Sax Fingerings

[2Dog]

Tips for beginners: (all suggestions are for bag mode but some may help in breath mode )
If you you need to go use A#, G# and D# a lot just keep you rt pinky on the seventh hole when switching back and forth.
If you have a hard time finding the thumb hole for octave switch put a small strip of fuzzy Velcro below so you can roll your thumb being carful not to put it too close to the hole.
If you have a hard time with Rt thumb placement put a small piece of fuzzy Velcro where you get the most stability. I have mine over the Phillips screw just below the 3rd button. If you keep hitting the 3rd button disable it until you learn not to hit it by mistake.
Turn off Overblow until you are comfortable getting the lower fingerings

[2Dog]

Still experimenting with Matt’s Patchman Music Korg iM1 patches using MidiFlow with cc 7 to channel pressure. In bag mode using overblow cases problem so the range with the Sax fingering is low G# to high C#. Covers most music and you have to adjust the pressure settings to make it easier to learn to use the bag (not referring to pipers) for vol and note on and off. Using over-blow with vol control causes problems in bag mode but it may be that I don't have the right settings and I am not used to using a bag. I get my best usable sounds with the Korg iM1 app so yet another reason to stick with iPad mini for mobility. With my new case that has straps for around neck support and a hand strap I went back to being wired to iPad as I can use the back hand strap to hold the lightning connector in place. Still need the cellular iPhone as the config app only works when connected to the web. Like the Celtic Sounds App. I have my vol knobs in SampleTank mapped to cc7 so I don’t need MidiFlow to use the app for vl control with the bag but it doesn’t have the filters that Matt’s patches have.

Whole different ballgame using Matt's iM1 patches in breath mode. Vol, finger vibrato, staccato and over-blow all worked with Midiflow mapping cc7 to Channel Pressure and a few tweaks in the WARBL config app. Used Matt's card 3 20@ Pan Flute. Audio file of going through the range with the existing sax fingerings. https://soundcloud.com/michael-homan-89 ... card-3-m4a I have sent Andrew a proposal to use over-blow to get an octave+ lower. That way the fingerings could cover from the bottom line of the Bass Clef to over 5 ledger lines above the Treble Clef. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B83588 ... sp=sharing Just wish I could of achieved this level of expression with it in bag mode but I will try again. You are really missing out if you don't use iM1 with Matt's patches along with the WARBL and the sax fingerings, if you sax, clarinet or flute player.

[2Dog]

Used WARBl in bag mode with sax fingerings. https://soundcloud.com/michael-homan-89 ... man-shadow. Used Band-In-A-Box for backing track. Using iPad mini, MidiFlow, Korg iM1, Patchman Combi User Card 1 slot 7 @Shakuhat. Mixed and recorded with n-track Pro. Experiment with using over-blow.

Set up chords types in ChordPolyPad to MidiFlow to Korg iM 1 using Patchman Card 1 41 @OrchString. Octave using thumb hole is notes are Maj triads and the overblown octave are Maj7s. Demo of starting in Maj and pressing the bag for vol and Maj7. https://soundcloud.com/michael-homan-89 ... om-n-track

Used Sensual Sax and overblown with bag to get altissimo https://soundcloud.com/michael-homan-89 ... /sensual-1

[admin]

The Celtic Sounds app should work fine without internet. The workaround with the WARBL app is to open it before you lose internet, and as long as you don't force-close it, it should continue to work without internet.

Still need the cellular iPhone as the config app only works when connected to the web. Like the Celtic Sounds App.

[2Dog]

https://soundcloud.com/michael-homan-89 ... ark-thrown WARBL using sax fingering in bag mode controlling Reaper DAW and Roli Equator on my Mac.

[ubizmo]

As a soon-to-be WARBL owner, I've followed this discussion with great interest. I'm also a sax player. Recorder too. Obviously, keyed instruments use the keys to produce accidentals, whereas the recorder uses cross-fingerings, which are lacking for low C# and D#. The sax also has a cross-fingered Bb.

If the goal is to emulate a sax, or recorder, or other chromatic instrument as closely as possible, there will be compromises. If the goal is to devise a fairly logical chromatic fingering that supports fluid play, there are some reasonable options. For example, low C# and D# are not going to be similar to sax, recorder, or much of anything else, so how should they be fingered? One option would be to lift one finger on the left hand to lift the C or D a semitone. Which finger? Any finger, let the player decide. Maybe uncover L1 from the C fingering to get C#, or use L2 or L3. Likewise with D to D#. This is somewhat artificial, but without double holes or keys anything is going to be a bit arbitrary.

