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Take on Me sheet music

Take on Me sheet music appears here in three clearly different arrangements: a symphonic orchestra version arranged by Charlie Wu, a sax quartet version arranged by Jacob Price, and a Reel Big Fish mod. cover arranged by dylanrt52 and modified by Galenius. Because the instrumentation ranges from full orchestra to saxophone quartet to a band with vocals and rhythm section, the most useful first step is to compare the required forces, opening tempo and part lists rather than treat the versions as interchangeable.

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Sheet music

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Choose by ensemble, not title alone

The three Take on Me arrangements serve different groups. The symphonic orchestra version lists woodwinds, saxophones, brass, percussion and strings, including drumset, timpani, xylophone, marimba and cymbals. The sax quartet version lists alto, tenor and baritone saxophone, although its title says quartet; check whether a fourth sax part is present. The Reel Big Fish mod. cover lists lead and background vocals alongside trumpets, trombone, alto and baritone saxophone, electric guitar, electric bass and drumset. Matching these part lists to your players is more reliable than assuming that every Take on Me score will suit the same ensemble.

Compare opening tempo and metre

All three listed arrangements open in 4/4, but their opening tempos differ: 168 BPM for the symphonic orchestra version, 160 BPM for the sax quartet and 102 BPM for the Reel Big Fish mod. cover. These figures describe the opening only, not later tempo changes or the character of the whole arrangement. A group wanting a brisk reading has a different starting point from one choosing the slower cover-style version.

Read key signatures with transposing parts in mind

The symphonic orchestra arrangement lists several opening key signatures because its parts include transposing instruments such as clarinets, saxophones and horn in F; a single concert key should not be inferred from those part-level signatures. The sax quartet lists two sharps and one sharp at the opening, while the cover lists three flats, one flat and no sharps or flats across its parts. Treat these as part-specific opening information and verify the full score if the concert key matters for programming.

What to verify before choosing

The listings give arranger credits and starting information, but they do not establish the complete contents, difficulty or fidelity to any particular recording. For the sax quartet especially, confirm the number of saxophone parts. For the orchestral version, check that the percussion and string parts you need are included. For the cover, confirm whether the vocal lines are intended as performed parts or cues. These checks matter more than the presence of a familiar title.

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Common questions

What arrangements of Take on Me sheet music are listed on this page?

Three arrangements are listed: “Take On Me Finished For Symphonic Orchestra” arranged by Charlie Wu, “Take On Me Sax Quartet” arranged by Jacob Price, and “Take On Me (Reel Big Fish mod. cover)” arranged by dylanrt52 and modified by Galenius. The first is for a large orchestra, the second for saxophones, and the third for a band-style lineup with vocals, brass, guitar, bass and drums.

Does the sax quartet arrangement include all four saxophone parts?

“Take On Me Sax Quartet” is titled for four saxophones, but the listed parts name alto, tenor and baritone saxophone only. The listing may be incomplete or one part may be missing from the part list, so confirm the complete saxophone set before assigning the arrangement to a quartet.

What instruments does the symphonic orchestra arrangement use?

“Take On Me Finished For Symphonic Orchestra” lists parts for flutes and piccolo, oboe, clarinets, bassoon, saxophones, horns, trumpet, trombones, euphonium, tuba, drumset, timpani, xylophone, marimba, cymbals, violins, violas, cellos and contrabasses. The arrangement therefore calls for a full orchestral palette with added saxophones and a substantial percussion section.

How is the Reel Big Fish cover arrangement scored?

“Take On Me (Reel Big Fish mod. cover)” is listed for lead and background vocals, trumpets, trombone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, electric guitar, electric bass and drumset. Its opening is in 4/4 at 102 BPM, making it notably slower at the start than the orchestral and sax-quartet arrangements shown alongside it.

What opening tempos are listed for these Take on Me arrangements?

The opening tempos are listed as 168 BPM for the symphonic orchestra arrangement, 160 BPM for the sax quartet and 102 BPM for the Reel Big Fish mod. cover. All three open in 4/4. These values describe the opening only and do not account for any later tempo changes.

Do the arrangements use the same opening key signatures?

The opening key signatures differ across the parts and arrangements. The symphonic orchestra version lists multiple signatures because of its transposing instruments; the sax quartet lists two sharps and one sharp; the cover lists three flats, one flat, and no sharps or flats. These are part-level opening signatures rather than a single verified concert key.