Flexible EWI fingerings

ByBret Pimentel

With traditional woodwind instruments, the fingers work together to change the effective length of the instrument’s body tube by opening and closing toneholes. Woodwind fingerings at their most basic use the fingers in sequence. For example, a certain note might be produced with an “open” fingering (all toneholes open). When the “first” finger (the one closest to the mouthpiece) closes a hole, the pitch drops, perhaps by a whole step. Adding the next farther finger drops the pitch again, and so on toward the bell end of the instrument.

“Forked” fingerings, in which a lower tonehole is closed while one above it is open, often produce somewhat inferior results—notes that are mismatched in timbre and/or intonation. (Some modern woodwinds use special mechanisms to correct for this, such as the F resonance mechanism on a high-quality oboe.)

An electronic woodwind-style instrument, such as the Akai EWI series, uses a fingering system that is designed to be similar to a traditional woodwind, so that a traditional woodwind player can easily adapt to it. But this is an arbitrary choice. Since the instrument’s tone production system uses electronic circuitry and software, rather than a vibrating air column, the fingering system don’t necessarily have to use the fingers in sequence, and forked fingerings don’t have any inherent problems. The fingerings can be invented completely from scratch, with no acoustical limitations.

EWI fingerings are designed to draw upon the best of both worlds—the familiarity of traditional woodwind fingerings, and the flexibility of a non-acoustical fingering system.

Note that the current-model EWI4000s, using version 2.4 of the operating system, includes several fingering modes. The mode I am considering here is the “EWI” mode, as the “flute,” “oboe,” and “saxophone” modes sacrifice some flexibility for the sake of increased familiarity to traditional woodwind players. You might consider this article to be subtitled, “Why you should be using the ‘EWI’ fingering mode.”

The current manual (“revision D”) shows a mere 17 fingerings in its EWI mode fingering chart (11 chromatic pitches, with B-flat through D having fingerings in two octaves, and B-flat having one additional alternate fingering). But many, many more are possible.

We can consider the individual EWI keys as having individual functions, rather than being inherently interdependent. For example, pressing none of the keys produces a C-sharp:

C-sharp

Adding any key will alter the C-sharp pitch by a given amount:

key pitch change
(in semitones)		 exceptions
LH 1 -2
LH bis -1 If both LH 1 and LH 2 are pressed, LH bis has no effect
LH 2 -2 If LH 1 is not pressed, LH2 produces -1 (this makes LH middle finger C possible)
LH 3 -2
LH pinky 1 +1
LH pinky 2 -1
RH side +1 No effect when used in combination with LH pinky 1
RH 1 -2 If LH 3 is not pressed, RH1 produces -1 (this makes 1 + 1 B-flat possible)
RH 2 -1
RH 3 -2
RH pinky 1 +1
RH pinky 2 -1
RH pinky 3 -2

If I press LH 1, LH 2, and LH 3, the pitch is lowered from C-sharp by a total of 6 semitones, producing the G fingering familiar to saxophonists, oboists, flutists, and clarinetists.

But that is only one possible combination. I could also produce a G with, for example, LH 1, LH 2, and RH 3. Or LH 3, LH pinky 2, RH 1, and RH pinky 2. These fingerings would be extremely unlikely to work on a traditional woodwind, but with the EWI the possibilities are wide open. As long as the total pitch change adds up to -6 (and accounting for any of the listed exceptions), you get a G.

Standard G fingering.(LH 1 + LH 2 + LH 3) = (-2 + -2 + -2) = -6 = G One alternative G fingering.(LH 1 + LH 2 + RH 3) = (-2 + -2 + -2) = -6 = G Another alternative G.(LH 3 + LH pinky 2 + RH 1 + RH pinky 2) = (-2 + -1 + -2 + -1) = -6 = G

These examples are illustrative but likely have few real-world applications. For a more practical example, consider trills, which among traditional woodwind players are a subject of endless discussion and books upon books of awkward, complicated fingerings. An ideal trill fingering involves moving only one finger, preferably one that can be moved in a rapid, controlled, non-awkward way.

Take a look at the following musical example (one that oboists will recognize).

