PitchShed
What the instrument does
An E♭ alto saxophone sounds a major sixth lower than written: a written C comes out as the E♭ below it. Baritone sax is an octave lower still, but the note names work the same way. Backing tracks are recorded in concert pitch, which means a part written for your own instrument needs no change.
| You read… | Set Key to |
|---|---|
| a part already transposed for your E♭ instrument | 0 |
| a concert-pitch chart, read as if it were written for you | +3 (or −9) |
Why +3, and why −9 is the same
Reading a concert-pitch chart as written makes your sax sound E♭ where the chart says C. The track has to come to E♭ as well. From C up to E♭ is three semitones, and from C down to E♭ is nine, because 12 − 3 = 9. Both reach the same note name, so use +3, the smaller move. If you prefer the track lower, −9 does the same.
For a C instrument reading your part
If a flute or piano player wants to read a part written for alto sax, the move runs the other way: lower the track by 3, or raise it by 9. For you, reading from your own part, it stays at 0.
If the key looks awkward on the page
Written keys for an alto sax sit a major sixth above concert pitch, so a friendly concert key can look unfriendly in print. If you are reading from concert pitch and the resulting key is awkward, shift the track by a semitone or two to a key that suits your fingers, and practice there.