Fingering as a Means of Achieving Timbre-Expressive Resources in Contemporary Saxophone Practice

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32461/2226-3209.1.2026.356305

Keywords:

saxophone, fingering, performance, timbral expressiveness, interpretation, chamber-instrumental music, saxophone concert and pedagogical repertoire

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to highlight fingering as one of the leading means of shaping the timbral-expressive palette of the contemporary saxophonist and to clarify its role in concert and pedagogical practice. The methodology of the study is based on a combination of comprehensive and analytical approaches: a performance-acoustic analysis is applied to identify the influence of primary and auxiliary fingerings on the instrument’s timbral spectrum; an analytical method is used to examine fingering systems of wind instruments; and the author’s own performance-pedagogical experience is employed to determine the practical regularities of fingering influence on the timbral and expressive resources of the saxophone. The scientific novelty lies in refining the functional significance of fingering variants in contemporary saxophone practice and outlining their potential as an important tool of timbral modelling that exceeds the boundaries of their traditional technical role. Conclusions. The study demonstrates that fingering is an essential component of artistic thinking, enabling the performer to precisely control timbral nuances, to adapt to the polystylistic conditions of contemporary music, and to effectively construct interpretative logic. The article analyses the importance of different types of fingerings for shaping the timbral palette, articulation techniques, and extended techniques, including portamento, bisbigliando, harmonics, micro-intervals, and multiphonics. The findings confirm that fingering in contemporary saxophone art functions as a complex expressive resource that enhances the performer’s technical and artistic freedom and contributes to the formation of a unique individual style of saxophone playing. This approach positions fingering not merely as a technical component of performance, but as a significant means of creative self-expression and a driver of the evolution of contemporary saxophone practice.

References

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Published

2026-03-31

Issue

No. 1 (2026)

Section

Musical art

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