This passage would be a nightmare to play using only Akai’s 17 listed fingerings, but is easily manageable if you take a moment to work out some alternatives.

Assuming that you are using the “side” B-flat fingering in the first measure, the most obvious A-flat to B-flat trill is to hold the B-flat fingering and trill will LH 3. However, if you prefer, LH 2 will work equally well, as will RH 3 or RH pinky 3. (LH 1 will not work, because of the LH 2 exception; that would produce an A-flat to B-natural tremolo.)

Awkward A-flat to B-flat trills using Akai’s published fingerings. (Alternate the blue and red keys.) A much better trill fingering.

The next problematic trill is F to G-flat in the last measure of line 2. I suggest holding the F fingering and trilling with RH pinky 1. (LH pinky 1 is also serviceable, but I find RH easier because RH 3 is free.)

F to G-flat trill

For the G-flat to A-flat trill in the same measure, I would hold the G-flat trill fingering (standard F, plus RH pinky 1) and trill with RH 1. (Again, there are more possibilities. In many cases the standard A-flat fingering trilling RH 1 would make sense.)

G-flat to A-flat trill

Try that whole measure—the fingerings are unfamiliar at first, but they lie very comfortably under the fingers and make for effortless trills.

Here’s what it sounds like:

Take a little time to experiment with your EWI’s fingerings, and see what you come up with!

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    Frequently-asked questions about woodwind doubling, and their unpopular answers

    ByBret Pimentel

    Q. Should I be a woodwind doubler?

    A. In most cases, no. If you already feel driven to do it, and have the time and resources to devote to it, then maybe.

    Q. What’s the trick to getting in enough practice time on all these instruments?

    A. Figure out what to de-prioritize in your life to devote more hours to practicing.

    Q. What’s the trick to affording all these instruments?

    A. Figure out what to de-prioritize in your life to devote more money to instrument purchases.

    Q. What instrument/mouthpiece/etc. should I buy?

    A. The one that you have carefully, methodically selected from among dozens or more high-quality specimens, without blindly following internet recommendations.

    Q. What’s a good mouthpiece, instrument, etc. for a doubler?

    A. Only buy things “for doublers” if you want to sound like a doubler. If you want to sound like, say, a good clarinetist, use what good clarinetists use.

    Q. Which instrument should I learn next?

    A. Whichever motivates you enough to devote the necessary time and money.

    Q. Playing one instrument already means it will be easy to learn another, right?

    A. If your goal is to develop only a superficial command of the instrument, then yes. 

    Q. How do I know when I am “good enough” at an instrument to count it as one of my doubles?

    A. You stop getting fired for how you sound.

    Q. How do I get gigs?

    A. Sound great, behave professionally, and be liked by the right people.

  • Pedagogical recipes

    ByBret Pimentel

    I want to follow up on something I touched on in my last post. I described in that post how I had my woodwind methods class evaluate some online pedagogical resources, and mentioned that I had them compare the information found online to the information presented in class. My idea was to prepare them to deal with conflicting information, which will be part of their reality as public school band directors.

    Woodwind pedagogy, unfortunately, is a mishmash of contradictory ideas. This is supported by a culture of hero worship of certain teachers and performers, a permissive editorial process for publishing pedagogical materials (increasingly so with the rise of the internet), and an attitude that music is not subject to scientific method.

    When conflicts exist between one school of thought and another, in some cases that is because one or both sides is incorrect. In other cases the problem is a communication failure: both sides are applying the same techniques in the same way, but describing them poorly (or at least differently). But I think there are other cases where the difference can be attributed to what I think of as different “recipes.”

    photo, Sarah Horrigan
    photo, Sarah Horrigan

    There are many ways to make a chocolate cake. Some cake recipes might be objectively better than others by some measure or another. Some might produce results that are generally satisfactory but especially suited to certain tastes. And in some cases, two different recipes might produce results that are very similar. In those cases, the way the ingredients and techniques balance is significant: one recipe might call for two eggs instead of three, but has more of another ingredient that makes up the difference, or a difference in baking time and temperature.

