The Notes Top E and F - Fingering and Exercises
With
James RaeJames Rae shows the fingerings for top E and F on the saxophone, including the auxiliary 'front F', with exercises to settle the new notes.
Copyright © 2023 Universal Edition (London) Ltd., All compositions by James Rae except where otherwise indicated.
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Lesson transcript
Saxophone Top Notes: E and F
Now we come to two top notes on the saxophone: top E and F.
Top E
- The top E is played in a similar way to E flat (D sharp).
- Use two palm keys here, plus the top of the three keys located on the instrument.
- To play E flat, simply add one key to make it into E natural.
- Always maintain a relaxed throat position while playing.
Transition to F
- When we're on top E, it's easy to transition to F because all these keys remain down.
- To play F, bring in the key with the middle finger of the left hand, which opens the key at the very top.
Auxiliary Top F
There is another fingering for F, which we use in arpeggios, known as auxiliary top F or front F.
- To play this, press C and press the very top key.
- On some saxophones, it's a spatula. On others, it's a pearl disc like the B key, but they serve the same function.
- It's quite an easy shift because you're just bringing down one finger, but it is a slightly more resistant note to play.
- Make sure you use lots of air support; it's very handy in arpeggios as it saves scrambling for the side keys.
Exercises
Exercise 1:
- Focuses on a workout for transitioning from D to E.
- Ensure that your two fingers work as one when approaching E from D.
- Avoid catching E flat.
Exercise 2:
- Designed to improve top F by approaching it from below, step by step.
Exercise 3:
- Covers the scale of F major over two octaves.
- Always aim to produce a smooth sound at the top, especially from D up to F.
- When you connect these notes, they should come out smoothly.
Using Auxiliary F
As we touched on earlier, using the auxiliary F simplifies the transition from C to high F.
- It involves a nice and easy action, although it is a more resistant note compared to side F, which leads to a smoother arpeggio.
Smooth Study in F
- Smooth study in F is similar to previous sections: scale ascending in thirds.
- You can utilize auxiliary F for the final leap, and it can also be used on the way down.
Octave Study
- Similar to previous exercises, go all the way up, and again you can use front F for that final leap.
- This ensures it speaks clearly!
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
James Rae was born on Tyneside in 1957. He studied clarinet, bass clarinet, piano and composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1975 to 1979, under professors Yona Ettlinger, Stephen Trier, Meriel Jefferson and Patric Standford respectively. Since leaving the Guildhall, he has pursued a highly successful and varied career across three areas: performing, writing and teaching.
James Rae has worked in many West End and Royal National Theatre productions, including Sir Peter Hall's award-winning Oresteia with music by Sir Harrison Birtwistle, and has received many freelance engagements with some of the country's leading orchestras and ensembles. He is the leader of the Phoenix Saxophone Quartet, who over the years have given many recitals and BBC broadcasts, and have recorded the complete works of Carey Blyton on two albums, 'The Return of Bulgy Gogo' and 'Sherlock Holmes meets Dr Who'.
As a composer, James Rae is one of Europe's most published writers of educational wind music, with over 250 publications to his credit, mainly published by Universal Edition. His music includes instrumental study books, sonatas, tutors, baroque, classical and jazz transcriptions, plus many volumes of duets, many of which feature on all the major wind examination syllabuses worldwide. He has also written four musicals for schools with Mike Cornick, and his larger commissions include The Turn of a Wheel, a major work for concert band that premiered in November 1999 for the North Tyneside Concert Band, of which he was a founder member as a boy, and the overture Moving On in 2012.
James Rae has worked extensively as a syllabus consultant and composer for both the Associated Board and Trinity College London, and has been highly involved in developing the woodwind sight-reading requirements for both exam boards. As a teacher, he has held many posts in both the state and independent sectors, and currently works at King's College School Wimbledon, where he directs the Wind Orchestra and Concert Band, and Shrewsbury House School in Surbiton, where he coaches three large bands and a chamber group. That teaching experience runs right through his saxophone series for MusicGurus, which takes you step by step from your very first notes to a confident, stylish player: First Notes, New Keys & Low Notes, Expanding Your Range, Scales & High Notes, Extended Range & Rhythm, and Polish & Style.
