Beginner impro you never can tell - accidental

[eb424]

 

[eb424]

Evening all...Sorry to ask i am trying to learn never can tell... it was in the original key G major so Ive transcribed it to A major but don't know what the sharp symbol in the bracket of the first bar means.. Could someone help please..

 

[Vetinari]

I was wrong.

 

[Pete Thomas]

The bracket denotes a "courtesy" accidental Your example is out of context because we don't see the previous bars, but usually this would mean there were some F naturals as accidentals in preceding bars which cancelled out temporarily the key signature F#

Although the accidental in that bar you mention is theoretically not necessary (because it's in the key signature) it is shown as courtesy to those of us with less than superlative short term memory, so it's just there to reinforce the fact that we are now back to business as usual, F# in the key is what applies.

 

[jbtsax]

It is just a "reminder" in case you don't notice the key signature. By the way, your transposition is right on. Congratulations. Have you considered getting some music staff paper and writing the notes out in the new key. A lot can be learned doing exercises like that.

Another option would be to download a free music notation software. Finale Notepad is the one I am most familiar with. With some of them you can input the music as it is written and it will transpose the notes automatically. It will be better for your transposing skills if you don't use this feature at first.

 

[eb424]

Thanks I think...wow its a minefield...good learning tho...

 

[eb424]

Thanks.. a good tip JBTSax, i didn't know you could buy it... It has to be neater than what I am doing... lol... I buy the music and try transcribing I have all three pages I am going to try to work out the scale and see if I can work out the instrumental bits from the scale and sheet music... Hopeful..

 

[Jimmymack]

There is also Musescore which is free and very good too. They both take a bit of getting used to but it doesn't take long once you get over the first hump.

 

[Colin the Bear]

There's staff paper you can print off yourself. Google it. That and a pencil is all the kit you need.
Software is ok but it doesn't develop your built processor. With a little practice you can transpose at sight and do away with the software paper and pencil. 😉

 

[eb424]

True that @ colin the bear...its a slow process. At the moment i kind of need the words re tempo..think im to old to transfer to completely swap over to music but the more practice i get the better... if i could make the pages bigger id be more inclined...pmsl...

 

[thomsax]

All is fine ...... but I think the original key is concert C. So you play D on tenor and A on bari/alto. But now you learn the bari/alto part on tenor. This is a popular song if you go a blues/rock jam, like many other Chuck Berry songs.

 

[eb424]

Its weird i had a copy in c which i transcribed but on googling it the original is g major..???.. lol i'm nowhere near being able to play it..good practice all round..

 

[rhysonsax]

It's the only song I know that has three titles:

• You Never Can Tell
• C'est La Vie
• Teenage Wedding

Our function band had a request to play it for a party and I got to really enjoy it. I have the music to the saxophone part somewhere and that great piano part (played by Johnnie Johnson) too.

Rhys

PS Quentin Tarantino said that the idea for Uma Thurman's dance moves (see above) was taken from the Aristocats - another great movie.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Sharp keys are easy on saxophone up to four E.
One sharp F#. Just switch fingers
Two sharps add C#. No fingers.
Three sharps add G#. Park Lh pinky and leave there.
Four sharps D# (not Eb) add a pinky.
E on alto is concert G. Sorted.
It's only hard till you can do it, and with practice, you can do it. 😉

 

[eb424]

Is it not just me that says d# then.. eb throws me and it dont take much...

 

[nigeld]

Is it not just me that says d# then.. eb throws me and it dont take much...

In the key of E, or any key with more than 4 sharps in the key signature, the note is called D#.
But in the key of Bb, or any key with more than 2 flats in the key signature, it is called Eb.

 

[Colin the Bear]

We need all 8 different letters.
In sharp keys they're sharp.
In flat keys they're flat.

 

[6441]

Music is a funny thing, an imperfect thing mixing art and science with lore and legend. For example, if you're playing a song in C and shouting out the chords as they come up, would there be a difference between guitar players who usually play in sharp keys G D A E, and horn player who usually play in flat keys F Bb Eb Ab in the sequence in C,

C Am F if the next chord is a diminished one semitone up from the F, is it F# or Gb?

I'd say F# because it's moving up. In other keys, it might be dictated by whether the key has flats or sharps.

To the original question, that's a good find. I couldn't think of the immediate answer, but as soon as someone said it, I recalled seeing it. Being right next to the key signature without the previous measure, it indeed made no sense.

 

[thomsax]

We used to play with a guy who was into Stevie Ray Vaughan music. A good hobby/amatuer player, he sang and he could talk to the the people that listened in good and relaxed way. First time we played with him, on a rehearsal, it was 3 SRV tunes on the songlist: "Crossfire", "Pride & Joy" and "Look At Little Sister". No problem, we played these songs with our ordinary band as well. Before we started to play a guy asked him: "You are maybe playing the songs in Eb as well"? "Yes, I do. I play them in the original keys" he answered. We used to to transpose Eb songs to E because the guitar player didn't tune down. So no F# or C#/Db keys for the 3-part hornsection. To learn a song in the original key is important. Most guys thinks F (Bb instr) and C (Eb instr) is easier to play in?

 

[Pete Thomas]

Just noticed in a track I'm working on, courtesy accidental. Common with blues where the 3rd is flattened (b7 of chord IV) then comes back to the major.

NB: I'll edit the title a bit and move this to music theory...