    I think a similar thing can happen with “recipes” for woodwind playing. Equipment preferences are a fairly clear example: one clarinet teacher might favor very stiff reeds, while another prefers softer ones. Both might produce excellent results, so long as they are balanced properly—the first teacher probably balances stiffer reeds against mouthpieces with a more closed tip, and the other might use softer reeds with more open mouthpieces. One oboe teacher might clip his reeds to 70mm while another clips hers to 69.5mm, but they probably balance this with narrower or wider shaper tips, or tweaks to any of a dozen other variables.

    Playing techniques are a little more abstract and complicated to separate out, but I think the same concept applies. One bassoon teacher might encourage some jaw movement when articulating lower notes, while another teaches a more stable embouchure, but it’s always more complicated than that: the technique’s usefulness and effectiveness has to be evaluated in the context of each teacher’s approach to breath support, voicing, embouchure, equipment, and more.

    The idea that I wanted to bring across to my class is that, for band directors or other musicians and music educators who might not be specialists in each of the woodwind instruments, it is important to beware little pedagogical proverbs taken out of context. Something like “firm up your embouchure” or “use a stiffer reed” or “use the alternate F-sharp” can seem like a quick and digestible solution, but can’t be applied casually and without understanding of the larger picture.

  • David Liebman on not doubling

    ByBret Pimentel

    Living jazz icon and soprano saxophonist David Liebman discusses his decision to abandon his doubles, even other saxophones:

    There comes a point in an artist’s life that he or she must be objective and identify the strongest aspects of their work. After the first flush of talent and success with all the dreams and desires accompanying that stage, there naturally comes a point in development where concentration of energy becomes necessary and one can see that with increased focus greater gains may be realized. … I realized that in a given set of an hour when I played all three instruments it resulted in very few actual moments spent on each horn. It had always been clear to me that one of the most important aspects for attaining a high level was achieved by pure and simple instrumental virtuosity. The only way that is accomplished is by the sheer amount of man hours spent with the horn in your mouth. And that means ONE horn, because though the tenor and soprano belong to the same family of instruments, they are different in many ways. It was clear that the only way for me to advance further was to concentrate energy on one or the other horn.

    Read the whole thing at Mr. Liebman’s website.

  • Why do I need to use alternate fingerings?

    ByBret Pimentel

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

    Woodwind instruments including the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone all have more than one fingering for some notes. Why is that, and do you need to learn them all? Instead, could you just learn the one main fingering for every note and get really good at using it?

    Here are some things to think about:

    • There’s not always one “main” fingering. For example, the clarinet has its “pinky finger” notes that have left-hand or right-hand options, and you need to know both equally well to play above the beginner level. The flute has “1 and 1” and “thumb” fingerings for B-flat that are both common and standard. The oboe has two or three standard fingerings for F. The bassoon’s thumb and pinky options for F-sharp and A-flat and the saxophone’s “side” and “bis” B-flats are also arguably equally important.
    • Using an alternate fingering can sometimes help avoid awkward movements. One example is flip-flopping (one finger lifting up while another presses down) with F to F-sharp on saxophone or in the clarinet’s middle register. Another is sliding (moving a finger from one key to another) like going from D on the oboe to F with the right-hand F key. Sometimes these awkward movements are unavoidable, but good woodwind players avoid them whenever possible.
    • Alternate fingerings don’t always sound or respond the same. Some do, such as the clarinet’s pinky finger notes, because the pinky keys open and close the same holes. But some alternate fingerings might be a little louder or softer, sharper or flatter, more or less resistant, or brighter or darker in tone. Excellent woodwind players use these differences in artistic ways.

    So alternate fingerings are important and useful. But do you need all of them?

    There can be a lot of alternate fingerings. Advanced bassoonists sometimes refer to a book of fingerings that is over 300 pages long! (There are books for other instruments, too.) Sometimes there can be dozens of fingerings for a single note.

    If you’re currently learning an instrument and using a method book (individual or band method) that has a fingering chart, you could check to see which notes have more than one fingering. It might be a worthwhile challenge to learn all those fingerings, and see if the book gives any hints about when to use which ones.

    If you’re a more advanced student, the music you’re working on might present challenges when fingering patterns get awkward. Take on the challenge of researching lesser-known alternate fingerings that might help. (Sometimes a fingering has both advantages and disadvantages that you have to weigh carefully.) Start collecting useful fingering charts, or compile your own.

