old git wrote:
Chris,
If you are banned until Christmas Day, nip down the local music shop and grab a Generation Bb penny whistle, around four quid. Then learn a blues scale and generally play around with it, a surprising amount will transfer across to saxophone fingering.
Hold it like a sax and cover the top three holes with the left hand, this will be the blues 'Doh' as the Simpsons insist.
Starting note, play all covered, then raise the bottom finger, now raise all but the top finger, cover all again, raise bottom finger, cover all, raise bottom three fingers, raise lowest finger so only top two are covered, cover top three holes, cover all holes, raise lowest three fingers, two holes covered, then top three covered. You have now played the opening phrase of John Lewis' 'Two Degrees East, Three degrees West'.
Sax fingering is based on those same six holes plus an octave key. The others are generally operated by the little fingers but you can play blues on a whistle, or if you are feeling posh, the recorder. There is one drawback, the King Curtis da da da da da da da da da dah, swing the instrument to the left followed by the same notes and swing the instrument to the right, looks naff with a whistle.
General Warning:-Do not expect any sensible posts from me for another year.
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