Good tone is one of an alto saxophone player's greatest assets and
consequently deserves high priority in training and pedagogy. The
current pedagogical literature gives little attention to tone production
on the saxophone. The mouthpiece is the link between the player and
the saxophone. This study examined the effect of the normal
mouthpiece pitch and the pitch range produced on the saxophone
mouthpiece on alto saxophone tone quality .
In this experimental study, recordings were made of forty-three
student alto saxophone players who performed tasks consisting of three
saxophone mouthpiece exercises and four short musical phrases on the
saxophone.
The tape recordings were used to provide a spectral analysis of the
tone samples by Fast Fourier Transform Analysis, and to allow
qualitative analysis by five expert judges. The judges used a
saxophone listening profile to provide qualitative evaluation of the
recordings.
Cluster analysis produced three groups of subjects according to
combinations of the mouthpiece pitch and range produced. The mean
sustained mouthpiece pitch and mouthpiece range of the groups were:
Cluster 1 - 790 Hz and 550 cents; Cluster 2 1023 Hz and 150 cents:
and Cluster 3 - 820 Hz and 1203 cents.
Analysis of variance was used to test for statistically significant
differences between the clusters. Discriminant analysis was used to
identify other variables which contributed to the formation of the three
clusters.
The quantitative analysis of both mouthpiece and saxophone tones
provided no insight into the spectra of the student subjects.
The qualitative analysis using bipolar descriptors provided valid
criteria which could be applied consistently for the analysis of student
saxophone tone. A Tonal Index was computed from the judges' ratings
in order to test for differences in tone between the clusters.
Analysis of variance tests showed significant differences in the tone
produced by the clusters on both the mouthpiece and the saxophone.
The tone produced by Cluster 3 was significantly different to that
produced by Clusters 1 and 2 at the p < .05 level.
Discriminant analysis identified the use of saxophone tone models
(through comparative critical listening) and small group performance as
significant predictor variables (at the p < .05 level) in the formation of
the clusters.
The results of this study suggest that tone production on the alto
saxophone is improved through the development of control on the
mouthpiece. It was concluded that routine practice with the
mouthpiece can serve in the development of a flexible and responsive
embouchure and oral cavity and that students need to develop a
mental concept of saxophone tone as part of the development of tone
production. Also, experience in small group performance needs to be
sought and provided for saxophone students. Finally, this study
focussed on an area of mouthpiece behaviour which can easily be
included into any instructional design and monitored by teachers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219097 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | King, Brian William, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Brian William King |
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