B-flat and C - Some notes on notes.
When is a B-flat not a B-flat? When it is an A-sharp! Not funny, I know, but it does break the ice on this article. And it is true. Though enharmonic equivalents (for lack of a simpler definition: both would be played by the same piano key), professional players play each note differently. But if one piano key plays both notes, how can the saxophone play them differently? Alternate fingerings!
Alternate fingerings arise as players try to solve some problem in tricky passages of music. No one wants her or his fingers to collide in the middle of a solo, just because the side B-flat key needs to be depressed. Let's examine B-flat first, then move on up to C.
There are four main ways to play B-flat.
- Side B-flat
- Fork One (also known as One-and-One)
- Fork Two (maybe known as One-and-Two)
- BIS key
Side B-flat is the most common B-flat fingering used. It produces the easiest sound, and the best tone. If at all possible, this fingering should be used for B-flat. It is easy to approach diatonically from A, and not that difficult from C. It can be reached conveniently from many other notes, as well. But there are some situations where this fingering presents a problem - normally a speed problem. Relax, there are other ways.
Fork One, or One-and-One, is the B-flat produced with the first finger of each hand. This fingering has one supreme advantage to the Side B-flat method. When you play a B-flat major arpeggio (or any skips comprising the B-flat major arpeggio), transferring your fingers from F to Side B-flat is difficult, especially in fast passages. So, Fork One allows you to play F and lift two fingers to produce the B-flat. Putting down four fingers from there will take you to the next note of the arpeggio, and so on. I have seen many people play B-flat this way all the time while being ignorant of the Side B-flat fingering. Again, I recommend using Side B-flat whenever possible. As have all my teachers.
Fork Two is a special alternate fingering. It can be used when playing an arpeggio (or skip) involving F-sharp. In this example, the B-flat will probably be written as an A-sharp. And this is how Fork Two should be used: as an A-sharp. It is slightly closer to B, than the other B-flat fingerings. This makes the note sound more sharp. Violin players do this all the time. They play sharps closer to the higher neighbor, and flats closer to the lower neighbor. Saxophonists can't do this for every note using fingering methods, but each time we can, we should. And A-sharp, using Fork Two is one of the easiest places to play more professionally.
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