(I find the Sylphyo’s octave keys rather more difficult to operate than the WX5/AE-10 set, so I am hoping we can extend the range within one octave to reduce the technical requirements on the left thumb. I hope you will consider adding it as an option!)
Stretch fingering proposed scheme for Sylphyo
The purposes of this proposed fingering system are:
--to maximize the range of tones that can be played without changing octaves, by extensions below C3 (down to F2) and above C#4 (to G#4).
--to build the notes in the fingering vocabulary by simple rules and principles with a minimum of exceptions
--to define the unused combinations to cover mistakes and add easy trill keys
All fingerings in the basic chart are based on a home note of C3 when the left thumb is resting on the Sylphyo's middle octave key. Moving the left thumb up or down raises everything up or down one or more octaves. The octave key used is not part of the fingering charts.
Fingerings are described in two ways: 1) text, using O (open, no finger touching) and X (closed, finger depressed upon the key-spot) from the top of the Sylphyo (excluding the settings key) to the bottom, with a space around the left and right pinkie fingers: example: OXO o OOO o (C4), and 2) a single number from 0-255 representing a binary number covering the eight fingers, using L1 as the most significant bit: the C4 fingering above is 64.
The fingering principles describe, and later, build upon, groups of tones that a player may learn:
Rule 1: C-major scale tones are the same as a saxophone or a recorder, from C4 down to C3:
C4 - OXO o OOO o
B3 - XOO o OOO o
A3 - XXO o OOO o
G3 - XXX o OOO o
F3 - XXX o XOO o
E3 - XXX o XXO o
D3 - XXX o XXX o
C3 - XXX o XXX x
None of these tones use the L4 pinky; all but the top C4 use consecutive fingers from the top (L1), not including the L4 pinky.
Rule 2: any Rule 1 fingering above F3 can be altered DOWN a half tone by adding one or two keys after the first open one (ignoring L4):
Gb3 - XXX o OXO o
or XXX o OXX o (EXCEPTION - overridden by Rule 5 as Eb3)
or XXX o OXX x (replacement fingering, similar to recorder)
Ab3 - XXO o XXO o
or XXO o XOO o
Bb3 - XOX o XOO o
or XOX o OOO o
Rule 3: adding the L4 key to any Rule 1 fingering raises it by a semitone:
C#4 - OXO x OOO o
C4 - XOO x OOO o (B#4)
A#3 - XXO x OOO o
G#3 - XXX x OOO o
F#3 - XXX x XOO o
F3 - XXX x XXO o (E#3)
D#3 - XXX x XXX o
C#3 - XXX x XXX x
Rule 4: no keys at all is C#4, which can be raised up to D by adding the L4 pinky:
C#4 - OOO o OOO o
D4 - OOO x OOO o
Rule 5: two alternate fingerings for Eb3 using L123, R3, and either R1 or R2 but not both. This OVERRIDES the XXX o OXX o F#3 fingering, but it is replaced by XXX o OXX x, a recorder-style F#:
Eb3 - XXX o OXX o
Eb3 - XXX o XOX o
Rule 6: any Rule 1-5 fingering with L123 all down is raised one octave by raising L1, allowing access as high as Ab4 without changing octaves. This matches or approximates the highest-register fingering patterns on many wind instruments (without requiring extra breath):
C4 - OXX o XXX x
C#4 - OXX x XXX x
D4 - OXX o XXX o
D#4 - OXX x XXX o
Eb4 - OXX o OXX o
Eb4 - OXX o XOX o
E4 - OXX o XXO o
E#4 - OXX x XXO o
F4 - OXX o XOO o
F#4 - OXX x XOO o
Gb4 - OXX o OXO o
Gb4 - OXX o OXX x
G4 - OXX o OOO o
G#4 - OXX x OOO o
Rule 7: any Rule 1-5 fingering with L123 all down is lowered a perfect fifth by raising L1 AND L2, allowing access as low as F2 without changing octaves. These tones are similar to the lower register of a clarinet in the right hand with only L3 down:
F2 - OOX o XXX x
F#2 - OOX x XXX x
G2 - OOX o XXX o
G#2 - OOX x XXX o
Ab2 - OOX o OXX o
Ab2 - OOX o XOX o
A2 - OOX o XXO o
A#2 - OOX x XXO o
Bb2 - OOX o XOO o
B2 - OOX x XOO o
B2 - OOX o OXO o
B2 - OOX o OXX x
C3 - OOX o OOO o
C#3 - OOX x OOO o
Rule 8: Rules 1-7 cover 54 of the 256 combinations, listed below. The remaining 202 should be assigned with the following priorities in mind: 1) adding easy single key trills of 1-3 semitones where none exist, 2) adding more useful alternate fingerings that make intutitive sense. For most unused combinations, the instrument should just assume that the combination is a transition between one known tone to another and continue playing the previous tone if the airflow continues.
The 54 Rule 1-7 Tones
Sorted By Rule:
Note Fingering Rule FNum
C3 - XXX o XXX x 1 239
D3 - XXX o XXX o 1 238
E3 - XXX o XXO o 1 236
F3 - XXX o XOO o 1 232
G3 - XXX o OOO o 1 224
A3 - XXO o OOO o 1 192
B3 - XOO o OOO o 1 128
C4 - OXO o OOO o 1 064
Gb3 - XXX o OXO o 2 228
Gb3 - XXX o OXX x 2 231
Ab3 - XXO o XXO o 2 204
Ab3 - XXO o XOO o 2 200
Bb3 - XOX o XOO o 2 168
Bb3 - XOX o OOO o 2 160
C#4 - OXO x OOO o 3 080
C4 - XOO x OOO o 3 136
A#3 - XXO x OOO o 3 208
G#3 - XXX x OOO o 3 240
F#3 - XXX x XOO o 3 248
F3 - XXX x XXO o 3 252
D#3 - XXX x XXX o 3 254
C#3 - XXX x XXX x 3 255
C#4 - OOO o OOO o 4 000
D4 - OOO x OOO o 4 016
Eb3 - XXX o OXX o 5 230
Eb3 - XXX o XOX o 5 234
C4 - OXX o XXX x 6 111
C#4 - OXX x XXX x 6 127
D4 - OXX o XXX o 6 110
D#4 - OXX x XXX o 6 126
Eb4 - OXX o OXX o 6 102
Eb4 - OXX o XOX o 6 106
E4 - OXX o XXO o 6 108
E#4 - OXX x XXO o 6 124
F4 - OXX o XOO o 6 104
F#4 - OXX x XOO o 6 120
Gb4 - OXX o OXO o 6 100
Gb4 - OXX o OXX x 6 103
G4 - OXX o OOO o 6 096
G#4 - OXX x OOO o 6 112
F2 - OOX o XXX x 7 047
F#2 - OOX x XXX x 7 063
G2 - OOX o XXX o 7 046
G#2 - OOX x XXX o 7 062
Ab2 - OOX o OXX o 7 038
Ab2 - OOX o XOX o 7 042
A2 - OOX o XXO o 7 044
A#2 - OOX x XXO o 7 060
Bb2 - OOX o XOO o 7 040
B2 - OOX x XOO o 7 056
B2 - OOX o OXO o 7 036
B2 - OOX o OXX x 7 039
C3 - OOX o OOO o 7 032
C#3 - OOX x OOO o 7 048