I play alto saxophone and my friend plays guitar. How do I transpose his chord changes so I can jam with him?

Question

What key is the guitar in? That might give me some idea of where to start.

Answer 1

C. Almost all instruments except for the sax family (Eb Alto, Bb Tenor, Eb Bari) and the trumpet (Bb Trumpet, D Trumpet, etc) and Clarinet (Bb, Eb alto) etc., are in C. This includes all of the stringed instruments (the kind you strum and the kind you bow, except for the Ukelele, which you can tune to whatever key you want) percussion instruments, etc. This is a very broad overgeneralization, but hang with me.

You transpose by adding 3 sharps to the concert key, or by transposing down a minor third or up a major 6th. (Which is why when you play "concert Bb," which I'm guessing you've done, you play your G scale)

So...
Guitar = You
C = A
C# = Bb
D= B
Eb = C
E = C# (tough, because LOTS of guitar songs are in E)
F = D
F# = Eb
G = E
Ab = F
A = F# (tough, because LOTS of guitar songs are in A)
Bb = G
B = Ab

Answer 2

I play both sax and guitar. Alto sax is in Eb and Guitar is in concert Bb. Meaning to say playing Eb on the alto sax will sound like Bb on a concert instrument.

If you guys are jamming on a chord progression based on the guitar's C, you have to count up 3 keys and play in F Major, with a Bb. The trick is to avoid keys with many sharps or flats (eg guitar G -----> alto sax C# Major etc)

Another trick is for your friend to use a capo on his guitar to easily suit a key of your choice.

Answer 3

Alto sax is E flat - so, his E flat is your C.

If he's playing through the changes in C on guitar it's
C - F - G, or if it's the old standard jazz turn it's C, E, Am, D7, etc.

Well on your sax it will be A - D - E, or standard jazz turn - A, C#, F#m, B7 etc.

You always play as if you're 1 1/2 steps below the written music.

Answer 4

Guitar is in C but sounds one octave lower than written, alto is in A flat therefore when a guitar plays a C you would have to play an a flat to sound the same note. To transpose you would have to lower everything the guitar plays by a major 3rd or conversely raise it by a minor 6th.

Answer 5

Probably not, instead of a sax change, play the skin flute.