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

[richardr]

After a bit of effort I've found The Breakfast room Jam and Gig guide. The way I got there was via Google but simply clicking on the direct entry didn't work. Instead I clicked on the Cafe Saxophone entry that appeared which to me to the link and that worked. It's directed me to a weekly gig that I attend regularly (and where I'll have a go as soon as I think I'm good enough/summon up the courage) and also to a pub in Lancaster which I must check out. Maybe we ought to encourage followers of this thread and the Cafe generally to add to the list - I note that the weekly gig where I have a go isn't included and while I'm not keen on attracting attention to my efforts, the Forest New Orleans Jazz Band would welcome any and everyone to its gigs every Tuesday night at the Union Exchange pub in Colne, Lancashire - admission £2 + £1 for a raffle ticket. Thanks to Taz for The Breakfast room Jam and Gig guide.

 

[Jeanette]

Can we award you a pay rise? Perhaps Pete could increase your "Fairy dust" allowance? Thank you I think that's far enough, don't you😉

any %age rise added to £0 won't change my life, seeing all those smilies made it all worthwhile 🙂

Jx

 

[richardr]

Have you read my light hearted read on "How to blag it as a saxophone player!"

I've read it just now - you're not only an ace saxophonist, you're a wordsmith as well.Someday I may write my tale, which is partly parallel to yours, but at present I'm at the point equivalent to seeing that chalked sign. Remind me again when I can play "American Pie" from memory just like that!
Incidentally, I saw your article about driving a Disco down a steep, icy road. There's a place that I visit daily the road to which is, if anything, steeper, certainly twistier (no parked cars, thank goodness).Following heavy snow a few years ago,after scaring myself going down in a Land Rover 110, I did the same journey daily in my Escort diesel which was light enough for me to keep the speed down by rubbing the nearside of the car on the snow-covered banking at the side of the road. Amazingly that Escort would climb to the top of the hill on the way home, absolutely the best 4x2 in snow I've ever had.

 

[richardr]

On Thursday, when I was out gallivanting instead of helping Jeanette, I won a CD in a raffle. It's a collection of 17 jazz standards played by the Phoenix New Orleans Parade Band, a relatively local band led by John Pashley. The great thing about this CD is that it's perfect for learning pieces by ear and playing along. I don't know whether the CD is generally available but it would be an asset to anyone whose journey is on a route similar to mine.

 

[Alice]

On Thursday, when I was out gallivanting instead of helping Jeanette, I won a CD in a raffle. It's a collection of 17 jazz standards played by the Phoenix New Orleans Parade Band, a relatively local band led by John Pashley. The great thing about this CD is that it's perfect for learning pieces by ear and playing along. I don't know whether the CD is generally available but it would be an asset to anyone whose journey is on a route similar to mine.

I'd like a copy of it. Do they have a website Richard?

 

[Colin the Bear]

Web site? You're lucky it's not on a wax cylinder.

 

[richardr]

I'd like a copy of it. Do they have a website Richard?

I think Colin's righ. although you could try Googlr, but I expect to see the band leader in a fortnight's time so I'll ask him then - post reminder nearer the date.

 

[richardr]

My sister visited me this week and, in the course of discussing childhood reminiscences, I asked her if she knew a tune for "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and she sang it to the tune of "Merrily We Roll Along" so @jbtsax was right - as always!

 

[richardr]

Earlier in this thread we discussed how to find the starting note for a tune to be played in a given key. I remarked that I do it by going through the tonic sol-fa (doh, ray, me....) until I find the note that fits the start note of the tune. That tells me the position in the scale of the start note so, supposing that it's "me" in G major on my sax (as opposed to concert G), I know the start note is B. I haven't seen any comment on this except that it can't work - but it does. Why?
This morning I tried this technique on "I Want To Be Like You" (I'm the King of the swingers....) without success so I've had another go this evening and concluded that the start note is me flat. Does anyone know any better?

 

[richardr]

Jeanette, how did you get on with "London's Burning"?

 

[Jeanette]

Jeanette, how did you get on with "London's Burning"?

I asked my tutor to record some simple tunes and give me the starting note and scale.

I attempted London's Burning last night and got all but the last line. I seem to hit a wall like I did with Twinkle and had to look it up. I do find it very difficult.

Frere Jacques next 🙂

Jx

 

[jbtsax]

"London's Burning"? What a delightful song for children to learn. 🙂 Of course we have the nursery song "London Bridge Is Falling Down" over here. By the way, we also have the original London Bridge somewhere in Arizona if I am not mistaken.

 

[richardr]

Jeanette, at this very early stage of your playing-by-ear journey, I don't think you should worry too much about playing in a specific key. The important thing is to find an easy key without many, or any, sharps or flats. For most very simple tunes middle C is likely to be a good starting point and Frere Jaque started on C works very well.

 

[Alice]

This is the thread that I thought i'd posted my "playing by ear" list into!
@jbtsax we have quite a lot of macabre history in our nursery rhymes.. For instance "Ring a ring a roses" was about the Black Death.

 

[richardr]

By the way, we also have the original London Bridge somewhere in Arizona if I am not mistaken.

The following is from Wikipedia:
Several historical bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, incentral London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1974, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. This replaced a 19th-century stone-arched bridge, which in turn superseded a 600-year-old medieval structure. This was preceded by a succession of timber bridges, the first built by theRoman founders of London.[1]
The one that's in Arizona is the 19th Century bridge. Allegedly the Arizonans thought they were getting Tower Bridge.

 

[richardr]

This is the thread that I thought i'd posted my "playing by ear" list into!

We have at least three threads, this one, the sheet music thread and the one about theory which overlap to some extent and it's sometimes easy to forget which one you're reading.

 

[Alice]

Yes, I put my efforts into the "do we need theory?" thread.

 

[zelda]

Jeanette, at this very early stage of your playing-by-ear journey, I don't think you should worry too much about playing in a specific key. The important thing is to find an easy key without many, or any, sharps or flats. For most very simple tunes middle C is likely to be a good starting point and Frere Jaque started on C works very well.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is another good tune.

 

[Jeanette]

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is another good tune.

Done that one 🙂

Jx

 

[richardr]

Done that one 🙂

Jx

Keep on practicing the tunes you've "done". It will help your memory and make playing by ear easier.