i ask this since each type of saxophone is in a different melody, does this mean that you’ll have to have a different saxophone for each song that’s in a different melody?
not at all. a melody is just just a melody, there are no specifics about it. If you look up a jazz standard like Autumn Leaves you’ll see one person play it on an alto sax, another on a tenor, a trumpet player, vocalist, etc. the only that is defined is the melody and that’s even left to embellishment and interpretation. Jazz has no real rules just guidelines to avoid mass chaos (but this is found in free form jazz though, lol).
no, each is transposed differently, i think you mean.
Soprano & Tenor are in Bb (Meaning if a piano is playing a Bb note and a tenor/soprano is playing C, they are actually playing the same note)
Altos & Baritones are in Eb (piano – Eb, sax – C)
In Big Bands, altos, tenors and baritones are all used together, possibly playing different lines and rhythms and notes, but still together.
Soprano is normally used solo but occasionally used in band where there is more than one melody-playing instrument,
In any case, for the saxes to play with each other, they would have to be transposed to different keys, yet, to an audiences ears, it would soung like they are are playing in the same key, which in fact they are, but it’s been transposed. I’m not sure if all of that makes sense, but I figure thats the best way to explain it.
2 Responses
Devon
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:48 am
1not at all. a melody is just just a melody, there are no specifics about it. If you look up a jazz standard like Autumn Leaves you’ll see one person play it on an alto sax, another on a tenor, a trumpet player, vocalist, etc. the only that is defined is the melody and that’s even left to embellishment and interpretation. Jazz has no real rules just guidelines to avoid mass chaos (but this is found in free form jazz though, lol).
John J
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:48 am
2no, each is transposed differently, i think you mean.
Soprano & Tenor are in Bb (Meaning if a piano is playing a Bb note and a tenor/soprano is playing C, they are actually playing the same note)
Altos & Baritones are in Eb (piano – Eb, sax – C)
In Big Bands, altos, tenors and baritones are all used together, possibly playing different lines and rhythms and notes, but still together.
Soprano is normally used solo but occasionally used in band where there is more than one melody-playing instrument,
In any case, for the saxes to play with each other, they would have to be transposed to different keys, yet, to an audiences ears, it would soung like they are are playing in the same key, which in fact they are, but it’s been transposed. I’m not sure if all of that makes sense, but I figure thats the best way to explain it.
(BTW they all play jazz)
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