Playing the saxophone Learn to play by ear or by reading music

[trimmy]

I worked it out.

Tell me Nigel, go on nobody's listening !

 

[nigeld]

Try [long short-short long long] as the rhythm in the bars with 5 notes.

If we are using sol-fa for the pitches and morse code for the rhythm, perhaps we could use semaphore flags to indicate which octave the note is in.

But once we treat this as an intellectual puzzle, @jbtsax 's serious pedagogical intention has got lost.

 

[richardr]

Maybe we should have a "Sol-fa Puzzle of the week" thread.

A very good idea - but it takes someone to take the trouble to set it.

Regarding the wider issue of dots v solfege, in my non-expert opinion they serve different purposes. Dots are a means of writing music so that it can be read and converted into sound as the writer intends. Solfege is a teaching/learning tool, perhaps one that I can use to improve my "ear".

 

[richardr]

But once we treat this as an intellectual puzzle, @jbtsax 's serious pedagogical intention has got lost.

I agree but I'm waiting breathlessly for the correct answer!

 

[Dibbs]

| do do | ti sol la ti do | do la | sol | la fa | mi do re mi fa | re ti do re mi | do |

I've just realised that I've been playing this wrong for years. I thought the la in the 5th bar was a do but I looked up the dots and it is indeed a (low) la.

 

[richardr]

I've just realised that I've been playing this wrong for years.

But what is it? I've only made an (un)educated guess.

 

[Dibbs]

But what is it? I've only made an (un)educated guess.

If you can't do it in your head, you can always play it.

 

[Taz]

What song is this the beginning of? | do do | ti sol la ti do | do la | sol | la fa | mi do re mi fa | re ti do re mi | do |

Here's a hint: the do to do in the first measure is an octave. Maybe it could be written do1 do2 or something like that.

I'm an ear player, and not a bad one, and I haven't got a Scooby what that tune is!!!

 

[Nick Wyver]

I'm an ear player, and not a bad one, and I haven't got a Scooby what that tune is!!!

Try playing an octave (up) nice and slowly and then come down a semitone. You'll play the rest then.

 

[richardr]

Well, I've tired it with my sax, with Do, re, mi written alongside the notes in D, and I still haven't got it. Thw first three notes could be Baker Street but with the rest I'm lost!

 

[Dibbs]

Well, I've tired it with my sax, with Do, re, mi written alongside the notes in D, and I still haven't got it. Thw first three notes could be Baker Street but with the rest I'm lost!

It must be the octaves confusing you

| do1 do2 | ti1 sol1 la1 ti1 do2 | do1 la1 | sol1 | la-1 fa1 | mi1 do1 re1 mi1 fa1 | re1 ti-1 do1 re1 mi1 | do1 |

 

[Jeanette]

What song is this the beginning of? | do do | ti sol la ti do | do la | sol | la fa | mi do re mi fa | re ti do re mi | do |

Put the answer on another thread so those of us still trying don't spot it by accident 🙂

Mind you I don't stand much chance without playing it I don't think. I can't even hear a tune if I have the notes on a stave with correct length 🙂

Jx

 

[jbtsax]

Put the answer on another thread so those of us still trying don't spot it by accident 🙂

Mind you I don't stand much chance without playing it I don't think. I can't even hear a tune if I have the notes on a stave with correct length 🙂

Jx

Here's the bridge. That might help.

sol | mi sol mi sol mi sol mi sol | fa sol fa sol fa sol fa sol fa sol | la . . . . | . . . . sol |
| mi sol mi sol mi sol mi sol | fi* la fi la fi la fi la | ti . . . . | re2 la | do1 do2 | etc.

* fi is fa up a half step

 

[BigMartin]

Recognising intervals instantly and accurately must be the key to playing fluently by ear.

It's one of them. For me, another key is familiarity with the sound of each note in the context of a major or minor key. Each note has a certain tendency, that's kind of hard to describe. For example the fourth degree of a major scale (in the context of a tune in that key) feels like it's pulling dowm to the third. The sxith sounds (to me) like it wants to get back to the tonic via the seventh. And so on. Then the theory and the ear start to work together. I don't even kow how I'm doing it any more, but I do know it's taken a lot of ear training practice over several years to get me to this point, and I've a long way to go still.

 

[Sue]

Thanks @jbtsax I've never used solfege before but using your clues I've worked this one out 🙂 I must admit only after I realised do and do were an octave apart 🙂

 

[Dave Mac]

All this "
| do do | ti sol la ti do | do la | sol | la fa | mi do re mi fa | re ti do re mi | do |" stuff and not putting us out of our misery has made me lose interest in this thread!! (lol)

 

[Colin the Bear]

It's Frank Sinatra innit or perhaps Ella.

 

[trimmy]

It's Frank Sinatra innit or perhaps Ella.

Arhhh but which tune ?

 

[Colin the Bear]

It's the middle bit out of my way..........do do do be do

 

[Targa]

I don't know why you lot are so slow on the uptake, jbtsax is just winding you up.
It's 'The Sound of Music' played by a dyslexic.