Sax Fingerings

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2Dog
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Sax Fingerings

Post by 2Dog »

My order has not arrived not arrived yet but reading the documentation I am under the impression that I can not alter the fingering from the drop down possibilities. I am a sax and clarinet player and I would like to minimize the learning curve of learning a new fingering system. Do you have one that is close as possible to a sax range that has been tested? If not I have an idea of how it may come close to the sax range using the 7th hole to sharpen a note and also using the bell sensor to get down to a low c. I think I can switch octaves using thumb register but the range would only go down to C in’s dead of Bb. Low C wold be fingered differently from the middle c and c# would be all holes open. This is what I am thinking
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Re: Sax Fingerings

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Thanks, I've been wanting to add some sort of sax fingering, and I'd be happy to pursue this if you think it would work and would be intuitive. It would be nice if there were an option that didn't require the bell sensor, because when you're blowing the device (not using a bag) it's fairly awkward to cover the bell sensor, unless it's on a table, etc. ;) One thing to be aware of is that in the newer firmware it's possible to use any button as a key to sharpen or flatten any note, so maybe we could just have a diatonic fingering pattern and use the seventh hole for the low C as normal, using the right thumb on a button for accidentals?

You're correct that you can use the left thumb to control the register, or you can also use a button for that now, though it's less convenient and intuitive. Also correct that you can't create a new fingering pattern other than by coding it in, but I'm more than happy to add new fingering charts, and I assumed there would be additions in these early days. I have a couple of other charts I'll be adding shortly as well.
Andrew Mowry
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Re: Sax Fingerings

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Another option for accidentals is to add a few cross-fingerings, though maybe less intuitive...
Andrew Mowry
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2Dog
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Re: Sax Fingerings

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I was thinking of using the bag and will try to reconfigure not using the bell sensor. Don’t want to get too far from normal sax and it will need to be tested for speed.
2Dog
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Re: Sax Fingerings

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Not sure about using buttons to play quickly. Removing the bell sensor option limits the rage from low D to High C. If the thumb button or over blow or a combination can be used then the range could be extended either way. Not sure until I use it.
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Re: Sax Fingerings

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Yes, it's probably not possible to play very quickly using the buttons. I'm happy to work with you on whatever option you think is best--if you want to let m know when it arrives we can experiment. I'm not sure if I'd want to add an option using the bell sensor to the "official" software because I would guess that not many people would use it (sax + bell sensor + bag), but we can at least make you a custom option and take it from there.
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Re: Sax Fingerings

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Assuming the bell sensor would require sitting while playing and I am not sure how it would effect speed.
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Re: Sax Fingerings

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Yes, I'm not entirely sure either, not having used it in that way. It might be easier to get used to a cross-fingering pattern for that low C and C#, like just raising one other finger somewhere to access them (again, not exactly intuitive, but we're pushing the limits of the hardware ;)). It looks like the C and C# in the third octave in your chart could also be reached without the bell sensor by keeping the thumb covered for those, which seems like it would be intuitive.

<in theory>, you could also get a four-octave range by using a combination of the thumb and overblowing, though that would require more of a rewrite on my part because the code isn't quite structured for that, but it's a possibility. With that and two buttons assigned to momentary octave shift up/down, you would have a six-octave range ;) I'm not promising anything, mind you ;)
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Re: Sax Fingerings

Post by 2Dog »

If you keep the thumb covered on those upper notes it would be the same finger as the lower notes. That’s why I using the bell sensor as sort of a 2nd octave key. Taking off the bell sensor and button option limits the range to low d on sax to high c. Not sure of the impact if you are reading whistle or pipe music. Maybe two options, one for bag and one for breath. Still not sure how fast you could play using bell sensor and you would have to be seated also. I am leaning towards not suggesting using the bell sensor due to all the limitations. I like the possibility of extended using over-blow. That way you could just finger everything up octave and then overblown with breath or bag to get the range needed for most music. Not sure of the impact if you are reading whistle or pipe music. I think getting it close to sax Fingering would attract more customers.
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Re: Sax Fingerings

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Yes, using a combination of the thumb and overblowing would give you three octaves (I was mistaken when I said four in my previous post) and you’d only be missing the C and C# on the lowest of those three (still not ideal). I do think the bell sensor might be a little slow because you have to move both arms instead of one finger (and you’d have to be seated, etc.). You could try it, though, by playing with the existing “bell register” functionality.
Andrew Mowry
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