Hi, I am Roger & need help with turning the notes from sheet music into notes for my Alto Sax

[Roger]

Hi to everyone, wondering if anyone can help me, I bought a Yamaha 280 in May, been playing about with it & have now learnt to play a few basic intro's, I don't read music & being 67 years old I don't know if I am to old to learn, I only play for myself as I have always loved the saxophone but never been able to afford one until recently, does anyone know of a company or individual who can simply write down the notes for an Alto saxophone from song sheet, i.e. read the music & turn it into verse & Sax notes, for instance I have learnt a little from You Tube where the notes for any into's are explained simply like Octive key on or off, then the notes, C or G for instance, sorry if this sounds silly but I would love to play a song all the way through if I could but will never be able to do this unless someone changes the notes on the music sheet to the notes on my Sax, if this does not make any sense please ask me to try to explain again.

Thanks to everyone who may reply

Roger

 

[Jeanette]

Welcome to the café

You will save a lot if time in the future if you learn to read the music.

This book is a great one to start with

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Learn-Play-Alto-Saxophone-repackaged/dp/0851627048

and before you know it you'll be reading the notes.

Jx

 

[Roger]

Thanks, I don't feel confident yet as I have only just started to play the saxophone but really appreciate the reply, many thanks J

 

[Pete Thomas]

All you need is a fingering chart which we have on our site right here you can download:

Saxophone Fingering charts - the best and easiest to use

Saxophone fingering charts for beginners - the basic saxophone fingerings with easy to read charts and notation for soprano, alto, tenor or baritone

tamingthesaxophone.com

From the chart you will be able to write the name of the notes (A, B, C# etc.) on the sheet music and then refer back when necessary to the fingering chart for the saxophone fingering.

You might also find the beginner DVD useful which is also available if you follow the link, see above "SHOP"

 

[Jo-sax280]

Hi to everyone, wondering if anyone can help me, I bought a Yamaha 280 in May, been playing about with it & have now learnt to play a few basic intro's, I don't read music & being 67 years old I don't know if I am to old to learn, I only play for myself as I have always loved the saxophone but never been able to afford one until recently, does anyone know of a company or individual who can simply write down the notes for an Alto saxophone from song sheet, i.e. read the music & turn it into verse & Sax notes, for instance I have learnt a little from You Tube where the notes for any into's are explained simply like Octive key on or off, then the notes, C or G for instance, sorry if this sounds silly but I would love to play a song all the way through if I could but will never be able to do this unless someone changes the notes on the music sheet to the notes on my Sax, if this does not make any sense please ask me to try to explain again.

Thanks to everyone who may reply

Roger

Hi Roger,

Never too old to play any musical instrument, anyway buying a book from ebay , how to read music is useful . it took me ages to work out how to play notes and at times very confusing, especially the flats and sharps as they can be written differently. Actually writing letters under each note helpful. With music it does not matter how long you take to get it right , weeks , months , years , absolutely no rush... Jo

 

[Jeanette]

Thanks, I don't feel confident yet as I have only just started to play the saxophone but really appreciate the reply, many thanks J

It's a book for beginners, I used it to learn to play and read. It shows you the fingering and where the note is on the staff. You then complete exercises which teach your fingers and eyes to coordinate

Jx

 

[Tenor Viol]

Hi
There are plenty of people on here who started much later than you have - so it's definitely not too late. The community orchestra I used to play in had a beginner cellist learning to play and to read music. He was 93 and loved it.
Whilst you can teach yourself, it is easier if you can find a local teacher.

 

[nigeld]

I would love to play a song all the way through if I could but will never be able to do this unless someone changes the notes on the music sheet to the notes on my Sax, if this does not make any sense please ask me to try to explain again.

Please can you explain what you mean by "the notes on my Sax".
Do you mean a chart showing which keys to press?
If so, then the fingering chart that Pete has pointed to should work.
But any beginner saxophone book should include a fingering chart and show how to play simple tunes.

 

[GCinCT]

Welcome to the Cafe. As others have said, you are never too old to learn to read music. Writing the letters on the page is helpful for beginners, but pitch is only one component of a note. There is also time. How long should the note last given the time signature? At the least, you will have to learn how to read rhythms, so you may as well learn to read everything. Best of luck!

 

[Halfers]

Welcome to the Cafe. As others have said, you are never too old to learn to read music. Writing the letters on the page is helpful for beginners, but pitch is only one component of a note. There is also time. How long should the note last given the time signature? At the least, you will have to learn how to read rhythms, so you may as well learn to read everything. Best of luck!

To be fair, rhythm can be picked up from listening to a piece, so not an absolute necessity for casual learning.

