low A on Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
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Grafton + TH & C alto || Naked Lady 10M || TT soprano || Martin Comm III
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Short answer: you don't.
Either play it up the octave or in a different key.
You can "technically" get a low A on tenor by putting you knee in the bell, but is likely to be a bit honky and you could fall over.
Either play it up the octave or in a different key.
You can "technically" get a low A on tenor by putting you knee in the bell, but is likely to be a bit honky and you could fall over.
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How do you do that? Can't really picture it.
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This is ( used as mute really not as low A but the concept is the same) with an alto at 1' 16" tenor is much the same but with the obvious differences
this is on tenor ( not so very serious but you get the concept)
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love this one- but why didn't the singer come to me- i had to use the ellbow of my neighbour in bigband quite often ;-)
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The Bb Real Book transcription of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" indeed has a low A in it: in fact, it has FIVE low As…
But the transcriber must have realised that the athletic tenor player could stick a boot in the bell for this note, so he (or she) decided to set a real challenge — and added in a LOW G for good measure.
The solution is simple: you don't have to find a friendly buttock to blow into or even transpose the score for baritone — just get your clarinet out.
But the transcriber must have realised that the athletic tenor player could stick a boot in the bell for this note, so he (or she) decided to set a real challenge — and added in a LOW G for good measure.
The solution is simple: you don't have to find a friendly buttock to blow into or even transpose the score for baritone — just get your clarinet out.
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Yeah... second on that thought. Keep in mind the pitch would be different. You would hav two play it up an octave anyway (based on the recording)
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I find it funny when folks ask about a tune like this, or a blues tune, being played in a specific key......It's Mercy Mercy, not Giant Steps.....I've played Mercy in 3-4 different keys over the years. Just play it where it feels good to you......
True, its not a 'sax' song so key doesn't really matter IF there's no vocal, but for sax-specific songs and those with a good sax solo, it is critical to play them in the original key. I love 'Shotgun' for example, but nobody can sing it in Ab which is where it needs to be for the sax to sound right. G just doesn't make it. That brings up the #1 problem with today's older groups playing the hits of the past - everybody is generally still good EXCEPT the singers. Keys are dropping quicker than Sadie's bloomers and they still can only manage a weak croak with that uncontrollable tremolo that old singers get.
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Common but not always true, I've seen folks in their 80s still singing with a great voice but there is a lot of abuse of vocal cords everywhere and that eventually takes its toll with the majority of singers
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And play the rest 
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I've played it on tenor and on keyboard many times, especially at jams. I don't remember the key I usually play it in. Probably F. Everything seems to be in F lately.
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Thanks for mentioning this. I've been saying it for years. The key is Ab because of how the notes and riffs lay on the sax keys, and for the sound of the pitches on the horn. But nobody sings it that high. The last time this tune was attempted when I was playing, they put it in E. That's just too low for it to sound right. This is the one song where I say play it in the original key or don't play it all.
But don't get me started on "Superstition" which is in Eb but guitar players always put it in E. The riffs are all on the black keys in Eb as Stevie Wonder intended. And the Bb horns are in F and Eb horns are in C. When you put it in E, you rob the keys player of his time to rock out, and the horn players too.
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I believe the the most common key MMM is played in is Bb, C on tenor. This would be the version recorded by The Cannonball Adderley Quintet, which the composer Joe Zawinul was a member of at the time. The OP needs to just play it up an octave.
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Yes, you're right. I never remember what keys tunes are in. I have to hear it or start playing, then I know.
Edit: if you're playing jazz tunes, they're often in Bb or F. With blues/rock, it's the guitar players who put everything in those guitar keys - E, A, sometimes G (the people's key), once in a while D (drop D tuning) or (hallelujah) C. That last one is spoken as a keyboard player.
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Then, there's the extreme example of extending the tenor sax range (involving traffic routing hardware) ...
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I've been playing "Superstition" since it was top 40. I've played it on Tenor mostly, but many times I was caught with my alto on and a few times with my flute in my hands, but that's what scotch is for.
The way I've noticed it in the Boston metro area is it depends on who's on stage. If I'm on stage with brothers playing Gibsons, it's in Eb. If I'm on stage with white guys playing Fenders, it's in E. If the Drummer wants to sing it, it's in C. I'm not sure why, but that's the way it is and I need to know how to play in at least 4 keys.
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