Sax on the Web Forum banner
Cancel

Please Help my Problem!!!!

1725 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  littlemanbighorn, 
A
i'm 17 years old and about 10 years ago i discovered that i had perfect pitch. My 1st instrument is piano so naturally my perfect picth was in concert C.

i then began learning the saxophone about 4 years ago as a second instrument and started learning on a Bb tenor. Anyone who has perfect pitch will now completely understand the problem i have. when i read music for the saxophone i am hearing a different note in my head than what i am supposed to be playing. if you asked me to play a piece of music in concert on the saxophone i could do it straight away as an A on the saxophone is a G to me. This is fine if i'm playing solo, but when i come to play in ensembles at college and i am given a part in Bb it means that i have to constantly transpose everything i am playing down a tone. it means that i am concentrating so hard on the notes i am playing which means that my rhythm, articulation and all other parts of playing falls apart.

Is there anyone who has managed to overcome this problem or knows a way of overcoming it or can give me any advice at all?
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 1 of 10 Posts
harmonizerNJ
adaers,
See if you can borrow an Eb alto sax for a day. Alternate between playing the Bb tenor sax for 30 minutes, then the Eb alto sax for 30 minutes. Play from the same piece of sheet music with both horns. For good measure, go over to piano with the same piece of sheet music.

Your brain is telling you the "C" notes coming out of your Bb Tenor sax are wrong, and is treating these as an aberration. Throwing a 3rd different "C" note at your brain might give your brain the "shock therapy" it needs to realize that the note you think of as "C" on these 3 different instruments is purely arbitrary.

Welcome to the world of doubling. Come on in, the water's fine.
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 1 of 10 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Sax on the Web Forum
A forum community dedicated to saxophone players and enthusiasts originally founded by Harri Rautiainen. Come join the discussion about collections, care, displays, models, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Misc. Saxophone Discussion Word games Sax Repair, Maintenance and Modification Tenor mpc SOTW Member Recordings & Reviews
Top