Talk:Alto saxophone

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Alto saxophone received a peer review by Wikipedia editors, which is now archived. It may contain ideas you can use to improve this article.

Can't we just use the alto sax pic in the german article? MToolen 01:38, 10 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The link is here, actually. Anyway, I'm fixing the image that the writer intended to use, and I added some links and various other stuff to the article. It's still a stub, though... --Jemiller226 18:42, 24 Apr 2005 (UTC)

"Great alto saxophonists"

I'm sensing that the list of alto saxophonists merely reflects individual editors' favorites. (For that matter, why duplicate List of saxophonists in this article?) I've changed "Great alto saxophonists" to "Notable alto saxophonists", as the former is completely PoV. And frankly, I'm puzzled by the inclusion of Fela Kuti among the "great alto saxophonists" (and I'm a Fela fan). He was a great musician but I would not count him among great alto saxophonists, while at the same time wondering how one could measure this, anyway (a "Donna Lee" contest?). (For the same reason, I would not list David Bowie among great alto saxophonists or guitarists, nor Brian Eno among great keyboardists etc.). But then I guess that merely illustrates my point of changing "great" to "notable." Again, however, I think any listing here is redundant, we have a separate list for that. -- Gyrofrog (talk) 05:27, 19 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Read my mind. ¦ Reisio 14:46, 19 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Manufacturers

I didn't think that SML was currently producing saxophones, and it looks like I'm correct judging from this website. I've removed SML from the list. -- Gyrofrog (talk) 21:29, 19 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Is it possible to do something about the flat signs? or is it just my computer? wouldnt Bb be better than b? or is it some formatting im not familiar with.

Yes and yes. The best solution would be for you to make your system more Unicode friendly - it's 2007. ¦ Reisio 04:52, 9 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Range

The alto can play higher than an F natural. I know for certain it can go upto F#, and almost certainly higher. (Maybe we could add the altissimo in brackets?) BabaDraconis 19:37, 18 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Unless I misunderstood your comment, it's already there in the article's fourth paragraph. ---Sluzzelin 20:11, 18 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry, I wasn't entirely clear, reading it back. I meant that it might be a good idea to add the altissimo to the diagram of the instrument's range, perhaps in brackets or ossia sized notes. BabaDraconis 10:38, 28 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Additionally, not only do most saxophones have an F# key, but some even have a G key. A low A can also be sounded with a mute. Justi521 (talk) 07:02, 7 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Please fix the flat signs to show b instead of those square shapes. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 144.139.101.167 (talk • contribs) 02:38, 11 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think it's a matter of having up-to-date fonts (though I'm not sure which ones). It looks OK on the various computers I'm using. -- Gyrofrog (talk) 12:45, 11 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The squares mean that your settings aren't allowing the symbol to be shown. There's nothing anyone else can do about it. Justi521 (talk) 07:04, 7 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Price

I hardly think the section including prices of saxophones is relevent. It's not in any of the pages for the other types of saxophone. I suggest it be removed. ChaosMaster 00:37, 1 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's notable, and therefore relevant. ¦ Reisio 21:06, 2 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why is it relevant? I think it is not due to its lack of sources and that it has a viewpoint that is not historical, not worldwide, and not neutral. It's not that it's not true; it's just not very encyclopedic. MToolen 03:40, 5 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Why is it relevant?

...because it's notable...

I think it is not due to its lack of sources

If you want it cited, go find a source, or mark it with {{fact}} and someone else will spend all of 30 seconds doing so.

and that it has a viewpoint that is not historical,

Yes, we should get that info, too.

not worldwide,

No, that should be fairly accurate for the entire world, though obviously we're using USD, but this is the English Wikipedia, after all.

and not neutral.

Erm...numbers do not take sides.

It's not that it's not true; it's just not very encyclopedic.

Maybe you should read our "encyclopedia".

¦ Reisio 16:54, 5 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Transposition

The alto saxophone is a transposing instrument and reads the treble clef in the key of E♭ (meaning that a written C for the alto will sound as E♭; concert, a minor third higher).

A minor third higher, or a major sixth lower, as stated in the sidebar? 141.156.214.82 03:42, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

As far as I can tell, you are correct. A written C5 would be concert E♭4, a major sixth lower. I'll take care of it. MToolen 20:48, 2 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sources

Is http://www.saxophones.co.uk/ a reliable source? It's VERY pro-sax and doesn't seem to provide non-partisian, citable information. Alvis 07:11, 10 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I did away with the link. ¦ Reisio 19:29, 10 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Low A?

Should the existence of low A altos be mentioned here somewhere? High F# is mentioned, but aren't low A's significant enough despite the fact that they are much less common? Xasz (talk) 03:37, 28 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Which of those notes does your sax have? Willi Gers07 (talk) 20:09, 26 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'd guess-timate the ratio of high-F# horns to low-A horns to be at least 1000:1, so, maybe a short mention of their existence. Published figures/facts about low A's would be worth a sentence. - Special-T (talk) 01:00, 27 May 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Range issue

"(meaning that a written C for the alto will sound as E♭; concert, a major sixth lower, or a minor third above)."

This has to be a problem. If the sax plays a sixth LOWER then written, then it will not sound a minor third above. A minor third above may be the same pitch, but it will be an octave too high for what's written. I believe this is a misleading and confusing statement. I'm going to pull it, and it can be reinserted if I'm misinterpreting it. TheHYPO (talk) 05:55, 17 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Just remove the incorrect "or a minor third above"; the rest of it is useful explanation. Happy‑melon 12:43, 17 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If I'm reading this right..."The range of the alto saxophone is from concert D♭3 (the D♭ below middle C - see Scientific pitch notation)"...is wrong. Db3 is above middle C. And it should go up to Ab6, not Ab5. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.182.237.68 (talk) 09:44, 5 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Saxhorn

I have moved the following comment from the article to the talk page. -- Gyrofrog (talk) 21:23, 22 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This is wrong. It was a saxhorn, a now-obsolete brass instrument made by the same designer. Saxophone players were asked to premiere and dismissed by the composer. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.161.207.89 (talk • contribs) 19:39, 22 March 2010