Beginner impro Concert to saxophone key and scales transpose app

[mikaheik]

I've played sax (mostly tenor) for 10 years now and I'd say I'm on intermediate level.

I've played in few bands and participated public jam sessions. In both cases when someone suggest next song and says it is in whatever key I've always struggled to know what is the transpose key for sax and even more what are the relevant scales I can use (espacially important when I'm not familiar with the song). For this purpose I've use all sorts of cheat sheets and last couple of years tried using chatgbt but both methodes are slow an cumbersome in live situation.

Luckily the recent development in AI assisted application development has enabled me to create and app for this very purpose. I created an android app that when given a concert key displaysthe desired transposed key and the related diatonic, pentatonic and blues scales.

Like said I made this for myself but if there is someone else who is struggling with the same issue the app can be found in google play store: Transpose Assistant - Apps on Google Play

I have been asked if this is available for iPhone but unfortunately it is not and probably never will - it would cost few hunder € to develope and I doubt I'd ever get my money back for it.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

Listing both names for the Black keys, ain't necessary, when spelling out the scales.
Best to use just the actual names that are in the key signature.

Concert to Tenor, up a major 2nd.
Concert to Alto, up a major 6th, or down a minor 3rd.
Most students have that down right quick.

Great to write an APP, as it will help you memorize that.

Alto Flute is in G, you might add that family. 👍

 

[turf3]

Well, unless you're playing an oddball, there are only two transpositions:

Down a minor third for alto and baritone
Up a major second for soprano and tenor and bass.

There you go.

Time spent memorizing what the notes are, what a minor third is, how it lays on the keyboard, will be FAR more valuable than time fiddly-dicking around with your phone when the bandleader calls "C Jam Blues" and you ask "What key?"

[That is one of my favorite jerk-his-chain on-bandstand quips...]

 

[Tenor Viol]

Yes, if the key is say B major then it has 5 sharps, so you wouldn't name the enharmonic flat equivalents. Similarly with 'flat' keys, e.g. Dflat major (5 flats) you wouldn't name the sharp enharmonic equivalents.

 

[Colin the Bear]

"Fiddly dicking"😆 love it.

The best app is your brain.

 

[Vlad]

When I was first in a band with guitarists etc, I simply wrote myself out a cheat sheet, pretty much on an old fag packet, all the notes A to G in 'Concert' and beside each it's equivalent in Bb ( as I was playing tenor) this was very easy to look at and 'convert' the chords / notes for any given song.
basically a hand written version of this