What are prefered keys when playing in a dance band

[petepaint]

Hello to you all, this is my first message on SOTW,I have played for most of my amatuer music life in soft rock and for the last 15 years in a band on sunday mornings in church, playing keys and guitar.I am getting on well with my new sax so, Iam thinking I would like to joint an amatuer dance band,so I have 2 questions, do dance bands play in prefered keys, ( y know like guitarists like to play in E A G D )so I can practice,and does anybody know of bands in the south east of england who take beginers with an alto sax, and bye the way I can read dots.Thanks.

[gary]

You'll see anything, especially if the music are specials for singers, but generally you're likely to find much dance band music in horn keys, not the guitar keys, so that's Concert keys of Bb, Eb, Ab, F, C, G.

[Chris S]

that's your G, C, F, D, A, E... respectively.

Chris S

[fballatore]

OK, now I'm really confused... :dazed:

Where can I go, or what can I read to learn how to interpret what you guys are talking about?!?

Frank

[Chris S]

Frank,

Try Paul Coats' article....

http://www.saxontheweb.net/Coats/Beginner_Corner1.html

Hope that's what you were looking for.

Chris S