song keys

[SusieP]

I guess I should really ask Notes Norton this question, him being our forum sax expert and all, but I thought I'd do it as a new topic as others might be interested. If not, sorry.

As one of those singers you all mock and deride because I don't play any intruments,[it's ok, I can take the insults] -

I don't really NEED to know what key a song is in, I can either sing in that key or I can't, but when I get backing tracks made or buy tracks that are already made, my duo partner - needs to work out what key they are in for his Alto sax. To save him having to work it out in his head, Ilke to be able to tell him - and to note it down on the CD inlay.

I have to admit that I do get confused when sharps & flats and major and minor come into the picture but I know that whatever key I sing a song in, he will play his alto sax a minor third below - which would be fine if I knew what a minor third was!!!

hee hee. But I have a list of what a copy key will be for him and

I know that

Ab/G# for me is in F for his sax

G for me is E for his sax

Gb/F# for me is Eb/D# for his sax

F for me is D for his sax

E for me is Db/C# for his sax

Eb for me is C for his sax

D for me is B for his sax

Db/C# for me is Bb/A# for his sax

C for me is A for his sax

B for me is Ab/G# for his sax

Bb fo rme is G for his sax

A for me is Gb/F# for his sax

 

And I just consult this list so I can also work out what key he will have to play his sax in. He thinks I have sussed keys out but I haven't. It's like a foreign language to me.

 

 

I just got a fab jazz version of 'Light my fire' and its in Cm.

THAT isn't on my list

I also have another song in Ebm copy key

and one in Dm

they aren't on my list either.

so can someone help this ignoramus out and make me a list of what the alto sax keys would be for songs that are in minor copy keys, please?

Or tell me where I can find a list online to print out.

 

Any help appreciated - please don't mock me TOO much.

 

xxx

 

 

 

 

[Mike McLaughlin]

You have your answer in your question. Just add m (minor) to the transposed key if the concert key is minor.

Cm concert = Am on an Eb instrument, etc

[pogo97]

his music will always be spelled three semi-tones lower than yours, major or minor doesn't matter for this.

so, if your C is his A, then your Cm is his Am

your Ebm is his Cm

so your chart is fine already

EDIT: I see Mike already answered you while I typed. Luckily, we agree.

[Shaster]

When he plays an Eb note  it sounds as a C note, concert pitch. If it were a tenor sax his Bb note would sound like a C natural. IIRC both are pitched down, a major sixth and a major second respectively

But anyway, you transpose either a minor third down or a major sixth up, depending on what you're trying to achieve - eg. whether you are writing notes, and in what direction you are transposing. For  purposes of key transposition, going a minor third down (3 half steps) will work just fine.

You can add an "m" or minor to your chart and go from there, but as in the major keys he'll have to decide if going from E minor is now Db minor or C# minor - it's C# minor because E minor is G which has one sharp so you go a minor 3rd down (3 half steps) to E (four sharps) and then the relative minor is C#m.

Anyway, I got off the beaten path. Nice of you to even take the effort to help your muso out, and consider his key choices.

[daddymack]

---

Shaster wrote:

When he plays an Eb note  it sounds as a C note, concert pitch. If it were a tenor sax his Bb note would sound like a C natural. IIRC both are pitched down, a major sixth and a major second respectively

But anyway, you transpose either a minor third down or a major sixth up, depending on what you're trying to achieve - eg. whether you are writing notes, and in what direction you are transposing. For  purposes of key transposition, going a minor third down (3 half steps) will work just fine.

You can add an "m" or minor to your chart and go from there, but as in the major keys he'll have to decide if going from E minor is now Db minor or C# minor - it's C# minor because E minor is G which has one sharp so you go a minor 3rd down (3 half steps) to E (four sharps) and then the relative minor is C#m.

Anyway, I got off the beaten path. Nice of you to even take the effort to help your muso out, and consider his key choices.

---

Except one should NEVER talk 'sharps' to a reed player...I always convert keys to flat from sharp, like E becomes Fb, B becomes Cb, G becomes Abb..most get the humor involved. 

 

Susie, you really should invest some time into learning theory; the basics are really as simple as A, B,C [DEFG]. Each has a 'flat' scale, and each has a 'sharp' scale, so each letter 'centers' three scales[natural, sharp and flat] [i won't go into modes here]. The

is a great place to start, because once you get that, there rest starts to make sense.