Bb tenor saxophone
C5
| Acoustics of the saxophone |
Bb tenor saxophone |
C5 |
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Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
At frequencies below about 1 kHz, this curve looks rather like that for B4, but raised in frequency. At higher frequencies, however, the situation is complicated by the cut-off frequency. Here we have only two peaks that fall in the harmonic series: this fingering will bugle an octave, but no other note in the series. Above this frequency, the spacing of peaks in the upper part of the curve roughly equals that in the curve for the lowest note, A#3. This is because, at high frequency, the wave propagates past the open tone holes, reflecting only at the bell.
For general comments about the first register, see A#3. Compare with the impedance spectrum for a soprano sax on written C5: same fingering but sounding one octave higher.
Sound spectrum
of a Bb tenor saxophone
played using fingering for C5.
For more explanation, see
Introduction to saxophone acoustics.
You can hear C5
played.
Alternative Fingering |
tenor saxophone |
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Fingering Acoustic schematic Non-specialist introduction
to acoustic impedance Notes are the written pitch. |
You can hear C5
played with alternative fingering.
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Contact:
Joe Wolfe
/ J.Wolfe@unsw.edu.au |
a key depressed
a key not depressed
a hole covered 
a hole uncovered
a
part of the mechanism that is not normally touched 
