Instrument Transposition
A brief reference and explanation
Basic Info
 When writing music for orchestral or band instruments, we
must learn to transpose music for various instruments.
 Terms you MUST know:
Written pitch – what you see on the page
Concert pitch – what you hear (also called sounding pitch)
Concert key – sounding key
Why do instruments transpose?
 Throughout history, instruments were not manufactured in a
uniform manner as they are in today’s music instrument
factories. Sometime a Sackbut, the original trombone might
be built upon the foundational note of “C” when made in
Germany, but in “Eb” when made in France. So, that the
instrumentalist did not have to learn a new fingering system
for each different pitch for all of the possible foundational
notes, they developed a system where the written pitch was
modified for the foundational note and thus there was not a
separate fingering system for each variation.
The C Instruments
 C Instrument are non-transposing instruments. That means
that they do NOT transpose. For these instruments you will
hear the music exactly as you write it.
 These instruments are mentioned on the following slide with
there instrumental range:
Flute
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0/
Written
Same
Oboe
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=oboe&m=text#page=
10
Written
Same
Bassoon
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=bassoon&m=text
Written
Same
Trombone
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=oboe&m=text#page=10
Written
Same
Tuba
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=oboe&m=text#page=10
Written
Same
Violin/Viola/Cello
Sounding
Violin
Viola
Cello
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=violin+viola+cello&m=text
Written
Same
Same
Same: Tenor clef
also used when convenient.
Transposing C Instruments
 There are a couple of C instruments that do transpose. These
transpositions occur at one or two octaves.
 Examples of these are:
 Piccolo (sounds 1 octave higher than written)
 Contrabassoon (sounds 1 octave lower than written)
 Double Bass (sounds 1 octave lower than written)
 Xylophone (sounds 1 octave higher than written)
 Glockenspiel or Orchestra bells (sound 2 octaves higher than
written
The Bb instruments
 To do basic transposition you must remember that the key of
the instrument tells you the sounding note when a C is the
written note. Instruments in the Key of Bb (Bb Clarinet)
will sound a Bb when C is written.
 So, for the Bb Clarinet, Bb Bass Clarinet, Bb Trumpet, Bb
Soprano Sax and Bb Tenor Sax, if we write a C, we will hear a
Bb.
 Now, not all of the above instruments work exactly the same.
The Bb Clarinet, Bb Trumpet and Bb Soprano Sax transpose
by a Major 2nd.
The M2 Transposition
Melodies compared for Bb instruments
 Take a look at this melody in C Major:
Now see what happens when we transpose for the Bb Clarinet,
Trumpet or Sop. Sax:
 Notice that the notes are moved up by a M2. Also pay
attention to the KEY SIGNATURE. This also moves up by a
M2. It is important that you transpose ALL elements, notes
and key signatures by the appropriate interval.
 Sounding Melody:
 Written Melody
for Bb Trumpet:
Bass Clarinet and Tenor Sax
 These instruments transpose at the interval of a M9.
 You’ll still have to change keys as with the Bb Clarinet or
Trumpet but you must remember that all notes will be a M2
PLUS an octave lower.
Clarinet
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=clarinet&m=text
Written
Bass Clarinet
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=bass+clarinet&m=text
Written
Soprano Sax
Written
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=soprano+sax&m=t
ext
Sounding
Trumpet
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=trumpet&m=text
Written
Tenor Sax
Written
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=tenor+sax&m=text
Sounding
The F Instruments
 There are several instruments that transpose by a P5. These
are the English Horn and the Horn.
English Horn
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=english+horn&m=text#page=4
Written
Horn in F
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=french+horn&m=text
Written
 An easy way to remember instruments that transpose by
Perfect 5th is that these two instruments have “Horn” in their
name. Horn in F (French Horn) and English Horn.
 Note that the sounding note is a P5 LOWER than the written
pitch. This means that when we write for the English Horn or
the Horn, we must move everything UP by a P5, including
the key signature. Look at our C major melody again:
 Now here is the melody written for English Horn and Horn:
 Notice that we are now in G major and that every note has
been moved up a P5.
Eb Transpositions
 There are several instruments that use a transposition to Eb.
The Alto Saxophone and the Baritone Saxophone are the
most common.
 In writing for the Alto Sax, the transposition is a M6:
 The Baritone Sax will transpose by a M6 plus an octave:
Sounded Melody:
Written Melody for Eb
Instruments:
Alto Sax
Sounding
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=alto+sax&m=text
Written
Bari Sax
Written
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=bari+sax&m=text
Sounding
Final Thoughts:
 Remember to use the appendix in Tonal Harmony for the
correct range for all instruments.
 Remember to transpose all notes and the key signature by the
appropriate interval.
 There are many web resources, such as
http://www.secretcomposer.com/Secret_Composer_Blog_
Demo/Concert_Pitch__Instrument_Transposition_chart.htm that can be of
assistance.