How to Write for Saxophones

for Orchestrators and Composers

This article offers additional information lacking in orchestration books. Many mistakes are corrected. The examples in this article are for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. Pitches are written in the Helmholtz pitch notation.

If you have any questions or suggestions, I will try to answer them and add the information to this article (email me: contact@pekkasiponen.fi).

Pekka Siponen, 7 December 2019

The Saxophone Family

Lots of other rare and historical variants of saxophones also exist. The most common and easily available saxophones are: soprano, alto, tenor and baritone.

The saxophone family has been expanded by introducing the soprillo saxophone (piccolo) and tubax-family (contrabass and subcontrabass), made by Benedict Eppelsheim. The tubax is played like a saxophone, but it has a slightly different construction, thus making the playing easier, the sound more compact, and the instrument smaller and easier to handle. The E-flat tubax is a contrabass saxophone and the B-flat tubax is a subcontrabass saxophone.

transposition

Saxophone transpositions

saxophone transpositions

All saxophones are written in treble clef and transpose. The fingerings stay the same, e.g. above written C is played with the same fingering on all saxophones. The mouthpiece size gets bigger as the instruments get bigger, thus the player has to learn the embouchure for every saxophone size and the peculiarities of the instrument (much like with trumpet, euphonium and tuba).

Range and Registral Characteristics

Saxophone body (written) – fingerings

Saxophone registers (written) – sound

All saxophones have the same written range, with a few exceptions:

There are specific tone holes for the notes in the normal range. The notes above the normal range are called altissimo and are achieved by overblowing and special fingerings.

Basic saxophone fingerings can be downloaded here (in Finnish). Note that these are only the basic fingerings that apply to all saxophones. Entire books have been written about saxophone special fingerings: throat tones, altissimo, quarter tones and multiphonics.

low register

The saxophone tone increases in intensity as it descends through the lowest fifth of its range. Attacks are slower and more difficult in the low register than in the middle and high registers.

The lowest third on all saxophones has a robust quality. The notes are slower to speak, require more air and are hard to play softly. If the low notes are approached from above in legato and small intervals, they are easier to play. Fast and large leaps to the lowest third are difficult and not recommended. Low register dynamics are realistic at mf–ff. The low B-flat is often out of tune and loud (not including the baritone). Fast passages staying in the lowest third are not recommended.

The bigger saxophones—like the baritone—are designed for a better low register, and the baritone low A is also usable. Above mentioned restrictions apply. Soprano sounds usually rougher in the low register than the other saxophones as it is designed for a good high register.

middle register

Easy, and all dynamics and playing techniques are possible. Upper middle register is the saxophone sweet spot. Lower octave has a warm color and the upper octave has a singing quality. Upper octave has a wider range of color between dynamics available; upper middle register (above second octave A) and high register fortissimo can be harsh and penetrating, if needed.

throat tones

Throat tones are used a lot on the alto and soprano saxophones, although some tenors and baritones also have usable fingerings here, depending on the instrument. Every saxophone model has somewhat different fingerings for throat tones. Many soprano and alto models have well known fingerings, but tenor and baritone do not. Players have to find the fingerings that work on their instruments and possibly modify the instruments a little to make them easier to play in tune.

Characteristics are soft and fragile, ppp is easy. Not used for forte. The player makes the decision on which fingering to use, depending on the context. The color of the lower octave can be extended upwards using high register keys without the octave key. Used also for trills over the break.

Throat tones compared to normal fingerings

alto saxophone

register change/break

There is a register change between C-sharp and D. C-sharp is more light in color (short tube) while D is more dark in color (long tube). Players automatically try to minimize the difference. Some passages can be improved through usage of throat tones and special fingerings. Legato is more difficult across the register change.

high register

Easy, and all dynamics are possible. Strong dynamics easily get a stringent quality. Tenor and baritone saxophones sound thinner in the high register than soprano and alto. The high register has lots of klang even in pianissimo.

altissimo

It depends very much on the player how high it is possible to play and what kind of quality is achieved in the altissimo register. Altissimo is a requirement in the studies of all orchestrally trained professionals. Younger students usually cannot play these adequately or at all. Recommended dynamics are mf–fff. Altissimo register can cut through the entire orchestra, it easily has a trumpet-like quality. Not recommended for fast passages. Altissimo is written without octave lines (at pitch without 8va markings).

Playing Technique

agility

Comparable to the oboe. All the saxophones are very agile, but the bigger saxophones are a bit slower than the smaller ones because the keys are bigger. Low register has some intervals not suited for fast playing (see trills), because the little fingers have to slide between keys.

method of tone production, shape of the pipe, overblowing

One of the most common misconceptions is that playing the saxophone is very close to the clarinet. Although the mouthpiece is similar to the clarinet’s, the problems in playing the saxophone are more similar to those with the oboe and the bassoon, because the saxophone has a conical tube. The sound of the saxophone has all the partials, and overblows every note in the harmonic series like oboe (clarinet has only the odd numbered partials). A good clarinetist cannot automatically play the saxophone satisfyingly and vice versa. All professional saxophone players can play the alto well, are usually proficient in at least one or two other saxophones and can passably play all the saxophones.

vibrato

A rich vibrato is used on the saxophone. Vibrato is produced by jaw and throat movement (pitch vibrato). Intensity vibrato (with diaphragm) is not normally used on the saxophone. It is not necessary to specify when vibrato is wanted, players automatically make these choices. If specifically wanted, non vibrato or vibrato can be indicated.

single tonguing

Single tonguing can be soft or hard, and the saxophone is capable of half tonguing: the tongue touches the tip of the reed so that the reed still vibrates. Half tonguing, also known as portato or legato tonguing is possible in the saxophone normal range. It is easiest in the middle register. In portato the reed continues to vibrate and sound when tonguing. By subduing the reed’s vibrations with the tongue the tone can be reduced to virtual inaudibility.

