HI, from Belgium

[Jan Boermans]

As you know that’s where it all started with saxophones.
Nothing to do with me 😮
Because I play bass guitar and trombone I had some troubles by reading and playing a tenor or alto sax.
You don’t hear what you read.
Than I discovered the C melody sax and like it.
A 1915, silverplated King White, looks like new, well after polishing 😕
I have no idea how some musicians do it, switching between Bb and Eb and not getting confused in the head.
Most people don’t know about a C melody and even don’t believe me and say, that horn looks queer.
I like this site, a lot of things to start with.

[john]

It can sound complicated but it’s really simple:
the Bb sax is called that because when you play a C on it it sounds Bb on the piano (or any concert instrument)
the Eb sax is called that because when you play a C on it it sounds Eb on the piano.

That’s lucky you have a C melody, they have been out of production for many years.
They were invented precisely for the reason you brought up, all about transposing etc.
It was the sax that was not a transposing instrument, it was in concert pitch just like the piano.

[Author]

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