[Figaro]

So, as my playing is improving, I'm finding that I can shift a note to an octave higher without using the octave key. I can do this on my Martin tenor and my Holton alto. It's just a matter of changing my embouchure a little.
My intonation is on because I'm playing along to music and matching pitch fine.

So my question is, should I be glad I can do this or should I be using the octave key all the time? When is the octave key usage critical to intonation and proper tone?

 

[Ixthusdan]

I am not exactly a pro. This means that you should be working on altissimo toward 4 octaves. (I have 3, and some notes, not 4 as yet) Part of my practice is playing resonant notes from low B, low Bb, and low C.
Since the octave key works, why save it for when you need it?

 

[mmichel]

So, as my playing is improving, I'm finding that I can shift a note to an octave higher without using the octave key. I can do this on my Martin tenor and my Holton alto. It's just a matter of changing my embouchure a little.
My intonation is on because I'm playing along to music and matching pitch fine.

So my question is, should I be glad I can do this or should I be using the octave key all the time? When is the octave key usage critical to intonation and proper tone?

You should be able to do this. This sort of thing (i.e., playing the octave, the twelfth, the next octave, etc. without pressing the octave key or otherwise changing fingerings), is called playing harmonics (or overtones) and it should be a regular part of a well-rounded practice routine.

However, it's probably a bad idea to do this all the time (i.e., when reading music, practicing scales, etc.). The intonation and timbre of those notes can differ quite a bit from those of the surrounding notes, and it can make it much more difficult to play fast lines including large intervals.

Bottom line: It's a good thing to be able to do this, but you need to also be able to play the horn using standard fingerings.

 

[bruce bailey]

Finger low C and use your chops to do bugle calls. It really helps on placement for the really high note. Don't use the octave key for this.

 

[SoulMate]

+1 to all of the above. It's also interesting to use the octave key when trying to play the low notes. They won't sound as nice, but once you learn how to overcome this intentional leak, your normal low notes not using the octave key will sound fuller.

 

[click]

Check it out!

https://tamingthesaxophone.com/saxophone-harmonics-overtones

"Why is practising overtones so useful?

In order to play the overtones you need to think about and possible develop a more flexible embouchure. Altering your tongue position and possibly the shape of your oral cavity can help with this.
You need to be able to imagine the sound of the note before you play it, so for one thing this is very good ear training. Because the fingering remains the same for each note as you play upwards or downwards in the harmonic series, you need to be able to "hear" the pitch in your mind before playing it. Along with the changes to embouchure or oral cavity, we sometimes call this "voicing." (See below)
Harmonics are useful for altissimo playing, as well as some effects such as false fingerings.

[etc] ..."

 

[Figaro]

Great feedback! Now I know what I should be doing during practice.

I play mostly by ear, not reading music. I can read music but usually it's by ear. Yes, advantages and disadvantages but there it is.
I've played fretless bass for years so I have a tendency to hear a note before I play it.

I'll start practicing low notes with the octave key open and bugle calls in C too.

Thanks!

 

[saxoclese]

It is possible using just the "voicing" to take notes from their 1st mode vibration to their 2nd mode and higher. This is practical unless the octave change must be made very quickly. In those instances the octave vent can help. A test of a saxophone's intonation tendencies I use is to play various notes in the 2nd octave without the octave key while watching a tuner, and then adding the octave key to see how much it sharpens the note. Gary Scavone writes that the body octave vent is in the ideal location for the note F, and the neck octave vent is in the ideal location for the note B. The farther away a note is from this ideal note the sharper it becomes---hence D which is 3 half steps from F has a tendency to be sharp, and A 2 half steps from B has a tendency to be sharp.

 

[Dr G]

Cautionary note: “Voicing” a note to change octaves is a desirable skill to master. Switching octaves by BITING is not.

The OP mentions that he is making the change via adjustments in the embouchure. Be aware of developing a tendency to bite, and avoid it.

 

[click]

Cautionary note: "Voicing" a note to change octaves is a desirable skill to master. Switching octaves by BITING is not.

The OP mentions that he is making the change via adjustments in the embouchure. Be aware of developing a tendency to bite, and avoid it.

Nice catch.

 

[Figaro]

Cautionary note: "Voicing" a note to change octaves is a desirable skill to master. Switching octaves by BITING is not.

The OP mentions that he is making the change via adjustments in the embouchure. Be aware of developing a tendency to bite, and avoid it.

More about oral cavity volume and tongue placement not so much biting. Embouchure may be the wrong word to describe it, but I do notice my lower jaw moving fore and aft making a difference.