[Bikertrash]

A strange thing .... my tenor (Yamaha YTS475) will play top E perfectly fine using the three palm keys, but will not play the alternate fingering which according to my book is the top F key plus left hand 2 and 3. It sounds F just fine using both fingerings (3 x palm keys or top F key and left hand #2). Now here’s the strange thing ... I can go down from F to E by closing LH3 and once I’ve sounded F, I can trill between the two. But just play E on it’s own? The horn says no. It just makes a muffled lower Eb sound. Is this usual?

 

[Hotspur]

make sure that everything is shutting and opening correctly and check to make sure pads are sealing and springs are in the correct spots

 

[stu the sax player]

I had that problem with my 475, i just accepted the fact that I could not use that fingering and have since sold that horn.

stefane

 

[Bikertrash]

I don't think there's anything out of place on my horn in terms of pads, springs etc because everything else plays ok. I mentioned this to my sax teacher the other night and she tried it on her Yamaha alto and just the same, couldn't sound "E" with the alternate fingering. That's why I'm wondering if it's a Yamaha thing.

 

[Sand3853]

I dont think its a Yamaha thing, both my EX alto, and my 875 tenor play the alternate's easily. However, alternates are just that....alternate fingerings to help facilitate easy movement between certain notes. Throat position I have found is sometimes key in maintaining a tone that is similar in quality to the main fingering. Working up the harmonic range of the horn can help in this, also, a good exercise that my teacher had me work on was to start on high forked F (alternate F) and bend the pitch a half step to E and make sure it was in tune, then you play the E with its alternate (or regular fingering) and you bend down another half step, and repeat. You do this slowly, with a tuner as you want the pitches to be in tune, as well as paying attention to throat and tongue position on the fingerings and the bent pitches. I used to have the same probelm you are having, but on a vintage horn, and this exercise coupled with working the harmonics helped a ton.

 

[Crowfield]

I've got the same problem (yas-62). But I dont think its the sax either... I can slur between the front F and the front E, but the Front E alone... just goes Pffffft!
Just keep practicing, I assume.

 

[Bikertrash]

My teacher's alto is a YAS62 and it won't play the alternate E so you're not alone ..... and if it's a Yamaha-specific fault surely no amount of practicing will make the horn sound that note?

 

[dburlone]

I use the alternate fingerings that you mention on my alto and tenor setups as well as play altissimo to a D4 on tenor... I'm just starting to get used to alto but I can easily play to A3. My horns are as listed in my signature.

I have test played instruments that just wouldn't speak well using those fingerings, stuffiness, hard resistance etc; As dumb as it may sound, I think there are some horns/horn-setups that don't facilitate this these fingerings/altissimo.

Bikertrash: Your avatar of Zoot is GREAT!

 

[shmuelyosef]

The setup of the front F is critical. If your front F key opens the F palm to it's fullest extent, then you will have more difficulty playing these (effectively altissimo) notes. Every horn design seems to have a particular venting for the front F that works optimally. The yamahas that I have addressed this on seem optimal at about 2-3 mm...as compared to Yanagisawas that seem to prefer just a crack and Super 20s that are fine with nearly full open.