Intonation Chart (Saxophone)

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Intonation Worksheet
The worksheet is organized in the following way:
By saxophone pitch (left hand side), not concert pitch.
By register: separated by bold lines according 1st octave (fundamentals),
2nd octave (with octave key), palm keys, and altissimo.
By pitch order: randomly selected pitches (1st column), scale ascending
and descending (2nd column).
By cents: the center line of each column represents “in tune” while the
plus and minus signs followed by a number (at the top of each
column) represent sharp and flat by cents.
Follow these steps:
1. Tune the instrument
a. Check the mouthpiece pitch (soprano=C, alto=A, tenor=F#,
baritone=D)
b. Tune instrument to the saxophone’s F#, top line for soprano, alto and
tenor, bottom space for baritone; double-check the soprano’s 2nd space
A (the F# is sometimes flat).
c. Have the student re-establish the mouthpiece pitch between each
adjustment of the mouthpiece placement (farther on the cork to raise
the pitch, farther off the cork to lower the pitch)
2. Use an electronic tuner to give you precise readings in cents
3. Start with random notes played separately. Place a mark on the chart (1st
column) logging the student’s intonation tendency as shown by the electronic
tuner (row for pitch, column for intonation).
4. Have the student play a chromatic scale slowly, ascending. Mark the second
column with an “A” (for ascending) according to the indications as observed
from the tuner in the same manner as above.
5. Have the student do the same with a descending chromatic scale and follow
the same procedure marking the chart with a “D” (for descending).
6. Ignore the altissimo part of the worksheet if the student is not able to play in
that range.
7. Compare the three categories: random, ascending scale, descending scale.
The commonalities between the categories will tell the student their
intonation tendencies.

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