CafeSaxophone Blues thread..

[Gareth WG]

Thank you. My friend plays guitar, thought this would be an excellent tune for us both to noodle about on.

 

[mrpeebee]

Which notes would a guitarist use for this please? Is a guitar concert c pitch, therefore it is Bb blues? Did try and look on internet but a bit confusing.

The key for Guitar (a C or concert pitch instrument) is Bb minor, as mentioned by Chris in post #1 of this thread.

The key for Tenor-sax (a Bb pitch instrument) is for this tune C minor (add 2 sharps to the concert key version).

The key for Alto-sax (an Eb pitch instrument) is for this tune G minor (add 3 sharps to the concert key version).

 

[Colin the Bear]

Only jazz guitarists will play in Bbm. They like E

 

[Gareth WG]

So this is why I was confused on internet......which scale for guitar then, E blues or Bb blues?

 

[Colin the Bear]

@Gareth WG . I'm sorry if my sense of humour has confused you.

You both need to play in the same key or it's going to sound a bit nasty. Whatever key the guitar plays in , you play the same. The saxophone transposes. It's up to the saxophone player to work out which fingerings to use to play in the same key as the guitar/piano. Guitar players don't transpose and those of little experience will not understand. Talk to guitarists and pianists in concert......... in fact talk in concert to every one and let each player sort out their own instrument.

In a group/band with transposing instruments and non transposing instruments it can get very confusing. Clarinets in Eb Bb and A. Brass in F Bb Eb. Banjos in C and G etc

When starting out on any instrument some keys are easier than others. The easy keys on guitar aren't the easy keys on saxophone. Further down the road it won't matter.

 

[Gareth WG]

Ok thanks Colin, my friend does not know any scales etc on guitar, so made it very difficult (whilst also trying to explain basic theory etc).

However, he did start to play some nice bits (albeit with odd note out here and there), but really enjoyed it. Just obviously a whole lot easier if I give him correct scale to noodle on before we hook up again.

As always, thank you for reply Colin.

 

[Nick Wyver]

So this is why I was confused on internet......which scale for guitar then, E blues or Bb blues?

Bb

Our blues band plays a quite a few in Bb.

 

[kevgermany]

Guitarists usually play/think chords. And in blues it's the same progressions. So just get the chords, these are concert pitch. Guitars guitars play an octave below concert, but you can ignore that.

So if the guitar is playing a chord sequence D,G,C, it's a ii,V,I in C.

If I remember rightly, you're playing tenor. So go up a tone from the chord root. E.G. Guitar plays a G chord. You're playing A. Be careful between B and C and E and F where there's a semitone between them, not a full tone.

 

[Gareth WG]

Thank you Kev, I am playing alto. Trying to get him to play single notes, rather than chords. If all else fails, will see how he sounds on paper and comb!
My zoom h2n hopefully arriving today, so will be posting at some point (that's if I can work it).

 

[kevgermany]

He should know the chord names that he's playing. For now don't worry about anything except the root of the concert chords which you use to find your key (so treat A7, A minor, AMajor etc. as A).

For alto the offset goes the other way... You play 3 semitones lower than concert/the guitarist. So for concert DGC, you're playing B,E,A and so on (in A blues scale).

 

[Gareth WG]

Ah-ha, thanks, that is great Kev.

 

[jonnie]

Down load audacity for free

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

and plug in a mic

YKS 3.5mm Jack Flexible Neck Mini Microphone Mic for PC Laptop Notebook MSN Skype Free shipping: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Colin - cannot thank you enough for mentioning this.

I was vaguely aware of Audacity but had strayed into it for a different purpose and was unaware of what it could do.

Just downloaded it, added Honey rose and having wonderful fun multi tracking and adding little phrases on multiple takes, having a complete gas doing this - I have no access to expensive equipment so this is the nearest I have ever been to building something up piece by piece. Sound quality is not so hot as I am using my laptop's in built speaker - got a better mike hanging around somewhere just a matter of sorting out a jack adapter.

Probably not in the spirit of an improvisation but its the first time multitrack+editing for me and I am having a wail of a time (is it wail or whale - what the heck excuse me ).

The ability to add a label track even means I can add a "note to self" hit the high Bb or something like that for a particular section.

Very happy "chappie" - many thanks

 

[Colin the Bear]

I play the laptop through an old HiFi. Anything with an aux in socket will play from the head phone socket on the laptop.

 

[jonnie]

Chris
I think you deserve a massive pat on the back for coming up with this

I wonder if those brave souls who have already thrown their contribution in might consider changing their settings on sound cloud to allow download?

The reason?

I am working on Audacity building up my own ditty piece by piece I'll tentatively throw it out onto this thread when I am done.

I was quite surprised to hear just how radically different the interpretations were and assuming that everyone has left the backing track exactly as it was then its a marvelous opportunity for anyone using Audacity for this to put other peoples offerings on tracks that would then be automatically sync'd with their own work - nothing like being able to tune into someone else's ideas when you get stuck or just compare notes for interest? So easy to be able to mute or unmute another persons lines once its all loaded in.