    If you have my sights set on playing professionally, then you will need to know lots of alternate fingerings, have good resources to consult when you need more options, and know exactly how each fingering sounds, responds, and tunes on your instrument.

    Good luck!

  • Preparing for a multiple woodwinds recital

    ByBret Pimentel

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

    For over a decade, all of my solo recital performances have been on multiple woodwind instruments. Last month I performed (twice) a recital program with pieces played on flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and three saxophones. Here are some of the things I do to prepare.

    multiple-woodwinds-recital_mini

    • Practice the physical changes. I opened my program with an oboe piece, and followed that with a flute piece with a delicate entrance. As the recital approached, I made sure to follow each oboe practice session by practicing that flute entrance, to be sure I could do it under those conditions. Something that didn’t work very well: after the oboe, flute, and bassoon pieces, my hands and jaw tended to be a little tense for clarinet playing. If I were preparing this recital again, I would bump the clarinet to the end of my practice sessions to work on playing relaxed even when fatigued.
    • Practice the mental changes. If I can put myself into the right place mentally for the instrument I’m about to play, my physical technique seems to fall into place. Sometimes I will do some rotating warmups—play, for instance, some scales on one instrument, and then immediately play them on another, and another. That gives me a chance to practice shifting mental gears. Once I have my program order set, I also make liberal use of Post-it Notes to give myself reminders between pieces: “take a moment to relax embouchure,” “keep breath support strong in low register,” “clear moisture from octave vent.”
    • Make thorough checklists. With seven instruments on my most recent recital, I surely would have forgotten something—a bassoon seat strap, a case of clarinet reeds, a piece of sheet music. I made a detailed list and used it to set up for a dress rehearsal. Sure enough, there were a few things that hadn’t made it onto the list, and I was able to retrieve those items and add them to the list before the first public performance. When I traveled a few hours for another performance, I was confident that I had everything I needed.
    • Use good stands. Good ones are sturdy and make it easy to set down or pick up an instrument without fuss. Since I played flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon on the first half without leaving the stage, having some good stands kept things moving smoothly and let me stay focused.
    • Do thorough warmups. As the performance approaches, it’s tempting to practice in panic mode, and skip over things like warmups. I always play much better if I do my warmups faithfully all the way up to the day of the performance. I find that if I warm up slowly and thoroughly on each instrument before the performance (this might take a few hours with multiple instruments! I usually do it in the morning), then I’m able to switch between them more easily.

    Break a leg!

  • Breath support

    ByBret Pimentel

    Quick: define “breath support.”

    I fear that to many woodwind players (or wind players in general, and maybe singers too) breath support is something mysterious. I have often had teachers stress to me the importance of breath support, but I can’t remember ever having one explain clearly what it is. Read More “Breath support”

24 Comments

  1. Thanks for what I hope is turning into a series on wind controllers. I don’t know anyone who as one, which makes it hard to learn what they will do. Do you have any thoughts on the simpler (and less expensive) USB models by Akai and Yamaha. By the way, which patch did you use for the audio clip?

    Reply

    1. Hi JK,

      Definitely keep an eye open for more wind controller stuff here in the future. You might also check out some related links and visit the websites and blogs of some other wind controller players.

      I don’t have anything more than a passing acquaintance with the Akai USB or the Yamaha WX series. My understanding is that the Akai USB has essentially the same capabilities as the Akai 4000s, except that is has to be plugged into a computer and has fewer octave rollers. I don’t know that the Yamaha is any simpler than the Akai, but it is actually more expensive because it requires an external sound module (sold separately).

      For the audio clip, I used the “Phazar” patch (#58) from the Patchman sound bank.

      Thanks for your comment!

      Reply

  2. Great article! I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I have been using the sax fingerings on EWI, mostly because of G#. On sax, the right hand fingers close the G# key even when you keep you have G# pressed, so when I play in sharp keys, I have a tendency to keep my left pinky on the G# key. The sax mode on EWI lets me get away with this, and behaves like a sax, whereas the EWI mode does not.

    Maybe I’ll take a shot at EWI mode again, though. Like you say, the increased flexibility might make the transition worth it. Thanks for the insights.

