Saxophone beginners mystery note?

[Tenor Viol]

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

Emphasis on competent!
@Jazzaferri - don't know the answer to that offhand... Someone like @jbtsax might be able to advise on the 'formal' NA position on that?

 

[jbtsax]

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

I learned something new today. I always thought the accidental transcended octaves. I did read somewhere that in French music, in particular saxophone literature, that the accidental did apply to the note in different octaves. Those French are always doing things their way just to be difficult. 🙂

 

[Tenor Viol]

I learned something new today. I always thought the accidental transcended octaves. I did read somewhere that in French music, in particular saxophone literature, that the accidental did apply to the note in different octaves. Those French are always doing things their way just to be difficult. 🙂

The UK version possibly stems from the Renaissance practice of the 'false relation' (e.g. sounding an F# and an F in the same bar) or maybe not...

 

[Jazzaferri]

I learned something new too.

 

[Ari]

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?

Idk what those lines are called? But upon looking closer at the sheet music, it was written for Bb instruments. I'm Eb. Still curious about the name of those lines though lol

 

[Ari]

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.
View attachment 8971

I found it! It wont let me access pictures I've taken myself, just things I've saved from other sources. But for this purpose I was able to select "camera" and it just opened that up, allowing me to take another

 

[Tenor Viol]

There may be some limits on new members... mods will advise.

They are leger lines

 

[Jazzaferri]

ledger lines methinks

 

[kevgermany]

Would be good to see the key signature. I'd be very surprised to see an A# in it if they're putting names in the notes.

Ok, if the score was written for Bb instruments, there are others with wider range. First culprit is clarinet, which has a much wider range than the sax. And the clarinet is easier in the lower notes, the sax easier in the higher ones.

 

[kevgermany]

On Accidentals, scroll down to the Accidentals section:

Dolmetsch Online - Music Theory Online - Key Signatures and Accidentals

 

[Tenor Viol]

ledger lines methinks

I've always used leger for music and ledger for accounting.... looking it up, seems both are used. I'll see what my music dictionary has to say and report back.

 

[nigeld]

They are leger lines

ledger lines methinks

I have always used "ledger". I didn't know the other spelling was possible until I saw @tenorviol 's post above.

 

[nigeld]

Idk what those lines are called? But upon looking closer at the sheet music, it was written for Bb instruments. I'm Eb. Still curious about the name of those lines though lol

The nice thing about a saxophone is that you can play the same tune on Bb or Eb instruments, but if there is an accompaniment track then it does matter which.

But I do not believe that a saxophone "beginner" piece written with the note names inside the notes would include a bottom A#. That is just too difficult - it means the key signature is at least 5 sharps. And a Bb saxophone doesn't go down to bottom A. So I'm almost certain that this piece is written for a different instrument. Or if it was intended for the saxophone then the publisher doesn't seem to know much about the sax. So in any case I would look for something else to play.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Some Bb books are published with accompanying concert books. Band parts are also labeled for each group of transposing instrument. Bb , Eb etc. No mention of an instrument might indicate it's a band part. The presence of letters in the notes would contradict that.

I would recommend not using pieces with letters in the notes. It's very simple to work out what each note is and the sooner this process is started, the sooner reading becomes automatic.

Bb Clarinet indeed goes down to E below third leger line but sounds same as alto saxophone.

 

[Jazzaferri]

I checked with a player from the Victoria Symphony last night and he thinks that the accidental applies to the same note in a bar regardless of octave so it seems like it is one of the NA vs UK/EU things.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I checked with a player from the Victoria Symphony last night and he thinks that the accidental applies to the same note in a bar regardless of octave so it seems like it is one of the NA vs UK/EU things.

I don't think it is, it could just be that the player is wrong about this irrespective of where he lives.

It is correct to assume the accidental only applies within one octave until the end of the bar, this is global these days not based on geography.

However as there is some amount of misunderstanding, and for the sake of clarity and ease of reading, we often add a guide or courtesy accidental to hep the player, especially when sight reading.

 

[Tiberius]

... it was written for Bb instruments.

I doubt for Sax though. More likely Trumpet which I'm pretty sure does go down that far.

 

[Jazzaferri]

Hah, just had a thought. I have a chart I have to do so I will check with Mr. Sibelius and see how he does it.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I will check with Mr. Sibelius and see how he does it.

Good luck with that, he's long dead.