Similarly, to get Bb and Ab, start with the B or A fingering and cover any right hand hole to drop the pitch a semitone. The only exception would be G to F#, which would be limited to adding either R2 or R3, or both, to the G fingering. G plus R2 would be familiar to sax players. G plus R3 would be familiar to flute players. G plus R2 and R3 would be familiar to recorder players.

[2Dog]

I am sure there is more than one way home, as they say. I wanted to use one right hand hole for all the accidentals (exception C# and F# which finger like you would on a Sax) Since you already know recorder fingerings you are way ahead of me. If I were you I would stick with the recorder fingering as that is what the WARBL was designed for. I am not sure, but my impression is that pipers don’t use the bag like I am using it to add attack to notes. As far emulation, my pre purchase plan was to learn pipe and whistle fingering and use those sounds. After Andrew worked with me I changed my plans and have worked almost daily in learning the similar to Sax fingerings and testing the software and hardware I already had. I even use a 40+ year old Boda bag so all my learning and testing can be done in bag mode in my recliner (The Electric Chair) with headphones so I don’t bother the wife’s cooking shows. Besides you can have a scotch without worrying about what it will do to your instrument. Recently added another wind controller, that I had, to get the vibrato and wind control I am used to when playing certain sounds. Played most of the wind controllers since the 80’s and I love this little guy, especially the price point and form factor. At this point I am using flute, guitar and strings sounds. I get better response out of the box with the WARBL than with AE10, which I currency play professionally. Love my Saxes and clarinet also. Guitar and keyboard learning has stopped since the WARBL took up residence.

[2Dog]

Using two wind controllers (TEC B & B with WARBL) created a challenge with iOS devices. I had to use the WARBL via BT Le and the TEC via lightning adapter. I didn’t find anything that indicated how you or could you connect two usb devices to one iOS device. I felt that a usb Hub would need power so I ordered the Ugreen 4 port usb data powered hub for little $. I also wanted to plug the hub into the PUC+ so I could use both wireless. The TEC does not work with the PUC+ and I thought it might be solved with adding a powered HUB.

First test with iPad mini, lightning adapter and Hub went better than expected as the TEC and the WARBL worked without external power. The Hub does not interfere with charging the iPad at the same time. The Hub did not work with the PUC+ and in fact it caused the PUC to stop sending midi. Problem was solved by removing and reinstalling one battery so I would not attempt that again.

With this rig, if I want to go wireless it will be keeping the iPad mini on my person and using wireless audio from iPad to my PA. That’s what I do with the AE10 and I have two wireless audio units.

[ubizmo]

I am sure there is more than one way home, as they say. I wanted to use one right hand hole for all the accidentals (exception C# and F# which finger like you would on a Sax) Since you already know recorder fingerings you are way ahead of me. If I were you I would stick with the recorder fingering as that is what the WARBL was designed for.

I guess my main thought is that, in addition to various instrument emulation modes, there should be a native WARBL chromatic fingering that is optimal for the instrument. That is, it takes advantage of what WARBL can do that acoustic instruments can't do. Recorder fingerings notoriously involve compromises due to the physics of the instrument, such as the forked Fnat (which I'm glad to see is not inherited in WARBL's recorder fingering), different F# fingering in first and second octave (also not inherited in WARBL), and non-linear diatonic fingerings above 2nd octave A (also not in WARBL). If the goal were to use a fingering that would be natural and familiar to recorder players, you'd want to include all these quirks. So as it stands, the WARBL recorder fingering is semi-familiar, but still requires acquiring new habits. Same for the sax, of course.

Well, this is all still theoretical for me. When the next batch of WARBLs gets shipped, I'll be in a better position to talk about fingerings etc.

[2Dog]

I like the term semi-familiar as a descriptor as opposed to sax-like. I got the impression that the WARBL was designed to get close to emulation of certain acoustic instruments and I don't feel it can do anything "better" than acoustic instrument with the exception of silent practice, and interfacing with devices to produce different sounds. Those exceptions are the reasons that attracted me to this instrument. It is a controller so you need to find apps or software that responds appropriately. Nothing different from any other wind controller. I have never played any of those instruments so the best judges would be those who have. I have found very positive reviews form those who have and not any negative reviews, which is amazing for a new instrument. Keep in mind that the semi-familiar sax fingerings is part of a bata and the next version has not been released, which I am assuming, includes them an updated manual with the new fingering charts. I am still testing the fingerings and trying to determine how long of learning curve it will take to get as proficient as I am with the AE10. I have not found any issues but I need to train my brain and fingers, just like learning any new instrument. I have added more complexity using a bag, as I never played any instrument that way nor have I found any other instrument that uses a bag like i am using it. On top of that I am to learning to coordinate with another controller for pitch bend and breath on certain sounds.