendescending,pivotingonC‐sharp,andretruning;whenrepitionofthe5‐notepatternoccurstheC‐sharpbecomesapivotnoteandthepatternentersthescenario.OnemaystartonOpenC‐sharpandusetheLongC‐sharpuponsubsequentrepetitins.DMajor
AMajor
EandBMajor
F‐sharpandC‐sharpMajor
AMajor,pivotonC‐sharp(LongC‐sharpfingering)
D‐flat/C‐sharpMajor,pivotonD‐flat/C‐sharp(LongC‐sharp)
FRONTFINGERINGS
Frontfingeringsserveasalternatesforpalmkeystofacilitatetechnique.Theyalsofunctionasthebridgetothealtissimoregister.ByuseoftheFrontFKey,onecanplayhighE,F,F‐sharp,G,andG‐sharp(onaltonottenor).Theekeysareconsideredthebridgetothealtissimo.Theirfundamentaltimbreandtoneproductioncharacteristicshavethequalityofaltissimo.Itisreasonabletoconsiderthemthefirstaltissimopitches.
PivotindexfingeratthelargeknuckletodepressfrontFkey.
SopranoandAlto
Tenor
Baritone
Whenmatchingtonewiththenormal(non‐altissimo)rangeofthesaxophone,thepalmkeyfingeringsshouldbeusedifthefingertechniqueisfeasible.However,therearesituationsthatwarranttheuseoffrontfingerings.Theseconsiderationsincludetheflowofmelodiclineor
enteringintothealtissimorange.Likethecrossingthebreakpivotfingeringsabove,asmooth,easysoundingtechniquemayover‐ridetimbre.Oneshouldpracticefrontfingeringsbyfirstmatchingwithpalmkeys.EPalmtoEFront
FPalmtoFFront
F‐sharpPalmtoF‐sharpFront
Soprano/Alto
Tenor/Baritone
Oneshouldpracticeallexerciseswiththestandardpalmkeyfingeringthroughoutandthenrepeatwiththefrontfingering.
Whenprogressingfromapalmkeyfingeringtoalefthandpearlfingering,onecanoverlapthepearltomaintainamoresmoothtransition.Subsequentfingeringscanreturnthelefthandfingercontacttothepearls.
ExamplesCMajor
AMajor
FMajor
D‐flat/C‐sharpMajor
F‐sharp/G‐flatMajor
