Why is saxophone transpose?

As several people alluded, the various saxophones are not pitched in octaves, so if we all played in concert pitch, you’d have to learn a new fingering system for alto and tenor saxes (and baritone would probably be in bass clef). That’s a drag, so we learn to transpose when we need to speak to other musicians.

How does an alto sax transpose?

So, for example, to transpose alto sax : When you play a B on your alto sax, it sounds like a D on a piano. When you play a D on your alto sax, it sounds like a F on a piano. When you play a D#/Eb on your alto sax, it sounds like a F#/Gb on a piano.

Why is saxophone in E flat?

The use of the saxophone in marching bands was much more popular than in orchestras so the Bb and Eb lived on and the C and F saxophones became extinct. The use of Bb and Eb simply meant that people writing charts for marching bands only had 2 keys to deal with.

Is the saxophone a transposing instrument?

Because the saxophone is a transposing instrument, when changing from one instrument to another, such as from an alto to a tenor, playing the same score will produce different actual sounds.

Why do instruments transpose?

Music is often written in transposed form for these groups of instruments so that the fingerings correspond to the same written notes for any instrument in the family, even though the sounding pitches will differ.

Why are Saxophones in B flat?

The difference between the score and the actual sound Tenor saxophones are tuned to B♭, and alto saxophones are tuned to E♭, but when playing the same note on a score, the fingerings are the same. This arrangement was originally conceived with the intention of making saxophone fingerings easier.

How do you play B flat on a saxophone?

2 To play a high B flat and/or A sharp, simply add the Register key (sometimes known as the Octave key) using your LEFT thumb at the back of your saxophone. 3 To play a low B flat and/or A sharp, add all three main fingers on your left hand, plus all three fingers on your right hand.

Does alto sax transpose up or down?

Yes an alto is in Eb and a tenor is in Bb so your Eb on alto sounds the same pitch as C on a piano. This is because they are what is commonly called a “transposing instrument”.

Is saxophone a transposing instrument?