Questions tagged [saxophone]
One of a family of single-reed woodwind instruments with a brass body
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Can saxophones be in orchestras, not just like the symphonic jazz orchestras/big band?
I'm arranging a game piece from Minecraft called "Alpha" (aka end credits theme).
I thought the idea of merging school band and orchestra would be a cool idea, but I don't know if writing ...
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Alto Sax producing octave notes without using key, won't play lower notes without tilting down
I bought my daughter a new saxophone last year, and she barely used it- ended up with a school loaner because she says it's "defective". The horn plays fine, but for lower notes it will ...
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What's this curved line after this note?
It's not a slur because it doesn't connect to any other notes, so what is it?
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Saxophone mute - or mic
I bought what was supposed to be a sax mute, for quiet practising, but it doesn't work. It's similar to a trumpet mute, which fits in the bell end. It seems that a lot of sound would emanate from the ...
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Writing music for tenor sax from piano [duplicate]
I have a famous song written for piano that I want to transpose for tenor sax. Is that the correct term? It will be put on a piece of art as a gift so its very important I do this correctly. I am very ...
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Does playing with a mouthpiece patch affect your embouchure?
I have been playing clarinet since 6th grade, and now I am a sophomore in high school. My band director is doing an instrument check that is for a grade. One of the things that we are required to have ...
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When orchestrating, is it ok to double the melody in a middle voice?
If I have, say, a trumpet and a tenor saxophone (among a larger ensemble), and the trumpet is leading the melody in a semi-high register. Can I double it in the middle register, with the saxophone, ...
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No Saxophone part in band sheet music
I am attempting to have my band/orchestra students learn a song for our holiday concert, but the song doesn't have a saxophone part. Which other instrument part could I have my saxophone players join ...
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Tips on playing loudly on saxophone with supportive air
When I play saxophone I tend to play pretty quietly. My teacher always tells me to play louder and I do but it's like it’s still not loud enough. He tells me to play with more attack and I don't ...
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What does "Purple label" mean when people are describing a Yamaha YSS-62 soprano sax?
My title pretty much says it all. I recently purchased a Yamaha YSS-62, and I am in heaven. It sounds great and plays easily (I now have a full rack!). But when I do research on the model I repeatedly ...
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Trying to work out how to play this segment
I’m trying to work out how to play a segment on Saxophone. The piece is Gerry Rafferty’s famous solo but I can’t remember what one detail is. It’s like a slur but only on one note.
Trying to work out ...
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I have to loosen my jaw to play the lowest notes on my Bari. Is that normal?
I've been playing saxophone for 50 years, mostly alto but more recently tenor. Just recently I acquired a baritone saxophone, and I've had it tuned by a seasoned technician, so I'm pretty sure it's in ...
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How can I find out which woodwind instruments have the same (or almost the same) fingering so it makes transitioning between those instruments easier?
Just for fun, I want to begin learning woodwind instruments. Unfortunately, I have to put some financial constraints on that project. Therefore, I am looking into learning how to play the recorder, ...
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Which instruments have the same (or almost the same) fingering? (In other words, which instruments can you play if you know how to play one of them?) [closed]
First of all, I fully realize that to know how to actually play an instrument, there is more to it than just the fingering. Yet, I feel like it has to make things easier, right?
What about recorder, ...
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Can the Eb alto clarinet and the Eb soprano clarinet be substituted?
I am putting together a band to play the piece Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance. I Was wondering if I could substitute both clarinets parts with a Alto sax seeing as they are ...
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Writing for the saxophone [closed]
Are there special symbols or text instructions that are more or less specific to the saxophone?
What difficulties or peculiarities are there with the saxophone that a composer or arranger would need ...
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Wooden Saxophone Project
So my friend was planning on making an all wooden saxophone. I thought it was a pretty good idea but had some doubts in it like the piston valves and such. I saw this being a problem because of the ...
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In what key signature is singing written in, and how do I adapt for alto saxophone?
Note: I am not that good in general music theory but I will try to get my point across as best as I can.
I am currently in charge of writing/transposing the scores of a little hobby band.
I got the ...
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What's the difference between EWI fingering and saxophone fingering?
I recently purchased an Akai EWI Solo - it's an electronic woodwind instrument that mimics a saxophone. As I watched several videos of experienced EWI players unboxing the EWI Solo, I heard advice ...
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Jazz quartets without chord instrument [closed]
I want to write my degree thesis in music theory on arranging for jazz quartets without chord instruments (i.e. Vibraphone, piano, guitar...). For instance, there are the recordings of Gerry Mulligan ...
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Meaning of a Notation Symbol (
I wonder if anyone can tell me what the curved notation next to the 8th notes are. If it helps, this is a score for saxophone.
Thanks.
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Not-quite-beginner beginner alto sax, how to select an instrument?
TL;DR: I need some guidelines for choosing a decent instrument for an amateur, at home, that isn't a complete piece of crap.
I'm 44. 30 years ago, I was first chair alto saxophone in a marching bad. ...
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What is this embellishment called?
There's a technique I've seen used a lot in jazz, gospel, pop singing, etc. where someone will play a note and play a quick semitone up and back down into another note. Heres an audio example. Does ...
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How do I know what key to play in? [closed]
so i've been playing the Tenor Sax for a bit now. I'll download some sheet music or things along that line off the internet to practice, only sometimes it just doesn't sound right. Like for example, ...
