SchoolOfTheRock.com
https://schooloftherock.com/forums/

More about Sax in Church
https://schooloftherock.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23
Page 1 of 1

Author:  paulrace [ Mon Dec 01, 2014 3:27 pm ]
Post subject:  More about Sax in Church

A reader writes:

Saxophones in Church
comment: First I want to thank you for your excellent article on Saxophones in church. I struggled through this on my own and then with a little information I could scrounge up from SOTW a while back. I would like to make a couple resources for your article that really helped me.
1. 500 Hymns for Instruments by Lillenas. A hymnal with full parts produced for most instruments. The harmonies are traditional for alto, and the tenor/soprano part is countermelody. For traditional parts for tenor I use the trumpet book.
2. Word music produces instrumental books for each of their worship song books in the Songs for Praise and Worship series. This include both the melody and a very modest accompaniment.
3. Any church which has a CCLI account can transpose the music to any key depending on which services they have purchased.
4. Band in a Box - I know this one sounds a little off, but BIAB has a harmonies feature and a styles feature which can take a midi file and produce some pretty good parts for a Sax or other instrument.

Most worship leaders do not know what to do with a someone who plays the sax well but is a not a semi-pro and improvising or developing their own parts. These provide some great workarounds. The one workaround that you mentioned which I used initially and works well for alto is reading off the bass cleff and adding two sharps.

Thank you again for taking the time to address this issue. I know met many sax players online who struggle with this and get discouraged because they are expected to create their own place in the worship band and have no clue what to do.

-------------Thanks for your input ---------------------

Author:  paulrace [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 12:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: More about Sax in Church

Christian Jazz saxophonist Greg Vail has also provided an article that would be useful for church saxophone players who are capable of playing extemporaneously, but may not have played much in groups. To jump to that article, click the following link:

http://www.churchsaxophone.com/Worship_ ... aying.html

Author:  paulrace [ Mon Sep 03, 2018 8:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: More about Sax in Church

A reader writes:

I hate the saxophone because there is no way for it to not sound jazzy. I hate jazz- it does not belong in church, period.
hide quoted text
-------------------------
Thank you for expressing your opinion. Sorry you hate jazz - its roots come from the same roots as traditional Gospel, and the two overlap in ways you may not realize.

BTW, when the song calls for a classical feel, I usually play the part that the cello would be playing if we had a cello. Or if the song is an uptempo camp meeting song, I play the part the trombone would have been playing "back in the day." In other words, you've never heard me play sax in church. But I understand you may have heard others, whose playing style put you off.

Do you play an instrument yourself?

Have a great weekend!

- Paul

Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/