If you have started to play the saxophone then you are at the beginning of an exciting musical journey! As you go, you will learn lots of additional details, but here are a few terms and definitions from the world of saxophone playing to get you started.
Action – How the keys feel to the player for example, the height of the keys, smoothness of movement or the springiness of the keys.
Articulated G# - Mechanism that allows lower keys to be operated whilst still holding the G# key
Altissimo - One for when you have progressed! The technique of playing high notes not using the instrument's standard keys in the higher range. This enables the player to play notes above high E/F.
Bell - The flared bell-shaped part of a saxophone.
Body - The main part of the saxophone where most of the keys are.
Crook (Neck) - The curved part with cork on the end which the mouthpiece fits onto. The other end of the neck fits into the body via a tenon. Often not removable on sopranos or other straight saxophones.
Ergonomics - Design of the keywork in relation to how it feels to the player and how easy it is to reach and move with your fingers.
Front F key - A key which allows an alternative fingering for top F. This makes it easier some passages, e.g. going from top C to top F and back.
Key cups - The circular parts that hold the pads.
Neck – see ‘Crook’
Octave pips - The (usually two) holes on the neck and high up on the body which are used for venting. This helps the player to player an octave higher in the upper register.
Pads - Circular discs located under the instrument's keys. Made up of a leather cover, a felt core, cardboard backing and a resonator in the centre of the pad which reflects sound waves outwards.
Palm keys - The set of top keys operated by the palm of the left hand.
Pearls - Discs made of mother of pearl or plastic fitted to key cups or levers for the fingers to touch.
Pinky table (cluster) - The set of keys operated by the pinky fingers. Left hand pinky table- G# | C# | B | B♭. Right hand pinky table - C | E♭.
Side keys - The keys on the right-hand side (from the player's perspective). Top E, side C and side B♭
Springs - Tiny pieces of metal which push keys back up to their open position after you have pressed them down.
Tenon and Tenon receiver - The tenon is cylindrical part at the end of the neck which fits into the body via the tenon receiver which receives the tenon and holds it in place with a screw.
Thumb rest - Hook attached to the back of the body of the saxophone which sits over the right-hand thumb. Can be fixed or adjustable for player comfort.
Tone holes - The holes in the saxophone which are opened and closed by the pads to change the pitch.
Underslung - This means the octave pip and octave key mechanism are underneath the neck as opposed to being more conventionally on top.
