- Microtonal fingerings are found by adding extra keys to standard fingerings to lower the pitch by a quarter tone
- On a tuner, the range between the sharpest reading of F and the flattest reading of F serves as a guide for a quarter tone
- The correct pitch can be identified by aiming for the position where the tuner needle fluctuates rapidly
- Increasing your practice time by 10–20% when working on pieces that use microtones is the key to improvement
When performing contemporary music on the saxophone, microtones are an essential technique that cannot be avoided. Microtones are pitches finer than a semitone, enabling subtle pitch variations that cannot be expressed with standard fingerings. However, the difficulty of microtones lies in the fact that many players feel "I don't know which fingers to use" or "I can't get the pitch right." Since the saxophone does not have dedicated microtone keys, existing fingerings must be adapted to make fine pitch adjustments. In this lesson, we will explain in detail tips for finding microtonal fingerings and methods for achieving accurate intonation.
Steps for Refining Intonation on the Saxophone
To play microtones accurately, being able to play at the correct pitch is the ideal goal. However, because microtones are finer than a semitone, it is difficult to identify them accurately using normal pitch perception alone. When playing microtones on the saxophone, using a tuner to verify intonation is indispensable. Since a tuner typically displays pitches in semitone increments, it allows you to visually confirm the subtle pitch variations that lie between semitones. Here, we will explain step by step how to identify pitch using a tuner and tips for targeting the correct intonation.
- Prepare a tuner and confirm the reference pitch (for example, F)
- Check the position where the tuner reads as sharp as possible on F, and the position where it reads as flat as possible on F
- Understand that the range between these two positions represents a quarter tone (microtone)
- Play the microtone using the fingering you have found, and look for the position where the tuner needle fluctuates rapidly
- Confirm that the position where the tuner fluctuates rapidly is approximately the correct pitch
- Patiently refine the fingering and pitch sense needed to hit that position precisely
- Since you will be using fingers that are not part of your regular technique in succession, increase your practice time by 10–20% and repeat the exercises
When practicing microtones, fingers that are not part of your regular technique are used in succession, so it is important to increase your practice time by 10–20% compared to normal practice. In particular, since microtones are an unavoidable technique in contemporary music performance, persistent and patient practice is the key to improvement. By using the fingerings you have found and checking the intonation with a tuner, patiently refining the fingerings and pitch sense needed to hit the target precisely will make microtonal performance on the saxophone possible. Mastering microtones on the saxophone requires both the exploration of fingerings and the development of pitch sense. It may feel difficult at first, but by carefully confirming each pitch and accumulating practice, your microtonal technique will gradually develop. To expand your range of expression in contemporary music, be sure to take on the challenge of microtonal performance on the saxophone.
