Bb soprano saxophone

A5

Impedance

Fingering a key depressed a key not depressed a hole covered a hole uncovered a part of the mechanism that is not normally touched Details in fingering legend. Acoustic schematic a closed tone hole an open tone hole Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance Non-specialist introduction to saxophone acoustics Notes are the written pitch. Frequencies are the sounding frequency, for Bb saxophone. Unless otherwise stated, the impedance spectrum is for a Bb saxophone.

At frequencies below about 1 kHz, this curve looks rather like that for G5 and G#5, but raised in frequency. At higher frequencies, however, the situation is complicated by the cut-off frequency. Here, the 1 kHz cutoff weakens the third peak. The first peak is weakened, and mistuned in comparison with that for A4, by the open register hole (operated by the octave key). This is the lowest note to use the second register hole (near the mouthpiece). The saxophone has an automatic octave key.

Compare with the impedance spectrum for a tenor sax on written A5: same fingering but sounding one octave lower.

Sound

Sound spectrum of a Bb soprano saxophone played using fingering for A5.
For more explanation, see Introduction to saxophone acoustics.

Sound Clip

You can hear A5 played.