Saxophone beginners mystery note?

[Ari]

Unfortunately, I only have access to a cell phone and I can't seem to upload an image this way. So, I'll describe it the best I can. On one of my fingerings charts I can find it marked as an A# (same fingerings as B flat according to this chart) but in the song I'm learning, the note isn't marked as sharp or flat. It's below the staff, with a line above it and another one going through it. The song is written so that all the notes have their letter inside of it, and this one only says "A". I've looked at several different charts and A# is the closest thing to it I can find. Should I assume it IS a sharp even though it's not written that way?😵

 

[kevgermany]

Assuming we're talking treble clef, that's an A.

Whether it's sharp or not depends on the key signature. If there's an A# in the key signature, then every A is sharp.

Otherwise the # making in the bar applies to notes that follow it on that line for the rest of the bar, known as an accidental. And gets repeated in the score for each bar it's needed.

However... Two things affect this. One is errors in the music. The other is that sometimes scores don't follow the rules and an accidental A# is meant to apply to every A in the bar, irrespective of which line it's written on. Your ear is the only way here. Unless someone tells you.

 

[Tenor Viol]

Or, the music wasn't written for sax, but another brass (most likely) instrument which does have a low A. Alto saxes do not have a low A, the lowest note being A# aka Bb (the technical term is that they are enharmonic equivalents, but don't worry about that).

 

[Tiberius]

Or, the music wasn't written for sax...

This sounds t he most likely to me. Are you sure the music is for a sax? If not, you'll be playing in the 'wrong' key neway.

Easy fix...just play something else, anything that sounds reasonable to your ears, count it as your first attempt at improvisation, sorted 🙂

 

[brianr]

It is possible to get an alto which can play a low A. Selmer made one.
Other makers may have also made one. I dont know.

but fairly rare, so unlikely to be written as low A for sax.

It is either written for another instrument, probably a brass one, or.....................

It may have been written with sax in mind, but was input into a computer and has ended up being printed out in the wrong octave.

Or.... by an arranger who doesnt know the range of the saxophone.

 

[nigeld]

You should be able to upload an image from your phone by pressing the "Upload a File or Image" button and then selecting the image. I just tried and it worked on my phone.

 

[Tenor Viol]

Agree - don't rule out publisher/arranger not understanding range of instrument.

 

[Tiberius]

Also, if you have limited experience, then low Bb if difficult. Probably took me getting on for a year to get it even when running down to it. I probably can't get it straight off most times now.

 

[QWales]

Whether it's sharp or not depends on the key signature. If there's an A# in the key signature, then every A is sharp.

Bet my many years on the ITS Helpdesk, this is the answer 🙂

 

[Ari]

Thank you all so much! I didn't think to check the signature 😳 it IS the only A in the song (well, on this page. Downloaded a sample before I commit with money) once I can check the paper I'll look at that. When I tried the fingerings from the chart (same fingerings as b flat) it did play, and the note sounded good to me. Even though it's unlikely, I will look deeper into the model I got and see if it by chance was made to play a low A. Wow I learned a lot from one question! 😛

 

[Tenor Viol]

If it's any consolation, my teacher today had me sight-reading an exercise in G# minor (relative minor of B major) so key sig has 5# and the challenge is to rememeber to play ALL of the A#s, not just some of them...

 

[Targa]

Bet my many years on the ITS Helpdesk, this is the answer 🙂

Bet my many years as software 'trouble shooter' correcting all the other programmers bugs, that's only true if none of them are marked as natural.

 

[jbtsax]

It is not uncommon to transpose a part up (or down) an octave if the original has notes beyond the (comfortable) range of the instrument. Vocalists do this all the time when a song is not in "their key". Sometimes it is just the verse or the bridge that needs transposing.

 

[Jazzaferri]

An accidental applies to any of the same following notes in the bar in any octave. If the A is sharp in key signature it will be one of B F# or C#

 

[brianr]

Even though it's unlikely, I will look deeper into the model I got and see if it by chance was made to play a low A.

If you do have a selmer low a alto, it is worth a LOT of money.

the bell will be longer than normal and will have an extra cup.here is a link to a picture of one.

The Selmer Mark VI Low A Alto Saxophone

 

[spike]

Getting your leg over the bell, sorry I'll rephrase that - putting your knee over the bell is the recognised Rock & Roll solution to flattening the low Bb. I can't do it anymore these days, me mini scus won't have any. 🙁

 

[Tenor Viol]

An accidental applies to any of the same following notes in the bar in any octave. If the A is sharp in key signature it will be one of B F# or C#

That's not standard classical notation: the accidental applies for the rest of the bar but only at the indicated pitch - others would not be affected

 

[kevgermany]

Even though it's unlikely, I will look deeper into the model I got and see if it by chance was made to play a low A.

It's easy, finger the low Bb/A#. If there's an open tone hole on the bell, it's a low A sax. I'll bet there isn't.

One other thing that may give you a clue about the score. What chord symbols are there at/around the note in question?

 

[Jazzaferri]

@tenorviol thanks for clarifying that. I wonder if that is a NA versus Europe difference or a jazz/pop notational difference or possibly both

 

[nigeld]

An accidental applies to any of the same following notes in the bar in any octave. If the A is sharp in key signature it will be one of B F# or C#

That's not standard classical notation: the accidental applies for the rest of the bar but only at the indicated pitch - others would not be affected

In any case I would expect any competent publisher to print the accidental for the octave note.