As I'm sure you all know, I am subjected to a lot of Christmas music this time of the year. At least this year, like last year, the loop is longer than the 9 hours I'm at work, so while I do have to listen to 100 versions of Silver Bells, at least they're all by different artists.....
Anyway, there's this one instrumental that gets played that I actually enjoy! But I have absolutely no idea what it is! it's an alto sax piece with piano in the background. I'm too musically uninclined to be able to tell notes by ear, but I plugged in my keyboard for the first time in over a year and tried to figure out the first part of the sax melody, and with one exception, I'm pretty sure these are the notes:
F A C D C (or maybe D-flat) B-A-B
I'm also not good with recognizign note length, but the first five notes are the same length, then the B-A-B part is played quicker, with the last note being held a bit. I tried to figure out the next part of the melody, but gave up....
Any help in figuring this song out would be much appreciated!
lb13
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:51 am
by Catfish
I tried those notes on the regular piano, and the closest I can come is "The Christmas Waltz." The first line is "Frosted window panes"
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:57 am
by littlebeast13
Catfish wrote:I tried those notes on the regular piano, and the closest I can come is "The Christmas Waltz." The first line is "Frosted window panes"
I hear where it sounds similar, but that's not it. Thanks for giving it a shot....
lb13
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:12 pm
by etaoin22
littlebeast13 wrote:As I'm sure you all know, I am subjected to a lot of Christmas music this time of the year. At least this year, like last year, the loop is longer than the 9 hours I'm at work, so while I do have to listen to 100 versions of Silver Bells, at least they're all by different artists.....
Anyway, there's this one instrumental that gets played that I actually enjoy! But I have absolutely no idea what it is! it's an alto sax piece with piano in the background. I'm too musically uninclined to be able to tell notes by ear, but I plugged in my keyboard for the first time in over a year and tried to figure out the first part of the sax melody, and with one exception, I'm pretty sure these are the notes:
F A C D C (or maybe D-flat) B-A-B
I'm also not good with recognizign note length, but the first five notes are the same length, then the B-A-B part is played quicker, with the last note being held a bit. I tried to figure out the next part of the melody, but gave up....
Any help in figuring this song out would be much appreciated!
lb13
well, typing FACDC into google as a melody gives the answer "et dominitabur a mari usque ad mare". which probably doesn't help but -- what I didn't know or had forgotten -- is the origin of Canada's Latin motto.(a mari usque ad mare"
using my crappy non-musical ear I am opining this would be something like "Do you want to know a secret?"
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 5:32 pm
by BackInTex
Not a music guy so all I know of the sax is Kenney G. So I looked at his Christmas music on Amazon and tried to find a song I don't know (thinking you know all I know).
Miracles (sample does have some piano in the background)
Northern Lights - no sample
The Joy of Life - no sample
Champagne - no sample
Last Night of the Year - no sample
Wishes (sample does have some piano in the backgroun)
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 5:53 pm
by plasticene
Is this definitely the melody, or might it be just an intro? Does the parenthetical mean that the D might be flatted, or that the second C might be D-flat?
There's an Android app called SoundHound that would probably be able to identify the song, if any of your co-workers has a smart phone you could borrow.
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:41 pm
by ulysses5019
plasticene wrote:Is this definitely the melody, or might it be just an intro? Does the parenthetical mean that the D might be flatted, or that the second C might be D-flat?
There's an Android app called SoundHound that would probably be able to identify the song, if any of your co-workers has a smart phone you could borrow.
I have Shazam on my iPhone...
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 7:03 pm
by littlebeast13
BackInTex wrote:Not a music guy so all I know of the sax is Kenney G. So I looked at his Christmas music on Amazon and tried to find a song I don't know (thinking you know all I know).
Miracles (sample does have some piano in the background)
Northern Lights - no sample
The Joy of Life - no sample
Champagne - no sample
Last Night of the Year - no sample
Wishes (sample does have some piano in the backgroun)
Kenny G was the first one I thought of too, but all I found through searches of him on You Tube was Christmas standards. And checking these six suggestions, none of them are even close, which is making me think whatever I'm looking for is not Kenny G.
Thanks for the effort, though.
lb13
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 7:08 pm
by littlebeast13
plasticene wrote:Is this definitely the melody, or might it be just an intro? Does the parenthetical mean that the D might be flatted, or that the second C might be D-flat?
There's an Android app called SoundHound that would probably be able to identify the song, if any of your co-workers has a smart phone you could borrow.