Half tonguing

alto saxophone

Portato

alto saxophone

Soprano high register is difficult to attack with soft tonguing. It can sound quite harsh. Sometimes if there is time, only air may be used in the attacks to make them sound comparable to the middle register.

subtone

Subtone is a common name for different techniques that have one goal: to make the reed vibrate less. One common way to make subtone is to have the tongue or lip touch the reed from below to smother it from a larger area. Works best in the lower octave.

double and triple tonguing

Double and triple tonguing are easy in the saxophone middle register. Lowest third is slower to speak, so it is not recommended to use fast tonguing there. The high register requires good control and double tonguing starts to get more and more difficult when going higher. The soprano is the most difficult to double tongue in the high register: the sound makes glissando too eagerly. Double tonguing is not usually possible in the high register on the soprano. On the alto double tonguing is feasible up to written e³, depending on the player. Tenor and baritone are easier to double tongue in the high register.

flutter tongue

Flutter tongue is easy in the normal range, but not possible in the altissimo range.

Flutter tongue

alto saxophone

niente attack and release

Niente is easy in the middle register. High register is also possible, but not as good as the middle register. Low register is not good for very soft dynamics.

trills and tremolos

All half and whole tone trills are possible in the middle and high registers. Low register has restrictions: low B-flat to B, low B to C-sharp; low C-sharp and everything below it trilling to E-flat are not possible. The little finger has to slide from the E-flat key to the low C key. Fast passages on these intervals are awkward to play and agonising for fingers.

Impossible trills

impossible trills

Trills across the break are not recommended on tenor and baritone.

Double trills are played with two fingers trilling one key, thus very fast trilling speeds are possible on some keys.

Tremolos are usually good up to thirds. Fourths are more difficult, fifths even more and sixths are not recommended. When lots of keys are moving, the key noise is quite loud.

glissando

Glissando is easy especially on the soprano and alto saxophones. It is achieved by bending the pitch of a fingering down by modifying the air stream in mouth/throat. Notes in the higher register can be bent down comfortably by a third (soprano/alto). This is combined with fingers to produce longer glissandi. Also most minor second intervals in the normal register can be played with a finger glissando. Glissando is difficult in very soft dynamics.

portamento

Portamento (the almost imperceptible gliding between notes) is possible on the saxophone middle and high registers with most intervals smaller than a fourth.

slap tongue

Slap tonguing is easy on the saxophone. The technique has a limitation on how fast slaps can be repeated. The maximum speed and endurance can be simulated by clicking your tongue (tongue from palate ≈ tongue from reed). Slap can be dry or wet (depending on how much air is involved), or it can be added to a normal sound. Slap gets less effective in the higher register and is most effective in the low register.

multiphonics

There are lots of multiphonics available on the saxophone. There is even a book on the subject that contains a lot of fingerings (Daniel Kientzy: Les sons multiples aux saxophones). Playing them is similar to playing harmonics. The best way to use them is to have the player try them first. Some multiphonics don’t work on all saxophone models. There are however many standard multiphonics that are easy to play that work on almost all saxophones. Fingerings should always be provided for the player.

microintervals / quarter tones

Most microtones are possible. Quarter tone between G and G-sharp is not possible on normal saxophones, but a simple modification to the instrument (bending a rod) makes this possible. Please consult a fingering chart and a player when you write microintervals.

mutes

Mutes exist for saxophones, but they are not common. They usually require lots of time to put inside the saxophone.

Writing for Saxophones

fifth and octave relationship

When writing chords for saxophones, the fifth relationship of the different sizes is useful. E.g. the baritone and tenor A have the same color and produce a fifth, thus making the chord color even. For the same reason octave doublings are very good with soprano/tenor and alto/baritone.

unison ranges in the normal range

Concert pitch

background

The easiest range for unobtrusive playing is written g¹–c³.

Saxophone Ensembles

saxophone choir/orchestra

A saxophone choir has at least all the saxophones from soprano to bass. It can also have sopranino, contrabass, subcontrabass and rarely soprillo.

saxophone quartet

This is the most common saxophone ensemble. The normal saxophone quartet consists of soprano, alto, tenor and baritone. Sometimes the soprano is substituted with alto or doubling on the alto. A quartet with two altos is more dark sounding and provides variety for the listener’s ear.

saxophone trio

The saxophone trio is not a common ensemble. Most trios are for soprano/alto/baritone or alto/tenor/baritone. SAB is brighter in character and ATB ensemble is darker sounding.

saxophone and piano/orchestra