PS: Hope you don't mind but I already have stolen 3 notes off you I liked your soft intro very much

I am not advocating plagiarism here just trading of ideas.

Anyway good on you I hope it can happen again at later time with another track although I am sure there is still some mileage in your first offering Honey Rose yet, perhaps people using the same tracking software might even exchange files and so have some kind of remote jam session with player 1 leaving spaces for player 2 and then vice-versa - do a bit of miracle editing and then hey presto offer up a combined offering.

 

[jonnie]

Another version albeit very late...actually just a rough sketch of ideas
Recording level too high or mic got flooded ( clipping on loudest high notes)
Lots of mistakes, repeats and opportunities missed but despite this there is a roughness I like so I am posting this one, need another motif or two.

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View: https://soundcloud.com/user-807696127/honey-rose-miners-lament

For me this is about the aftermath of a fight between lovers who have a tough life, its peaceful now, the lull after the storm but the echoes from when they were tearing strips off each other are still in the room.

 

[Alc.]

Jonnie, you're having a whale of a time while you're wailing!

 

[carburetor]

Does the "+" in the chord name mean "augmented", meaning that F7+ and Bb7+ would be dominant seventh chords with a raised fifth? This is what they sound like to me. The only reason I'm asking is because I thought the "+" was typically placed after the root, as in "Bb+7".

 

[carburetor]

I don't know if anyone is still following this thread, but I would like to join in. First of all let me say that I think this is a great idea -- thanks to @Chris for providing the backing track.

This recording is very low-fidelity because I was visiting my parents and all I had was my portable recorder (Zoom H2n). I faded it out after the second progression because that's the moment when I realized the H2n was clipping, and so I stopped playing to lower the gain, and afterwards my playing was not as good. I've only just started working on this tune, and I find the key(s) to be quite difficult! I will post another recording when I can play all the way through decently, hopefully with better fidelity as well.

 

[Chris]

Chris
I think you deserve a massive pat on the back for coming up with this

I wonder if those brave souls who have already thrown their contribution in might consider changing their settings on sound cloud to allow download?

The reason?

I am working on Audacity building up my own ditty piece by piece I'll tentatively throw it out onto this thread when I am done.

I was quite surprised to hear just how radically different the interpretations were and assuming that everyone has left the backing track exactly as it was then its a marvelous opportunity for anyone using Audacity for this to put other peoples offerings on tracks that would then be automatically sync'd with their own work - nothing like being able to tune into someone else's ideas when you get stuck or just compare notes for interest? So easy to be able to mute or unmute another persons lines once its all loaded in.

PS: Hope you don't mind but I already have stolen 3 notes off you I liked your soft intro very much

I am not advocating plagiarism here just trading of ideas.

Anyway good on you I hope it can happen again at later time with another track although I am sure there is still some mileage in your first offering Honey Rose yet, perhaps people using the same tracking software might even exchange files and so have some kind of remote jam session with player 1 leaving spaces for player 2 and then vice-versa - do a bit of miracle editing and then hey presto offer up a combined offering.

Jonnie I might be wrong but to allow downloads from 'Soundcloud' you need a 'Pro' acc which costs ££'s. It would work if guys used Box.com as a site to store the track etc, that ones free and the one I use

Another version albeit very late...actually just a rough sketch of ideas
Recording level too high or mic got flooded ( clipping on loudest high notes)
Lots of mistakes, repeats and opportunities missed but despite this there is a roughness I like so I am posting this one, need another motif or two.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

View: https://soundcloud.com/user-807696127/honey-rose-miners-lament

For me this is about the aftermath of a fight between lovers who have a tough life, its peaceful now, the lull after the storm but the echoes from when they were tearing strips off each other are still in the room.

That sounds very good Jonnie, nice one.

Does the "+" in the chord name mean "augmented", meaning that F7+ and Bb7+ would be dominant seventh chords with a raised fifth? This is what they sound like to me. The only reason I'm asking is because I thought the "+" was typically placed after the root, as in "Bb+7".

I've alway just thought of a + sign to mean altered, as you said raised 5th.

I don't know if anyone is still following this thread, but I would like to join in. First of all let me say that I think this is a great idea -- thanks to @Chris for providing the backing track.

This recording is very low-fidelity because I was visiting my parents and all I had was my portable recorder (Zoom H2n). I faded it out after the second progression because that's the moment when I realized the H2n was clipping, and so I stopped playing to lower the gain, and afterwards my playing was not as good. I've only just started working on this tune, and I find the key(s) to be quite difficult! I will post another recording when I can play all the way through decently, hopefully with better fidelity as well.

Great first version, looking forward to hearing more over the coming months as hopefully you'll revisit the thread as time ans mood allow.

 

[mrpeebee]

I wonder if those brave souls who have already thrown their contribution in might consider changing their settings on sound cloud to allow download?

You can always download Souncloud (or YouTube or other source) clips to mp3 files on f.i. this site:
MP3Fiber - YouTube to MP3 Online Converter