I've attached a sample of one of Sigurd Rascher's 24 Intermezzi. It's the only example I could find online in 10 minutes or less. Rascher wrote these to
crush your soul improve students' fingering technique on saxophone. Don't do that. Note that clarinet fingering is mostly the same as sax above
to 8va
.
Let me give you an example on the sax. the left hand is on the top keys and the right hand is on the bottom. "X" marks a key pressed down. "0" isn't pressed down.
flat, can be fingered at least four ways:
x00 | 000 with a separate key under the x'd key (called "Bb bis"; both keys are pressed down with the left forefinger)
x00 | x00 which doesn't sound great
xx0 | 000 with a right-hand side key you hit with your forefinger ("chromatic Bb")
xxx | xxx with a left hand pinky key, right hand pinky key, and a thumb key. This also doesn't sound great.
Going to
?
0x0 | 000
x00 | 000 with a right hand side key you hit with your forefinger ("chromatic C"). No, not the same right hand key as above.
xxx | xxx with a right hand pinky key, and a thumb key (which also doesn't sound great).
Other than being traumatized by Rascher, Scoring problems I've seen:
* Not knowing the range of the instrument. As an example, I've seen arrangements that featured baritone saxophone parts down to 8vb
. The general keyed range of a saxophone is to low Bb or low A.
* Not understanding that saxophones and clarinets are transposing instruments. Clarinets are generally Bb, although most pros do also have an A clarinet. Saxophones are usually Bb (soprano, tenor, bass) or Eb (sopranino, alto, baritone). I don't particularly enjoy double-sharps
* Scoring for difficult to find instruments. As an example, chances are very low that your run-of-the-mill orchestra will have a Bb sopranissimo or an Eb contrabass saxophone.
