[Gibbs]

I was wondering if someone can give me some general starting notes from the saxophone played in Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty? here is the youtube link to it.

This particular saxophone piece has been going over and over in my head that last few days and I finally found the name of the song. There is a BBC TV article about the saxophone player, Raphael Ravenscroft here:

Any notes or ideas would be great. I play by ear. FWIW.

 

[CiaranAudio]

If you play by ear, why do you need the starting notes?

Try downloading the song into an audio editor and slowing it down if need be, but that is a fairly basic lick, bro.

 

[Andym63]

Its in g sharp minor if your playing on alto. That is five sharps.
here are he first tones. The two ds are octaves. In both places.
D d c# b a b c# b d d c# b a f#
Break a leg. Andy

 

[Gibbs]

Thanks a lot Andy. I needed to qualify my "experience" I can play the "Pink Panther Theme" "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Wings Like an Angel" (very old prison song), and a bunch of Chistmas carols, but I'm 59 and until just before Christamas last (2012) I've never held a Saxophone. Now I own 2, and Orpheo Alto and a Vento 900 Tenor. I can play scales, but I'm still learning the "gist" of the licks etc. I had to improvise on the 2nd part of the Pink Panther Theme and have done that fairly well, figuring out how to play a hight F# 3 different ways. I like the high F# key on the middle of the right hand (lower) and then down, but I can also overblow the F# easy enough or use the octave key. I'm learning...and this forum is so great!! It's been a blast. I never knew the Saxophone was so much fun!! I should have started on it earlier, but, all I got when I was a kid was 6 years of accordion lessons, so I can read, write music as well as play a bit on a keyboard or piano.

 

[Gibbs]

Andy,
I am posting this to see if I have it right. I have created sheet music (via MS Word aka .doc files) and I printed out a few blank sheets and put in your notes following the Saxophone Fingering Chart I downloaded from McGill http://www.mcgillmusic.com

If I have this wrong let me know! Thanks!

and the page 2 of the music...

 

[John Laughter]

http://www.redstone-tech.com/gerry_bsb/chords.htm

Here is the solo.

 

[saxmanjack]

Always hated that song...

 

[saxpiece]

Yeah, but a lot of others didn't so that's why it was a hit.

No matter what anyone thinks of it, it is a catchy thang.

Basically the same repeating riff, changing a small bit on the last riff notes to fit the chord changes.

 

[Gibbs]

At this link of the BBC interview, what is the name of the 2nd sax song playing? This is the one with the lovers passionately kissing.

 

[saxpiece]

At this link of the BBC interview, what is the name of the 2nd sax song playing? This is the one with the lovers passionately kissing.

Carless Whisper?

 

[saxpiece]

Interesting, how he says he adapted Hendrix guitar things to the Sax and how he says Baker Street isn't quite in tune.

 

[CiaranAudio]

^ That is freaking sweet.

"If you could do Baker Street over, would you do anything different?"

"Yeah, I'd play in tune."

 

[mwalter]

what Tenor is it that he is playing in the cathedral?

 

[Allen Halstead]

Andy,
I am posting this to see if I have it right. I have created sheet music (via MS Word aka .doc files) and I printed out a few blank sheets and put in your notes following the Saxophone Fingering Chart I downloaded from McGill http://www.mcgillmusic.com

If I have this wrong let me know! Thanks!

View attachment 41751

and the page 2 of the music...

View attachment 41752

Isn't your notation an octave to low? ... I have been playing this simple tune for 30 years an octave higher than you have notated ...maybe I am wrong ...but it needs to cut through the rest of my r and r band ...also, i start f# d ...not d to d ... also, just to change it a little bit, once in a while during the beginning of the second half of it I will go up to a high (altissimo) f#, then invert the beginning of the second line so it descends to the middle d .... makes it more interesting ...at least to the horn player ....

 

[DeanoTheSaxman]

Baker Street ... The song that most respectable sax player's love to hate ........

There really is no technical ability needed for this song "What So Ever" probably why freshman sax player's like it so much .... Sorry !!! :twisted:

Why not try "Your Latest Trick" from Dire straits .... "If You Dare" !!!! Well respected All time great Sax piece .... :mrgreen:

"Baker Street" Just makes most respectable sax players "Want To Give Up" it really is an Awful number .... Sorry Gibbs Baker Street "It Is Just Awful" ...

It was mainly a hit because people liked the Tune & Gerry Rafferty was singing it .... As for the Sax .... Well what can I say .. ????? Sorry Guy's & Gal's ...
My number 1 all time "Hated Number" .... Stands for everything I hate about the Sax ...

 

[Allen Halstead]

Baker Street ... The song that most respectable sax player's love to hate ........

...

guess I am not respectable ... I don't "hate" any tunes ... people want to hear them I play them .... I have more disdain for "born to run" than baker's street ..yet I play them both a few times a week at our gigs ... Makes me wonder If we wasn't playing these tunes would I be playing a few times a week?? Try the solo from "urgent" sometime ...see if that doesn't cause a bit of concern when they call that one up .... not ashamed to say that on a less than perfect day, I ask the guys to by-pass that one ...
Never played the DS tune ...just listened to it ... not much call for tunes like that in the venues I play at, but my biggest concern would be playing it that smoothly ...technically not demanding, but breath control and smoothness are whats called for hear ... I will need to learn it now ...thanks for the recommendation ...maybe I will become a respectable horn player then??..lol
IMHO a lot of Rock or pop tune has its own items that need to be addressed ... the high G#'s in Money, the almost sub-toned low E in us and them, how about trying to get any semblance of a low A at the end of gunner's dream ....the smoothness of Sonny Stitt in waitng on a friend ...

Now also your last statemnt is a bit curious "stands for everything (you) hate about the sax" ... I don't hate anything about my horn of choice.... not quite sure I understand what this line means

 

[DeanoTheSaxman]

Now your seeing the bigger picture !!!! Baker street is not something I want to associate with the sax .... It makes me ashamed to be a sax player !

It's the most requested tune I know of or am asked for ... Mainly because it's only one of several tunes people know a saxophone plays in ... not because it's good ! ... just that people associate with Saxophone ..... "Sad Fact" .....

When it comes to Sax ... Most members of the public are "blissfully unaware" of what a good sax tune is ! They can't for most of the time even tell what good or bad playing is .... !!! SOoooo Frustrating ...... The Uneducated General public ..... Very Sad ... :twisted:

 

[Allen Halstead]

Perhaps the reason why I am tossing around starting another project (mostly acoustic) emphasizing modern jazz tunes ... Corea, Alexander, Barbieri,Spyro Gyra,Fourplay, metheny .... to try to educate and spread the word that there exists other types of great music ... unfortunately this kind of project around here will not be gigging a few times a week ...

 

[saxpiece]

Isn't your notation an octave to low? ... I have been playing this simple tune for 30 years an octave higher than you have notated ...maybe I am wrong ...but it needs to cut through the rest of my r and r band ...also, i start f# d ...not d to d ... also, just to change it a little bit, once in a while during the beginning of the second half of it I will go up to a high (altissimo) f#, then invert the beginning of the second line so it descends to the middle d .... makes it more interesting ...at least to the horn player ....

It's D to D an octave higher in the transcriptions.

 

[DeanoTheSaxman]

General public need to be educated what is good & what is bad in Sax playing .... Sadly there are a lot of "Tone Deaf" people out there that just don't know what good music is !!! , simply because they never get to hear it on commercial radio / tv ... Currently there is "NO" justice in the Music industry ... it's all about making the most money out of Trash .......

Saxpiece ..... Surely it all depends where you start from & what key your playing in ... ??????