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Why is the key signature completely different from the actual notes?
Beginner here. So, I wanted to play this little phrase that is written, supposedly, in A major with 3 sharps on F, C and G. However, every G has a natural sign and there's a B and a E with sharps (no ...
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High G and G# splitting/jumping to the next harmonic on saxophone
I had asked this question on SaxOnTheWeb a while ago, but I'm still battling with this problem, and it makes certain pieces (like The Beatles' "Come Together") virtually unplayable.
...
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Saxophone sheets
This is my first post in this StackExchange, so I dont know if it is pertinent. Please let me know if necessary to change something.
I am playing saxophone already for some months and I would like to ...
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Playing clarinet from saxophone music
I am starting to study the clarinet and have been given some sax music. As both instruments are in B-flat, if I use the clarinet to play the sax music: what must I be aware of? are there octaves ...
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What is this sax technique called and how is it done?
I recently heard an old Motown hit on the radio called "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker and the Allstars and the Sax part tore me up. It sounds to me like it's seriously overblown, but I don't play ...
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If your saxophone is leaking spit, can it damage the pads?
My saxophone has been leaking spit all over the first three keys that you put your fingers on (don't know the names of them) and I'm worried that it will damage the pads. My parents are renting it ...
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32nd+ sixteenth +quarter notes
I have doing questions here on this website, and I learned so much but some examples look hard to understand.
In this example how can I count?
Thanks
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Rest and eighth notes [duplicate]
I am learning saxophone, so I don't know how to play this part; may somebody help me?
Thank you
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Eighth rest, quarter rest, eighth+quarter notes dotted
How can I count this example? I am having a hard time figuring it out.
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Alto Saxophone Stuck Playing F Sharp
Yesterday I took a break during practice and when I returned I noticed my F key will only reliably play an F#, so when going through the chromatic scale my F and F# fingerings are now playing the same ...
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Saxophone alto: are the levers under G# key on any use except comfort?
I am wondering what is the utility of the two small levers under the G# key of an alto saxophone (hightlighted in picture, pressed by the little finger of the left hand).
It does not seem to have any ...
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Alto sax screw fell out
I have a Jupiter alto saxophone, and in the middle of practicing I suddenly heard something fall into the bell. It turned out to be a small screw. I scoured the sax trying to find an empty hole but ...
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Woodwind instrument key bumper material choice
Some wind instruments' keys feature bumpers at the bottom to protect material from scraping against material (and for a few other reasons). The ones on my saxophone are made from something resembling ...
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Building Guitar/piano chord progressions over alto sax scales
I'm trying to play some guitar/piano chord progressions for my daughter to improvise over using the scales she's learning on her alto saxophone and looking for some help.
I know that to transpose I ...
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Write tenor and alto sax Score along piano
please ! someone help me understand this.
I am writing a score for piano and tenor sax in C Major, simple.
Now, how do you write the music on the sheet for both instruments
In this example, is the ...
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Effective ways of muting saxophone
The question has been partially answered here before but for an inexperienced, self-taught musician who lacked the skills to control volume through embouchure adjustments.
I was wondering if there ...
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Coming from Trumpet: Which woodwind? [closed]
I've played trumpet for 3 years, and I'm thinking about picking up a simple woodwind instrument. I think personally, either clarinet or alto sax. But please, based on what I have played, price, and ...
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Saxophone upper register adjustment
As is common for a lot of instruments from the saxophone family, the upper register (notes played with the octave key pressed) on mine is a bit high (by about 10-15 cents). I practise a lot with a ...
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Playing saxophone without using the octave key
A few years back, I have noticed by accident (I forgot to press the octave key while practising one of the musical pieces) that I can play all the notes on the tenor saxophone that normally require ...
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Which C# note shall the tenor sax produce when nothing is pressed?
Currently, I am practicing the left hand notes on my tenor sax and I noted a sharp difference between the A and G. Using cleartune app I discovered that I jump a whole octave and I don’t produce ...
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Tenor sax trouble with low D and E (other notes are fine)
I recently bought a 1950's Conn Naked Lady sax and it works fine except the low D and E are, for lack of a better word, "bubbly", or unstable. It's not a leak because C and below sound fine. I've ...
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Why is the saxophone not common in classical repertoire?
Other than the fact that its relatively new compared to other orchestral instruments (e.g. the violin), why is the saxophone (any of them from the family, alto, baritone, tenor etc) not more prevalent ...
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Quick conversion between concert pitch and written notes
I've always been intrigued/annoyed/interested by the nature of transposing instruments, and specifically, recently I've been getting into discussions with my saxophonist friends. Lately, I've found ...
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Alto saxophone fingering for notes written below the staff
I am a beginner on the alto saxophone. I understand the fingering for playing notes on the staff but I do not understand the fingering for playing notes below the staff. Sometimes there are two extra ...
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Do I play my key signature for my instrument or on the paper?
If I'm auditioning for jazz for high school band and I play the flute, and my audition piece is for saxophone, do I play my key signature or the key signature on the sheet music?
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Why does C# sound extremely flat when saxophone is tuned to G?
Note: when I mention the name of a note in this question, I'm referring to the saxophone pitch, not the concert pitch.
I play the alto saxophone, and lately I've been practicing mostly with a tuner. ...
