Playing "Never Would Have Made IT" on Alto Sax...

[Ladymusic88]

Hey, my fellow sax players!

I've been asked to play "Never Wolud Have Made It" on the alto sax for a women's conference.  What key would you play it in?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Ladymusic88

[Wolfram]

I would suggest chosing a key that:

1) you are comfortable in
2) Can find an accompanying track or person to play in

On the alto, a good sound choice is D, F and G. This means that your looking for a piano part in Ab, Bb or F

Good Luck

[Ladymusic88]

Thanks for your advice Wolfram!

  I ended up playing the song in Eb (alto sax), since the actual song is in the key of C (piano).  Thankfully, the musicians were very familliar with this song.  It's actually one of my favorites. Everything turned out well, thank the Lord!

Bless you!
Ladymusic88

[Wolfram]

If the Piano is in C, then you would be in A.... (three sharps)

Here is the breakdown of transpositions from piano to sax :MAJOR KEYS

Piano Key                        ALTO SAX                                                       TENOR/SOPRANO SAX

C Major                      A Major (3 sharps - F#,C#,G#)                       D Major (2 sharps - F#,C#)

G Major                      E Major (4 sharps - F#,C#,G#,D#)                  A Major (3 sharps)

D Major                      B Major (5 sharps - F#,C#,G#,D#,A#)              E Major (4 sharps)

A Major                      F# Major (6 sharps - F#,C#,G#,D#,A#,E#)       B Major (5 sharps)
                                Gb Major (6 flats - Bb,Eb,Ab,Db,Gb,Cb)

E Major                      C# Major (7 sharps - F#,C#,G#,D#,A#,E#,B#)    F# Major (6 sharps)
                                Db Major (5 flats - Bb,Eb,Ab,Db,Gb)                  Gb Major (6 flats)

B Major                      Ab Major (4 flats -  Bb,Eb,Ab,Db)                      C# Major (7 sharps)
                                                                                                  Db Major (5 flats)

F#/Gb Major               Eb Major (3 flats - Bb,Eb,Ab)                            Ab Major (4 flats)

C#/Db Major               Bb Major (2 flats - Bb,Eb)                                Eb Major (3 flats)

Ab Major                    F Major (1 flat - Bb)                                       Bb Major (2 flats)

Eb Major                    C Major - NO FLATS or SHARPS                        F Major (1 flat)

Bb Major                    G Major (1 Sharp - F#)                                    C Major

F Major                      D Major (2 sharps - F#,C#)                              G Major (1 sharp)                                           

[T-Block]

Good breakdown on the transpositions.  Those things always get me in school, too many dern instruments, LOL.  I have to keep a cheat sheet wit me.

[musallio]

Wait a minute--this means that you never play these instruments in the same key as the piano key?

This doesn't apply when playing these sax tones on the keyboard, right?

I need to understand this coz I plan to get a tenor sax in a year or 2..

thanks.

[betnich]

Wait a minute--this means that you never play these instruments in the same key as the piano key?
This doesn't apply when playing these sax tones on the keyboard, right?
I need to understand this coz I plan to get a tenor sax in a year or 2..
thanks.

You don't need to transpose when playing sax tones on the keyboard.

Saxes are TRANSPOSING instruments.
That means if you play a C on the Tenor sax, it will sound like a Bb on the piano. (Bb Tenor Sax - 1 whole step down)
So if the song is in C, the Tenor Sax part needs to be 1 whole step up, in the key of D.
Similar to Soprano and Bari Sax, Clarinet, Trumpet and some other brass instruments.

Alto Sax has a different transposition (Eb), So the part needs to come up a Major 6th to match concert pitch.

I think the reason for the different transpositions is so the fingerings on the keys can remain the same for the different sizes and ranges in the saxophone group...

[betnich]

Hey, my fellow sax players!
I've been asked to play "Never Wolud Have Made It" on the alto sax for a women's conference.  What key would you play it in?
Thanks in advance for your input.
Ladymusic88

D (Concert key - F) would be good for most ladies - doesn't get too high.
Of course, if you're doing it as a solo, you can put it in any key you like, as log as you can find a musician or background track to match...

[Wolfram]

Wait a minute--this means that you never play these instruments in the same key as the piano key?

This doesn't apply when playing these sax tones on the keyboard, right?

I need to understand this coz I plan to get a tenor sax in a year or 2..

thanks.

Exactly what betnich said.  If you are playing this sound on a keyboard, you would play it just like a keyboard UNLESS you are reading an actual saxophone part...  Then you would do this transposition in reverse. 

[musallio]

Thanks guys..
This sounds exciting..I need to get myself a sax sooner so I can learn all this stuff.

[4hisglory]

Exactly what betnich said.  If you are playing this sound on a keyboard, you would play it just like a keyboard UNLESS you are reading an actual saxophone part...  Then you would do this transposition in reverse. 

So if you were handing out 'sheet music' to the musicians, would you put the piano part in C and the Saw part in Bb??  Or do the Sax player already know its going to be a whole step down?

[betnich]

So if you were handing out 'sheet music' to the musicians, would you put the piano part in C and the Saw part in Bb??  Or do the Sax player already know its going to be a whole step down?

The Sax part needs to be transposed - each note up a whole step from keyboard (concert) pitch for Bb instruments, up a major 6th for Eb, etc...

[Wolfram]

You should always give the horn players a part written in their key.  It will save you a lot of frustration during your playing and even more during your performance due to wrong notes being played LOUDLY by someone that is not wise enough to realize they are not in the correct key.

[ifiwereu]

If you're playing tenor sax, play one whole step above the piano or concert key. For alto, it's a minor 3rd below.  If you play "Never could have made it" in Eb, the keyboards were playing in F# or Gb. Tenor would play in Ab. If the keyboards play it in C then tenor sax plays in key of D to match the key of C.

[Wolfram]

yeah I covered that in the chart below

[Ladymusic88]

Wolfram, you are exactly right!  I don't know what I was thinking when I said I played the song in Eb, I was actually in the key of A.  I was probably thinking so much about my horn being an Eb instrument.  It can get a liitle tricky.  Hey, I'm only human !

Thanks for your input! 

Bless You!
Ladymusic88