Latest 5 tracks

[Anonymous]

Thanks JF for selling all 5 songs in a block,
successfully downloaded all of them with no problems,
saves piddling about buying one at a time.

Would be interested in your advanced daily practice routine course
that you mentioned recently!

Will be spending an hr with my Pro this week, whose going to sort
out a tailor-made daily practice routine for me.

If anyone else is reading this, feel free to use any of the
material i have picked up from my weekly practice sessions with my
Pro in drop box – they beginners stuff for improvising etc..

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x3o55qal1tpa33h/AACSavkH2wCJ5855J9MZnDiha?dl=0

[William Cingolani]

I got all five songs and I like the key changes (modulations). Bill Bailey/When the Saints I like most. I like medleys. Another good medley is Down by the Riverside/Swinging Saints. Great Arrangements Johnny.

[Dazza]

Hey William. Given there are key changes can you tell us are there any “tricky” keys amongst the selections?

[Pete]

Dazza
I think it would be a good idea if Johnny was to put
the key on the music site next to the purchase you are
choosing.

[Dazza]

I realise that we should develop our playing to be as comfortable with playing in D as we are in B but it simply isn’t the case for most newbies inside two years. Well for me anyway. It is probably just lack of practice in these keys and that is something to work on for sure because I do turn off songs in the five sharps or four flats and above territory. I use Band In A Box to change keys and go to Music Notes to grab other arrangements when I hit these hurdles. Maybe JF may be able to post this info for future songs.

[William Cingolani]

Hi Dazza,
No tricky keys. Maybe an unfamiliar key; The more you play songs in a not so familiar key the more you’ll feel comfortable in that key. I don’t like music in C#, D flat. A year or so ago I became more familiar with the B major scale while playing some Neal Diamond stuff. JF’s “Pretty Woman” is in the key of B major, every thing sharp except B and E. You’ll soon be rocking in sharps and flats. Rock on.

[john]

I hear you guys, all makes perfect sense and it’s very normal to feel more comfortable in C and G and F.
But unless you plan to only play at home by yourself this is unrealistic.
These tunes I put out are ones I play with bands quite often and these are the keys they are usually played in…
meaning the same key as the original recording like Orbison’s Pretty Woman. No guitar player is going to want to play those signature riffs in any other key.
Personally, after less than playing for 2 years I started playing with bands and it doesn’t take you long to discover a guitarists favourite key is E and A. this meant F# and B for me! not the ones I was the most happy with but guess what? today I’m as comfortable with those as I am with C and G.
These struggles will make you grow as a saxophone player and all-round musician.
Having said all that I certainly could make available a 2nd key to make it easier for those who must have it.
Dazza had a good point; get a program that can do this for you. even a semi-tone drop can be your ticket.
But even if you guys do it that way keep the original key around and make it a goal to play it as well as the easy keys…in the long run this will make you improve.

[john]

Surfer Girl for example, the alto chart starts in B major but three quarters of the way through it modulates up to C major.
these common semi-tone modulations will do that, either take you from an easy key to a much more difficult one or vice versa.
so, if I were to ask you which key you’d want me to arrange it for you what key would be your choice?

[William Cingolani]

Don’t change a thing Johnny. In my B flat sax music book “Pretty Woman” is in the key of B major just like you have it.I just downloaded a dixieland medley sheet music, “Down By The Riverside/This Little Light Of Mine/I Saw The Light. No backing track. Riverside is in the key of B flat, Little light is in the key B,I saw the Light is in the key of C. Elvis did a swinging dixieland medley “Down by The Riverside/swinging Saints” Rock on

[john]

right. these are all typical keys. everyone should get a good handle on at least 4 and 5 sharps (that’s E and B)
No one wants to play in C#, G# I understand that but (thankfully they aren’t as common) but A, E B, Eb, F# these are very common
so a good idea to practice up on them.
My great first teacher told me once that it’s all in your mind… imagine you taught a child the C# major scale as their very first thing to learn on the sax. It would take a while, maybe as long or perhaps a little longer than if C was taught first.
But since this was the first thing they were taught it would be a very easy scale to play and get around in after fully learned because the act of playing a C# note and a D# note aren’t physically or mentally harder than playing a C or D.
It’s a mental thing because there are so many sharps lined up on that staff!

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