 

[GCinCT]

To be fair, rhythm can be picked up from listening to a piece, so not an absolute necessity for casual learning.

Fair point. But it does require listening to a recording, which is always a good idea no matter how one is learning.

 

[Halfers]

Fair point. But it does require listening to a recording, which is always a good idea no matter how one is learning.

I had Piano lessons in the mid 90's and I didn't have an Computer at the time. I was learning Classical pieces I'd never heard and had no way of hearing a piece unless I bought a CD. Some of my interpretations of the written music were.....unique...i'd say...

 

[john in fla]

Hi roger. I’m new here too Let me assure you you are not too old to learn to read music and play it. I am 65 and have been playing sax a total of one month. I’m not musically illiterate and have played guitar most of my life. I only read music at about a 3 rd grade level. You can do it and will be glad you did!
Good luck ,
John

 

[jbtsax]

Some of my beginning trumpet students would try to get around learning to read music and would write the fingering (valves to press) under each note. Of course "drawing" the fingering for each note for the saxophone is not as easy since there are more than 3 buttons. My best advice is to pick up a beginning band method for saxophone and take yourself through book 1. The notes, rhythms, and fingerings are introduced in a logical sequential fashion with each page introducing 2 or 3 new concepts. It may be boring at first for someone who wants to just skip to playing tunes they like, but building a foundation of learning to read music will pay enormous dividends in the near future. This is the series by Bruce Pearson that I am most familiar with. Standard of Excellence

 

[CliveMA]

Welcome to the café

You will save a lot if time in the future if you learn to read the music.

This book is a great one to start with

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Learn-Play-Alto-Saxophone-repackaged/dp/0851627048

and before you know it you'll be reading the notes.

Jx

Welcome Roger!
Jeanette's suggested book is perfect for you:
It assumes absolutely no prior knowledge.
It takes you slowly but surely step-by-step.
You can learn and revise at your own pace.

Take as long as you like to learn. We were all absolute beginners once, many starting at a mature age. We may no longer be in our youth but we now have the big advantages of discipline and patience from our years.

We are all here to help you! Ask whatever you need. Any and all questions are very welcome.

 

[Pete Thomas]

@Roger I presume you don't have a teacher. If this is the case as I suspect, I wonder if you are aware of the saxophone being a transposing instrument. If you aren't, best to get to understand that concept now before it's too late (like it was with me being self taught)

See here:

Saxophone Transposition chart and transposing information

Saxophone transposition: Why is the saxophone a transposing instrument, and what is the best way to deal with it in a non transposing band?

tamingthesaxophone.com

 

[Roger]

Please can you explain what you mean by "the notes on my Sax".
Do you mean a chart showing which keys to press?
If so, then the fingering chart that Pete has pointed to should work.
But any beginner saxophone book should include a fingering chart and show how to play simple tunes.

Hi Nigel
What I mean is for instance the Mark Archer book gives the notes for any song with the octave key on or not, so lets say starting on a c, if the octave key is on the 'c' would be in a circle, if not then just a middle without a circle i.e. no octave key on, so I was wondering if it was possible to have a song from music sheets transposed so to speak into that format with each verse separate to the next verse, just a thought as it would make it easier for beginners to learn a song if they cannot read music.

 

[Halfers]

Hi Nigel
What I mean is for instance the Mark Archer book gives the notes for any song with the octave key on or not, so lets say starting on a c, if the octave key is on the 'c' would be in a circle, if not then just a middle without a circle i.e. no octave key on, so I was wondering if it was possible to have a song from music sheets transposed so to speak into that format with each verse separate to the next verse, just a thought as it would make it easier for beginners to learn a song if they cannot read music.

Beginner books 'introduce' notes one at a time, so they kind of do that. There will be a fingering diagram for the note and this will be shown on the page the tune is on, then the 'written tune'. So you slowly learn both fingering and simple written music. The simple tunes you'll start with will help to build a little knowledge at a suitable pace. Align that with a patient Teacher, you're off...

 

[Zugzwang]

…The simple tunes you'll start with will help to build a little knowledge at a suitable pace. Align that with a patient Teacher, you're off...

And luckily for me and you, @Roger , there are plenty of patient teachers here… You’re going to have to resign yourself to the fact that it takes several lifetimes to learn everything you can about the sax, and relax into it

 

[Tenor Viol]

I had Piano lessons in the mid 90's and I didn't have an Computer at the time. I was learning Classical pieces I'd never heard and had no way of hearing a piece unless I bought a CD. Some of my interpretations of the written music were.....unique...i'd say...

That's called "interpretation" in classical circles...