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Playing the saxophone Cry me a river transposition..

E

eb424

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Morning all...Happy Saturday....Back to a transposition problem which TBF I have probably asked before...It's only that I would rather check than buy the material wrongly again...

I would like to do (attempt) this

www.karaoke-version.co.uk

Cry Me a River - Diana Krall (Vocal Backing Track MP3)

Cry Me a River - Diana Krall - Custom Backing Track - Karaoke Version
www.karaoke-version.co.uk www.karaoke-version.co.uk

I have to go of the karaoke version key Em although there are threads saying the original is in G.. There is a score for Em in music notes but it goes to low..Am I right in saying that to play to an Em backing track I would have to be in F#M because there isn't a transposition availlable..So do I just buy the score in Em and transpose and then take up an octave..
 
Although I haven't played this in a while but I think the original key is Cm.
The Em version was probably the best key for Diana Krall to sing and wouldn't be the best for sax.
Jazzbacks has a nice backing track in Cm, this would solve your problem.
 
Concert

E minor scale
E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E

G major scale
G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G

Bb tenor that plays in in concert Em/G

F# minor scale
F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#

A major
A, B, C#,E, F#, G#, A

Em an G have the same notes. Both one sharp; F#.
A and F#m both scales have 3 sharps; F#, C#, G#.

You can buy it in D minor (F major) from Karaoke Version as well. Then you play in E minor (G major). Maybe easier?
 
Bottom line: Get the chart for the tune, then transpose to the key you need to play along with whatever you like.

If you play with vocalists, there's a good chance that this will occur with great regularity. 😎
 
Don't know if this helps?:

cafesaxophone.com

BOTM - May BOTM 'Cry Me a River'

:) Cry Me a River, written by Arthur Hamilton, was first published in 1953 and made famous with the version by Julie London, as here: View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXg6UB9Qk0o There have been other vintage versions Fitzgerald, Streisand and Bassey, and more modern ones by Justin...
cafesaxophone.com cafesaxophone.com

Listen to the post #11 version if you dare!
 
DavidUK said:
Don't know if this helps?:

cafesaxophone.com

BOTM - May BOTM 'Cry Me a River'

:) Cry Me a River, written by Arthur Hamilton, was first published in 1953 and made famous with the version by Julie London, as here: View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXg6UB9Qk0o There have been other vintage versions Fitzgerald, Streisand and Bassey, and more modern ones by Justin...
cafesaxophone.com cafesaxophone.com

Listen to the post #11 version if you dare!
Click to expand...
I did nice...
thomsax said:
Concert

E minor scale
E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E

G major scale
G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G

Bb tenor that plays in in concert Em/G

F# minor scale
F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#

A major
A, B, C#,E, F#, G#, A

Em an G have the same notes. Both one sharp; F#.
A and F#m both scales have 3 sharps; F#, C#, G#.

You can buy it in D minor (F major) from Karaoke Version as well. Then you play in E minor (G major). Maybe easier?
Click to expand...
Trouble is a lot of tracks distort..I need the words at the mo re tempo...so would like to keep karaoke version at Em..
 
Dr G said:
Bottom line: Get the chart for the tune, then transpose to the key you need to play along with whatever you like.

If you play with vocalists, there's a good chance that this will occur with great regularity. 😎
Click to expand...
Above my head at the mo @Dr G..if i can get the score in g major and transpose to A would that work..Alternatively if i can get it in Fm i could take the notes up 1..lost again.. lol
 
eb424 said:
So if the song is in Eb m and i can get the score in F#m that works..is that right @Pete Thomas..
Click to expand...
Yes you can play it it any key you like.

EDIT: but F#m for tenor will sound a semitone higher than Ebm concert pitch of course.

But a key is based on the pitch of the tonic, nothing to do with major of minor . I do think we went through all of that in a previous thread.
 
Last edited:
@eb424
I'm not going to rehash major vs. minor and transposition since we've been over that many times in vain. But I would like to point out that the kind of "M" you use in chord symbols matters a great deal.

You said in your opening post that you wanted to confirm that buying the F#M version of a concert Em tune was correct for your tenor sax. If you meant F# "minor", then yes, that is correct. You correctly transposed up 1 whole step to match the pitch of your instrument. However, as you wrote with a capital "M", not a lower case "m", it would be literally incorrect since "M" or maj or a triangle means major and "m" or "-" or min means minor when you use both upper and lower case in a tune (no letter at all also means major). So please be careful to use the correct case or spell out the whole word (major or minor) when asking these sorts of questions so there is no confusion.

What would be best is for you to simply post a screen shot of the key signature of the sheet music you want to buy and a link to the recording you want to buy (as you did in this thread).
 
Last edited:
Pete Thomas said:
Yes you can play it it any key you like.

EDIT: but F#m for tenor will sound a semitone higher than Ebm concert pitch of course.

But a key is based on the pitch of the tonic, nothing to do with major of minor . I do think we went through all of that in a previous thread.
Click to expand...
Think we have been through most things in previous posts TBF...LOL several times...
 
Cry Me A River is a minor blues jazz vocal song. The lyrics/words are important.I think it's more important to be able to play the words instead of playing the dots. Play the words not the dots.

eb424 is going to play a version of this song on his tenor sax. Maybe I'm far out ... but to read and play a song in E minor or G major will sound the same? The right groove and mode is very important.

A song in minor should always be "named" as a minor song.
 
jazzdoh said:
Can you elaborate, I don't get this, why do you need the words, are you going to sing this tune and then improvise in the middle.
Click to expand...
Hi @,jazzdoh...I always download 2 of the same song..its the same price.. bargain...I start practicing with words..i think it gives me the emotion and passion the singer puts in when i can ply competantly i transfer to the lyricless version..
 
thomsax said:
Cry Me A River is a minor blues jazz vocal song. The lyrics/words are important.I think it's more important to be able to play the words instead of playing the dots. Play the words not the dots.

eb424 is going to play a version of this song on his tenor sax. Maybe I'm far out ... but to read and play a song in E minor or G major will sound the same? The right groove and mode is very important.

A song in minor should always be "named" as a minor song.
Click to expand...
I couldn't agree more if you can't read music (efficiently) the words are so important...love it play the words not the dots...emphasis, passion and emotion all come from the words for me; the tune is important in a supporting role..I know you can take all of this from scores but I am not there yet..hopefully for me i will be and hopefully for you too huh...
 

Similar threads... or are they? Maybe not but they could be worth reading anyway 😀

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