saxophone

[Mando Pandango]

A friend of mine is very good at tenor. I asked him what transposing was and why saxists need to do it. I still don't get it, I think it's magic.

An alto sax is an E-flat instrument and a tenor sax is a B-flat instrument. Compare this to a piano, which is in C. A C played on a piano would be an E-flat on alto sax, and B-flat on tenor sax. It's all the same note, just notated differently to accommodate the ranges of the instruments. For that reason, when playing something that wasn't written for the key that your instrument is tuned in, you need to transpose it so that you play the proper notes.

Hopefully that clears things up a bit.

[Martin]

An alto sax is an E-flat instrument and a tenor sax is a B-flat instrument. Compare this to a piano, which is in C. A C played on a piano would be an E-flat on alto sax, and B-flat on tenor sax. It's all the same note, just notated differently to accommodate the ranges of the instruments. For that reason, when playing something that wasn't written for the key that your instrument is tuned in, you need to transpose it so that you play the proper notes.

Hopefully that clears things up a bit.

How is C on piano E-flat on an alto? Is there any way you could explain this to someone who is only a guitarist and a bad violinist (i.e. only knows concert instruments)?

Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying that the same note will have a different name for a different instrument?

[Mando Pandango]

How is C on piano E-flat on an alto? Is there any way you could explain this to someone who is only a guitarist and a bad violinist (i.e. only knows concert instruments)?

Your guitar is also a C instrument. Imagine tuning a different guitar so that if you finger what would be an E flat in standard tuning plays what pitch-wise is a C.

Now imagine this second guitar is a saxophone.

[Martin]

Your guitar is also a C instrument. Imagine tuning a different guitar so that if you finger what would be an E flat in standard tuning plays what pitch-wise is a C.

Now imagine this second guitar is a saxophone.

Okay, then why does the notation need to be different? If you know what note needs to be played, should the instrument matter all that much? (be patient with this retard)

[Mando Pandango]

Okay, then why does the notation need to be different? If you know what note needs to be played, should the instrument matter all that much? (be patient with this retard)

Imagine playing that second guitar, trying to play all of the original notes (pitch-wise), but with this new fingering. It wouldn't be easy  if all you knew how to play was the song on the first guitar. To play it on the second guitar, you would transpose it so that the sheet music (or tablature), so that it has all of the notes corresponding to the fingerings you're used to, and essentially you would have an E-flat guitar.

You see, all fingerings are the same across saxophones just like guitars. The difference here is that the difference in pitch between different types of saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone, etc.) isn't exactly one octave, so they're tuned in different keys, and you would have to transpose the notes on sheet music written for one of them to play it on another type of sax.

[Martin]

Imagine playing that second guitar, trying to play all of the original notes (pitch-wise), but with this new fingering. It wouldn't be easy  if all you knew how to play was the song on the first guitar. To play it on the second guitar, you would transpose it so that the sheet music (or tablature), so that it has all of the notes corresponding to the fingerings you're used to, and essentially you would have an E-flat guitar.

You see, all fingerings are the same across saxophones just like guitars. The difference here is that the difference in pitch between different types of saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone, etc.) isn't exactly one octave, so they're tuned in different keys, and you would have to transpose the notes on sheet music written for one of them to play it on another type of sax.

Okay, I get it now. So it's essentially so that you can play by fingering instead of by note, that makes perfect sense, actually.

[Mando Pandango]

Hooray, I got through!

[snorkel]

Okay, then why does the notation need to be different? If you know what note needs to be played, should the instrument matter all that much? (be patient with this retard)

Because if a tenor sax and piano (Bb and C keys) both read a D# off the same notation and played it, there would be two different pitches playing.

Imagine playing that second guitar, trying to play all of the original notes (pitch-wise), but with this new fingering. It wouldn't be easy  if all you knew how to play was the song on the first guitar. To play it on the second guitar, you would transpose it so that the sheet music (or tablature), so that it has all of the notes corresponding to the fingerings you're used to, and essentially you would have an E-flat guitar.

You see, all fingerings are the same across saxophones just like guitars. The difference here is that the difference in pitch between different types of saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone, etc.) isn't exactly one octave, so they're tuned in different keys, and you would have to transpose the notes on sheet music written for one of them to play it on another type of sax.

They're all Eb or Bb at least

[Mando Pandango]

They're all Eb or Bb at least

I was only sure of the tuning on alto and tenor. I thought that was the case but I wasn't sure.

[Martin]

You'd be amazed how hard it is to explain transposing to someone who started music by playing a C instrument. I don't know why, but it seems we are never even told that there is anything other than a C instrument (or even bothered with the notion that their instrument is known as a C instrument)

[snorkel]

I was only sure of the tuning on alto and tenor. I thought that was the case but I wasn't sure.

Soprano Bb
Alto Eb
C-Melody C (they should still make these they're awesome and convenient)
Tenor Bb
Bari Eb
Bass Bb

You'd be amazed how hard it is to explain transposing to someone who started music by playing a C instrument. I don't know why, but it seems we are never even told that there is anything other than a C instrument (or even bothered with the notion that their instrument is known as a C instrument)

I've run into this problem with pretty much everyone I've ever played with (guitars/keys mostly), usually there's success in just mentioning a concert key or the jazz equivalent (shameful that I can't think of the term) to stay within instead of transposing each note onto weird 1/4 steps and shit

[Mando Pandango]

Soprano Bb
Alto Eb
C-Melody C (they should still make these they're awesome and convenient)
Tenor Bb
Bari Eb
Bass Bb

You forgot a few, including my favorite: THE ALMIGHTY TUBAX

[snorkel]

You forgot a few, including my favorite: THE ALMIGHTY TUBAX

yeah I don't remember what key contrabass, soprillo, etc are. Probably continues the pattern

[Martin]

Wait, one more question: Does that mean the same note has a different name on a Bb, Eb, and C instrument? Or is the name of a particular note entirely relative to what instrument is being played?

[snorkel]

Wait, one more question: Does that mean the same note has a different name on a Bb, Eb, and C instrument? Or is the name of a particular note entirely relative to what instrument is being played?

yes, the different pitches (notes) have different names between instruments, which is why you must transpose. If a piano is playing a C# and a tenor sax wants to match it, it transposes C# from the key of C to the key of Bb and ends up with Eb.