One can interpolate from these figures that pitch changes approximately 2.5 cents for each 1º F rise or fall in the air temperature inside a wind instrument. 1/2 step (100 cents) for a difference of 30º C or 54º F 1/3 step (67 cents) for a difference of 20º C or 36º F 1 comma (25 cents) for a difference of 6º C or 10º F
įrom Ernest Ferron's book, "The Saxophone Is My Voice" p. If the saxophone was tuned at 74º F to play A = 440, and then taken to an environment of 68º F, the mouthpiece would need to be pushed in approximately 4.5 mm to bring the saxophone up to pitch. The formula for pitch in physics is:į = C/λ where F is frequency, C is the speed of sound, and λ is the wavelengthĪt 74º F the speed of sound is 345 m/s, and the wavelength of A = 440 hz is 78.4 cm.Īt 68º F the speed of sound drops to 343 m/s, and the wavelength of A = 440 hz becomes 77.95 cm-4.5 mm shorter. The meter can be good for confirmation, but you can't keep looking at it while you play.Ī change in temperature affects the speed of sound, which in turn affects the pitch. You have to learn to hear when you're in or out of tune, and not just see it on the meter. To adjust the pitch of your tuning note you need to move the mouthpiece on or off the neck a little bit.įinally, I'd say that the best use for your tuner at this stage is to generate a reference tone (eg a Bb) and adjust your mouthpiece until what you play sounds like the same note. Either you're playing sharp and getting a B natural, or you didn't spot the little flat sign on the tuner screen (it's quite small on mine). When you play a C on your tenor, you should get a B flat (I really hope this isn't going to start another fruitless dicussion on the merits of transposition }). Second, the sax is a transposing instument.
So you need to set the tuner back to A=440. Otherwise you may get your sax notes in tune with each other, but you'll be out of tune whern you play with anyone else. First thing is, you don't calibrate the tuner to match the notes, you adjust the notes until the tuner says they're OK.
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