This is a virtual alto sax that plays the sound of a real one straight from your browser.
To play this virtual alto sax, simply click the note grid with your mouse or use keys on your computer keyboard. Notes will appear on the right and a diagram of the instrument appear on the left. As you play, the diagram lights up to show you how to place your fingers according to traditional fingerings. This helps you learn as you experiment with melody ideas. It is designed to be musical and responsive whatever your purpose, just make some noise for fun or test out a tune.
How to Use the Virtual Alto Sax
Notes is triggered in one of two main ways. Simply click on the desired square in the grid and it plays that note. This means you are working within the standard two-octave range for most beginner to intermediate player. The grid represents this as C4, C6. Alternatively, hold down a button in the grid to extend the note’s duration to mimic holding a breath on the real instrument.
Faster still is the option to play using your keyboard. A key here is that the letter keys is divided into the lower octave (bottom row), beginning with the letter ‘Z’ for the first note of C4. The higher octave is covered by the number keys and the row labelled ‘Q’. By default, they will sound staccato or short notes, perfect if you want to practice some quick rhythms.
The diagram above on the left isn’t simply an illustration of the instrument. Every time you strike a key, the ones that is being used to produce the note are illuminated in orange, showing exactly where they are on the instrument. If you’re learning to play a physical saxophone, then you can use this visual feedback alongside what your hands is doing to help check your technique. Additional information like the need for side keys or pinky keys for certain notes is provided in the text below the diagram. In the centre panel, you’ll find the written note name and the actual pitch (concert) shown clearly. Because the alto saxophone is a transposing instrument, you should remember it sounds a major sixth lower than the written note. That’s calculated automatically by the widget so you’ll always be aware of the true pitch you hear.
At the bottom there are several controls that you can play around with to adjust your performance. A volume slider lets you set the master output level. If you’re performing on headphones, best turn this down first before you open the page.
There’s a vibrato button which turns on or off a subtle pitch change called vibrato. Adding vibrato brings a warm life-like quality to longer notes and makes the sound seem more organic. For faster passages, you may wish to switch this off in favour of a straight tone.
Next, there’s the option to play an automatic scale run which sounds out a C major scale up and then down. This enables you to hear how the fingerings sits together without having to press any keys yourself.
Finally, there’s the Ode to Joy button. Here you have a reference tune to follow along with.
The long tone button gives you practice mode. It is maybe the most useful feature if you’re taking the instrument seriously. Pressing it after you’ve played a note will cause it to swell in volume, hold at full strength and finally fade away. Good playing on the saxophone depends upon good use of long tones. These enable good tone consistency and control of your breathing. If you want to try, hit the long tone button after just one note to hear what a pro’s sustain sounds like. Then compare with your idea of what a good tone should of been.
It is in fullscreen. Hitting the fullscreen button makes the widget take up your entire screen. This eliminates distraction and allows you more space to view the fingering clearly.
The beauty comes from combining all the different options available in this tool. Play through one of the scale runs, observing what happens to the fingerings as you do. You’ll notice just how dramatic a change can occur from note-to-note in your hand position. On the saxophone, the break between C5 and D5 is a common challenge for saxophonists because it requires a sudden change in fingering. Slowly run those two notes together and notice that your entire hand is moving as one. Alternatively, play the same phrase without vibrato by toggling it off and then switch it back on again to introduce expression into your performance. To help develop a feeling for time and pulse, hold down the keys on the grid for varying lengths of time. When performing jazz lines or improvisations, the darker background of the sharp notes makes it simple to locate any accidentals too.
Firstly, click on some random notes so that you can hear how the sound engine works. Turn the volume down to where it’s comfortabley for you. Next, use the scale run to get used to the fingerings. Once you get an idea of how things are laid out, put your hands back on the keyboard and try to play a simple tune you already know. There’s no expectation for perfection at this stage. It’s a safe place to investigate the sound and feel of the alto saxophone. Enjoy creating music and see what works best for you.