I play alto saxaphone and i have about 4 weeks to learn a piece. I want a piece that sounds really good but is reasonably easy. To give you a measure im about a year away from playing charlie parker EASY stuff. Can also tell me were i can get it for free or email the music to me.

If you claim to be that close to Bird status, you should start working on a transposed Giant Steps or Countdown. =)

Since that probably isn't the case, a fun song I enjoy playing (albeit on soprano) is Oliver Nelson's "Patterns". Its a 6/4 minor modal piece with a relatively simple chord progression. Can't give you the music, but there's an Aebersold play-along book (Volume 73) that has it in there.

Coltrane's "Mr. P.C." and "Blue Train" are also good fallbacks. They're 12-bar C minor and 12-bar Eb major blues, respectively ("Blue Train" starts in Eb minor then segues into Eb major for solos)

Good luck.

BTW: You aren't Bird-worthy if you can't spell "saxophone" right.

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I have been playing flute for almost 2 years now so the fingerings on saxaphone arnt really to difficult. I've had the alto sax for about 2 weeks now and can play most of my scales and 3rds. How much should i practice and for how long? i wanna play jazz next year.

Snap! I play the flute too and i also play the saxaphone now!!
The saxaphone is a great instrument when you get pretty good and it sounds great with jazzy pieces.
Playing the sax does take up alot of breath and you don't want to over do it by playing for hours and then ending up fainting and feeling sick, but because you've got the flute background your breathing system will allready have good suport, so you should start with about 1/2 hour to 45 mins a day and when you start to get used to it more then you can do about i hour or so. The more you practice the better you will get and you will soon be playing jazz!!
Good Luck! xx

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I play saxaphone and my sister plays cello, she wants to learn a small part of one of my saxaphone pieces on the cello, so we were wondering what is the note differance...g on the saxophone is b flat on the flute...ect... or if you know a website that would really help thanks...oh if you could explain half steps too that would help a bunch in rewriting it thanks
to stiofan_lok... learn to spell yourself bub, (for your sister to "pay" them.) ... then you can call me honey, ok:)

Tell her the notes in concert pitch like your "A" being a Concert C since she is a concert instrument then tell her the note is C. More efficiently go to www.finalemusic.com and download finale notepad make a duet by typing in the alto (or bari) part and copy then print it will automatically transpose for you.

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Do all saxophones need leather pads with metal resonators? What does the metal do to the instrument?

Metal resonators (or plastic resonators) can make the sound louder and clearer. More sound comes out instead of being absorbed by the pad. They aren't necessary but they are a good thing.

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I have a report due in about a month Alto Saxophones and i need help .
PLEASE GIVE ANSWERS ASAP !

There are 3 that I know of. Silver, Black, and the regular goldish color

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I just dropped of 4 saxophones at a local music shop to get appraised and for them to possible buy them from me. There where a yamaha Alto, Yamaha Tenor, Yamaha Baritone, and a Woodwind/Braswind Soprano. When they call me back with a price what is a good price to say "yes keep them" or "no thats not enough"?? Thanks

It all depends on their model number and condition. Are they pro horns (YAS/YTS/82Z, 875EX or YBS 62)? Intermediate (YBS 52,YAS/TYS 475)? Student (YAS/YTS 23)?YAS is Yamaha Alto Sax, YTS it Yamaha tenor and YBS is Yamaha Bari.

This can depend on the condition, but you will usually get somewhere around (usually less than) half of what you bought them for, assuming there is a few years of use on them.

Either way, it's going to be easiest to sell to a music store (or maybe another one near you), I wouldn't expect get a better deal on Ebay, let alone the time it would take. If the deal doesn't sound good, check another store and if they're close enough to the first, just sell to them.

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I just got this saxophone from my cousin. I cannot play anything below a G (concert Bb) or A (concert C) without it going to the higher octave. No i'm not holding the octave key. I've never had this problem. I play clarinet. Is it my emborshure cause the clarinet mouthpiece is smaller? I think it might have a leak too.

Often happens for beginners on the sax. You need to experiment with reed and embouchure. You'll soon get the F, then later the E, then the D, etc.

Or it may be a leak, the most obvious being the G sharp key. It should be held down by the right-hand keys, but do this check: find the pad which is activated by the G sharp key. Hold the right hand keys down, then press that G sharp pad down. If there is any movement because it isn't quite on the hole, it's leaking. It can be regulated with the screw on the key, but I'd leave it with someone who knows.

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