    @JK – The Akai EWI-USB is indeed similar to the EWI4000s except with 2 less octaves, no built in sound module and connects to a computer via USB, so you don’t need a MIDI interface. It’s ideal if you want to use your computer as your sole sound source.

    Reply

    1. Right—this is the trade-off of the EWI fingerings versus the flute/oboe/saxophone fingerings. The EWI fingerings are powerful but don’t tolerate much laziness.

      For me, there’s enough of a learning curve with the breath control, the octave rollers, etc. that the flute/oboe/saxophone fingering modes don’t smooth the transition to a significant extent. Might as well learn the EWI fingerings while I’m getting to know the instrument.

      The saxophone mode, at least, seems to be the most faithful to “real” saxophone fingerings (you only really lose some palm keys, the side F-sharp, and the low B-flat). The flute and oboe modes are farther from real woodwind fingerings, and could really only become more accurate with hardware modifications.

      Thanks for the confirmation/clarification about the EWI-USB.

      Reply

  3. Bret: Thanks for all your notes. Really appreciated.

    The sound file seems to be outdated and cannot be found. Can you update it, please? I would like to hear it.

    Also, since the EWI fingering is just programmed in (so, there is no need for an specific route to follow since there is not real tubing to be enlarged or shorted to change the pitch, as in any “real” wind instrument…) do you think that it could be possible to program the EWI to form even some other alternative fingering schedule/chart?

    (Going back to the “real” wind instrument that I mentioned before: I think that I should have used “analog” wind instrument instead, since the EWI – at least IMHO – it is a very “real” instrument indeed)

    Reply

  4. I didn’t have any previous woodwind experience before I got an EWI. What I found fastest was to memorize the C maj scale starting with all fingers down, then internalize the +/- halfstep/wholestep “extra” keys. I sometimes run into parts that I have to refinger (trills, as you point out, sometimes), but for 95% of the things I play, this one set of fingers works fine.

    Nice web site, just stumbled across it.

    Reply

  5. I am flautist and started out using the flute fingering but quickly gave up and switched to the EWI fingering a) because I kept on tripping myself up with D (you can’t lift the index finger of your left hand on the EWI and still get a D) and b) because of the way, as Bret says in this article, that you can use the little fingers of both your hands to make difficult transitions easier, for instance playing a C♯ with RH side key to give a D at the top of the octave without having to play over the break.
    Great article. Thanks Bret.

    Reply

  6. I played clarinet originally and started with the EWI fingering from scratch.

    As outlined in this article, there is an abundance of alternate fingerings, either leaving keys open or use of various forks + the side keys.

    I started to write a ‘chart’ for all of them but gave up – it bordered at writing a thesis…

    I found depending on the actual key you are playing in (or the lick) there are some optimal fingerings or rather fingering sequences available – only patience and experimentation (and a good memory) will get you there, but it’s worth it.

    To be able to play e.g. 4 bars of 16th at 180 jumping seamlessly from B to Eb to D then to F# will impress listeners… (as long as it sounds good)…

    PS I have to admit (this is really embarassing) I also ‘cheat’ sometimes: playing a fast lick with e.g. B or Db chords in it I simply leave the left pinky on K6 and ‘play’ C or D ‘scales’ instead, or slaving thru Ab minor I leave pinky on K5 and ‘play’ in A minor … you still need to know what you are doing and when to let go for blue notes/any extra chromatics required… but the EWI does the semitone up or down over a whole range brilliantly.

    Imho whoever designed this fingering system is a genius.

    Reply

  7. Hello and thank you for your article. I’ve had an EWI for a month and I thought I would stick to the saxophone fingering since I would be able to reuse that knowledge later on a real saxophone.
    However, after trying the real thing, I think I’ll stick to the EWI. In that perspective it would be foolish not to take advantage of the EWI fingering. It’s more permissive but in the end, what counts is whether you do good music, not how easily it was obtained. Finally I’m more a “relative” player than an “absolute” one, so notes modifiers is a good way to approach it for me.

