The bis key on a saxophone allows you to roll the finger used to sound B so that you can play Bb with one finger. When I went to school, I was taught to use the first finger of each hand to finger Bb. Thirty years later when I started up on the sax again, I was admonished not to use that fingering, but rather to use the A fingers with the side Bb key.
I couldn’t believe anyone would recommend that but then I played a number of vintage Selmer Mark VIs and discovered that my learned fingering (1 + 1) resulted in a very bad intonation for that note! Could it be that is what drove instructors to recommend the A + side palm keys?
So I showed one of my instructors that on my sax, the Couf Superba I, I could play both fingerings and the intonation was relatively the same. Casa Valdez Studios sez it in even a more compelling manner the post Bis Key and Saxophone Hell. And the picture above is of a Oleg add-on to make it even easier to use the bis key.
But if I started purchasing one for each of my saxes, like I did the Vandoren Optimum lig, (ooh, one screw adjustment) I’d need five for my main saxophones. And then my wife would want them for her two saxes. ;o)
The music is quite enjoyable and relaxing. It is wonderful that you and your wife are both musicians. My Ex used to say that I was atonal, which is true, and it was a miracle that I was in our church choir…lol. I may not be able to sing on key, but I can appreciate good music, and do enjoy jazz.
By Lizzie-Beth4Him on January 5, 2007 at 06:15