The song starts out with just the piano, then the sax joins in, and those are the first 8 notes it plays. The parenthetical refers to the 5th note, which sounds slightly more on the mark as D-flat than as straight C.
When I get another chance, I'm going to try to figure out more of the melody....
lb13
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 12:49 am
by Estonut
littlebeast13 wrote:
plasticene wrote:Is this definitely the melody, or might it be just an intro? Does the parenthetical mean that the D might be flatted, or that the second C might be D-flat?
There's an Android app called SoundHound that would probably be able to identify the song, if any of your co-workers has a smart phone you could borrow.
The song starts out with just the piano, then the sax joins in, and those are the first 8 notes it plays. The parenthetical refers to the 5th note, which sounds slightly more on the mark as D-flat than as straight C.
When I get another chance, I'm going to try to figure out more of the melody....
I found this virtual keyboard (which is pretty cool), changed the default instrument from piano to saxophone, and tried your notes. To me, it sounded like "Do You Hear What I Hear?", but I'm sure you know that one. Try the link and you may be able to refine the notes.
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:30 am
by littlebeast13
Estonut wrote:
littlebeast13 wrote:
plasticene wrote:Is this definitely the melody, or might it be just an intro? Does the parenthetical mean that the D might be flatted, or that the second C might be D-flat?
There's an Android app called SoundHound that would probably be able to identify the song, if any of your co-workers has a smart phone you could borrow.
The song starts out with just the piano, then the sax joins in, and those are the first 8 notes it plays. The parenthetical refers to the 5th note, which sounds slightly more on the mark as D-flat than as straight C.
When I get another chance, I'm going to try to figure out more of the melody....
I found this virtual keyboard (which is pretty cool), changed the default instrument from piano to saxophone, and tried your notes. To me, it sounded like "Do You Hear What I Hear?", but I'm sure you know that one. Try the link and you may be able to refine the notes.
Thanks. Between that and playing around on my keyboard a bit more, I think I figured out a little more. I really need to hear the song again to verify my memory, but that won't happen until at least Friday night, so....
I am almost positive now the fifth note is in fact D flat....
So we have F A C D Dflat B-A-B, then I'm thinking it's B A-G-A A-G-A G-F-G
I'll bet this is something Mecca pulled out of their ass like they did with Ledisi in the loop two years ago. But at least i found that song, it's a lot harder to dig up an instrumental....
lb13
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:30 am
by Vandal
I'm pretty sure that's a Frank Zappa intro, possibly
Baby, Take Your Teeth Out
or possibly
The The Legend Of The Illinois Enema Bandit
Based on the progression, I've eliminated:
Lucy's Seduction Of A Bored Violinist & Postlude
No Waiting For The Peanuts To Dissolve
Smell My Beard
This Town Is A Sealed Tuna Sandwich (Prologue)
I hope this has been helpful
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:04 am
by littlebeast13
Vandal wrote:I'm pretty sure that's a Frank Zappa intro, possibly
Baby, Take Your Teeth Out
or possibly
The The Legend Of The Illinois Enema Bandit
Based on the progression, I've eliminated:
Lucy's Seduction Of A Bored Violinist & Postlude
No Waiting For The Peanuts To Dissolve
Smell My Beard
This Town Is A Sealed Tuna Sandwich (Prologue)
I hope this has been helpful
Thanks. I will make sure now to buy the Zappa Christmas album.....
lb13
Re: Christmas Song Help
Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:52 am
by minimetoo26
I have a tin ear, and I have a song stuck in my head courtesy of one of my husband's nursing home patients anyway:
For real.
But I'm betting your song isn't to be found on Stephen's Afroman Colt 45 Christmas CD.
As I'm sure you all know, I am subjected to a lot of Christmas music this time of the year. At least this year, like last year, the loop is longer than the 9 hours I'm at work, so while I do have to listen to 100 versions of Silver Bells, at least they're all by different artists.....
Anyway, there's this one instrumental that gets played that I actually enjoy! But I have absolutely no idea what it is! it's an alto sax piece with piano in the background. I'm too musically uninclined to be able to tell notes by ear, but I plugged in my keyboard for the first time in over a year and tried to figure out the first part of the sax melody, and with one exception, I'm pretty sure these are the notes:
F A C D C (or maybe D-flat) B-A-B
I'm also not good with recognizign note length, but the first five notes are the same length, then the B-A-B part is played quicker, with the last note being held a bit. I tried to figure out the next part of the melody, but gave up....
Any help in figuring this song out would be much appreciated!
lb13
This will impress nobody other than myself, and end 8 years of misery not knowing what that song was....