    Reply

  8. Hi,
    just to let you know this article (and actually a lot more of them) will be a lifesaver for me, 5 years after it was written.
    I didn’t find the way the keys worked anywere else, and I need this much more than any diagram filled with 200 fingerings ^^

    I’ll be starting EWI in a few days after wanting to play it for a few years(sadly I didn’t have the money etc as a teenager back then) since I discovered artists like Masato Honda or Brecker. Ideally I’ll get to saxophone (but as a college student I’m not allowed to play such a loud instrument and I’d just bother everyone) but you really convinced me to use EWI fingering (I was actually wondering for a while on which one to pick), in hindsight it looks like forthmentionned musicians use the EWI fingering even though they played saxophone when EWI was still lyricon :p (Then again Honda is a monster with 4 different woodwinds and good with others each with different fingerings)

    So really thanks for this.

    Reply

  9. Not completely relevant, but I just got a Kentron MIDI USB HOST that allows me to play the EWI USB through my Alesis QSR without a computer.

    Reply

    1. This seems to be what I have been looking for to connect my EWI-USB directly to my Roland MIDI synth. How did it work for you? And does the Kenton adapter appropriately power the EWI? Thanks!

      Reply

  10. I AM UNABLE TO LOCATE THE 9 PAGES OF FINGERING CHART DIAGRAM FOR THE AKI EWI 4000 HORN CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME

    Reply

  11. Finding this article was for me like a blind man regaining sight! I’m new to the Akai-USB EWI, and only intermediate on woodwinds in general, so your explanation of adding/subtracting tones from C# was very enlightening to me; as you say, make whatever fingerings work for you! Thank you.

    On a side note, I’m looking for a way to plug my Akai EWI-USB into my 1980s Roland MIDI synth. Not only do I need some sort of USB-B male (or USB-A female) to MIDI male cable, but I also need to power the EWI. Do you know of any such adapter out there? Thank you again. (And yes I will check out the Kentron MIDI USB HOST that someone mentioned.)

    Reply

  12. Where in gods name can I find a complete fingering chart for EWI mode? Seems like the manual omits so so many options.

    Reply

    2. Since the EWI allows (from B to D#) 16 ‘tones’ in one ‘go’ and humans got 10 fingers, the resulting number of fingering possibilities can’t be unlimited , but of course it would be a hell of a lot of permutations. Most of those would result in ‘unfriendly’ and / or dud fingerings, but quite a few are very useful.

      Here is a chart which may add a few fingerings to the ‘repertoire’: (by M.G. Bauer):

      http://mjbauer.biz/REMI%20Bauer%20EWI%20Fingering%20Chart.pdf

      Reply

      1. hey that looks great! i’m a little confused by the app though. Looking at C#, I don’t see the “open” fingering (IE no keys pressed should be C#). It’s also unclear from the shading of keys which indicate pressed and which don’t.

        I’ve since been OK on the fingering front, but think this is a great app. I think you should add a key to it to help folks understand.

  14. Thanks for the great article. It has really helped me with learning to play EWI as a first instrument.

    I happened upon one more interesting key behavior that may interest you. You list LH 1 as having an effect of -2 semitones. What I find in EWI Standard fingering mode is that if LH 2 is pressed then LH 1 has the effect of -3 semitones.

    I don’t know how much musical value this has, although I can say that the Beatles song “Hard Day’s Night” has a recurring 3 semitone interval that can be done with one finger using LH 1.

    Ed

    Reply

    1. Hi Ed, if you take a closer look I think you’ll see that the behavior you describe is accounted for in my model (note the “exceptions” for LH2). Pressing LH2 alone has an effect of -1 semitone. Adding LH1 drops the pitch another 2 semitones, plus cancels the LH2 exception, for a total of -4 semitones. That’s a difference of -3 semitones between the two notes.

      Reply

  15. Dear Sir
    I am an amateur musician. My instruments are the clarinet and saxophones. I woul like to digitize them for time reasons.
    I have seen his lessons on the internet: very interesting.
    Is it possible to first set the buttons on the AE-10 or AE-30 so that in addition to the
    sax I can practice clarinet fingering? Or is better AKAI EWI SOLO?
    Thanks a lot for your answer and I extend my congratulations and my best regards.

    Armando Bersani

    Reply

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