You will need to transpose the sheet music if it is written in concert pitch (C). regardless of whether you play it on tenor or alto. If you play it on tenor, you need to play it two half steps up, if you play it on alto, you need to transpose it 3 half steps down. Of course, you can always "play" it in the correct pitch if you know the music and just play it by ear.

 

If you know the concert pitch names of the notes / positions on the sax couldnt you just play it as written in concert pitch? Or is this the same thing as “transposition”? I just call them the "real notes” ;-) (the notes as they sound on the tuner).

 

If you are dependent on reading sheet music and if it is a PDF you may be able to get Musescore to transcribe it for you. If it is printed you can write the correct note letters above the C instrument's notes. You could learn the song as written on your tenor and then play it in the correct key by ear, say if it was in concert G you would play it in A.

 

I've been playing the alto sax for about a year and a half now and I was wondering if I could play my friend (Bb tenor player)'s music if it was written in concert pitch

Why would a tenor player's music be written in concert pitch? Then the tenor player would constantly have to transpose everything?

 

Idk i was told it was in concert pitch

 

It’s never too early to learn the transposition alto and tenor are a fifth apart. Tenor to alto is up a fifth, remember the key signature is also up a fifth

 

If you are just reading music for the sake of playing, then yes, you can play tenor music on your alto. The issue of transposition occurs when you play along with others or backing tracks.

For instance, the Omnibook was transcribed from Charlie Parker tunes as he played them on alto sax. The transposed lines don’t lie naturally on tenor sax, but a great many tenor players read the Eb Omnibook, without transposition, as an exercise. Similarly, you can study from music written for flute without regard for concert pitch if you are looking for technical exercises - even play flute duets with a friend that is also playing alto sax.

 

If you’re going it alone, reading is reading…go to town. If you want to play it with your friend, or anyone else not on an Eb instrument one of you will have to transpose.

 

Actually, tenor to alto is down a fourth if you want to play the same pitch. Up a fifth puts you an octave higher than the tenor sounds.

@dallaskennebeck06 you didn’t say what kind of music this is. If it’s a lead sheet, or maybe a guitarist or pianist wrote it out, it could easily be concert pitch. If it’s a written arrangement, for multiple horns, then it would be very unlikely that the tenor part is in concert key. In any case, the answers given for the transposition are correct. The only issue would be lower notes on the tenor; you will have to take those up (a fifth from written) as the alto doesn’t go as low as the tenor.

 

If you are just reading music for the sake of playing, then yes, you can play tenor music on your alto. The issue of transposition occurs when you play along with others or backing tracks.

If you’re going it alone, reading is reading…go to town. If you want to play it with your friend, or anyone else not on an Eb instrument one of you will have to transpose.

These are the best answers to the OP's question, I think, if I glean what the OP was after.

An Eb instrument (alto sax) can read/play sheet music written for any voice (C, Bb, etc) just as it is - without having to transpose anything in your head or wherever - as long as they are not playing with other players....it will still 'sound right' in most senses of the phrase.

But if, for example, you are substituting for the Tenor player in a group which plays those charts...then you will have to transpose the chart to Eb before you play with them.

I, too, am perplexed as to why your friend's Tenor music is in C concert. Usually it would be Bb concert, unless your friend reads in C concert ???

 

Only needs to be transposed if you plan to play with others or a backing track…

 

Not sure when the OP added their edit but I think they've cleared up the mystery. The tenor player found a piece of music online, written in concert pitch. So, it's "the tenor player's music", but it's not a tenor part per se.

@dallaskennebeck06 you can play the music as written, as long as you're playing by yourself. If you're going to be playing with other instruments, they all have to be transposing the written music according to what instrument they're playing, which has been thoroughly discussed above.

 

Not sure when the OP added their edit but I think they've cleared up the mystery. The tenor player found a piece of music online, written in concert pitch. So, it's "the tenor player's music", but it's not a tenor part per se.

@dallaskennebeck06 you can play the music as written, as long as you're playing by yourself. If you're going to be playing with other instruments, they all have to be transposing the written music according to what instrument they're playing, which has been thoroughly discussed above.

That's what happens if there is a critical part of the information missing. And of course it can be played in the native pitch of the instrument following the general saxophone note/fingering assignment, it'll be just 3 half steps above concert pitch.

 

OK, so the tenor sax player has some sheet music written in concert pitch? Well, the tenor sax player COULD play it as written, but if he wants to play it with anyone else, he needs to read and play a whole step up. The alto player can play it as written but if he wants to play it with anyone else, he needs to read it a minor third down.

As noted above, a piece of advice for younger posters: It's always helpful to provide the full set of information.

 

My friend found the music online (I don't know where) and it was listed as being in concert pitch.

Idk i was told it was in concert pitch

It sounds like you may be a bit confused as to what 'concert pitch' means. If written in concert pitch, that means it's written for "C" instruments like the piano, guitar, etc. So, to play it in concert pitch (matching what the pianist is playing), you'd have to transpose it down a minor third (3 half steps) to play it on alto.

Don't get confused by this, but Eb alto means that Eb concert = C on the alto.

 

I get why players want charts they can plunk onto a music stand & read. And sure, it can be educational to transcribe tunes from recordings & transpose 'em if, say, you wanna analyze a famous player's idiosyncratic riffs or perform non-standard repertoire.

Updating & maintaining a band's book of charts, however -- as I've discovered to my sorrow -- can be a pain when it requires not only transcribing/transposing but also editing & correcting, arranging/voicing, version control, distribution to new players or subs, etcetera. Chart-dependent players can easily fall into the trap of thinking that a chart is the tune -- focusing on notated pitches & durations rather than inhabiting the essence of a tune: its nuances, grooves, & saxy melismas.

As an alto saxman playing rhythm&blues tenor sax repertoire, my quick & easy way to learn new tunes is: play over recordings... memorize... improvise. Instead of tying my head into knots by interpolating named notes or keys, I simply play what I hear & riff on that.

Playing tenor range on alto is not such a big deal. I can jump an octave or find alternate fingerings when necessary. I am (notoriously) an idiot savant, so YMMV.

 

I couldn't agree more. However, we're just trying to give the OP a clear, direct answer to their question. But this is very good additional info for the OP.

I'd also add what I usually say when this topic comes up. While I realize the OP is after an answer regarding reading the music, if you are playing by ear, using a transposing instrument is no problem whatsoever. You simply play in the instrument's key. So, for example if a tune is called in (concert) Bb, on alto you'll simply play in G. If on tenor, just play in C. Simple as that.

It also helps to "think" numerically; I-IV-V, ii-V-I, chord tones (1 3 5 7 9 11 13), scale degrees (1-7).