Unlike the piano, transposed instruments such as the clarinet, tenor saxophone, and trumpet have a different pitch pattern from the sound they actually produce. The following article will show you how to transpose (change in pitch) music written in the key of C on a Bb instrument.
Step
Step 1. Get to know the transposition of your instrument
Here are some examples of B-flat instruments:
- Trumpet and cornet
- tenor saxophone
- Clarinet
Step 2. Identify the chords that need to be changed
When a pianist reads the note C on sheet music, the note we "hear" is C. But when a trumpet player plays note C from sheet music, the note we "hear" is Bb. In order for the music to sound right (and also to avoid debate within the band) we must rewrite the parts for the transpose instrument so that the trumpeter and keyboardist play in the same key.
Step 3. Start with a basic chord
The sounds produced by Bb instruments are one note lower than those written. You must raise each note written for the instrument by one full note. The easiest way to do this is to write it in the correct chord for the instrument.
- Let's say the piano part is written in the key of Bb (which should have two flat notes, but it is not visible) with a concert pitch (concert pitch). A full-note increment of Bb is C (the concert chord chart starts with D. It should start with Bb), so you'll start writing your trumpet section in the key of C.
- On the other hand, if a piano part starts in the key of C, you'll start with a different key: D.
Step 4. Here are some useful tips
To rewrite a section for a Bb instrument, start with the concert chord – the chord that sounds true to it – and then add one increment to the rest of the notes. This is the key you will use to rewrite the passage.
- For example, the concert chord we use is G major. Find the key of G major on the chart (second key from top left). It is a notation written with a sharp one, F#. One note above G is A, so find A major in the chart. You will find 3 sharps for this key: F#, C#, and G#. This is the key you will use for your BB instrument.
- Sometimes you have to switch from flat to sharp, or vice versa. For example, if the concert key is F major. On Bb instruments, the full note of the F is G, which is written with a sharp, F#.
- Keep in mind, you're not just changing the chords. You should also write all the notes one note higher. For example, if the notation on a concert sheet is “F”, the rewritten notation becomes “G”.
Tips
- Don't be afraid to ask other people who know music for advice.
- If you are a visual learner, you can write the letters of the 12 notations from C to Bb, then write the key notation of the instrument you want to rewrite next to the C series. Rewrite all the notations for this instrument, from C to C. When you find that your second column is at the end of the first column, the next notation starts at the top. The notations may not match, but you've just created an easy-to-use cheat sheet. Look at the F chord in column C, then look at the next column. You will find the G key for the Bb musical instrument.
- Keep in mind that this method applies to all Bb instruments, including the clarinet, soprano saxophone, and tenor saxophone as well.
- The more practice, the better the results.
- If you know exactly the song being played and your ears can recognize the notes well, you can play the song just by relying on your ear, but with a chord that is raised one level from the written key, for example playing the song with a basic D if The basic note written is C.
- You can always determine which chord you will play by adding two sharps to the chord that is written on the sheet music. For example, if the music was written in the key of E-flat major (3 flats in the key), you would play it in the key of F major (1 flat in the key). Adding one sharp is the same as subtracting one flat.
- You also need to know that there are octave transpositions on certain musical instruments. For example, the tenor saxophone produces a ninth major sound (one octave + one note) lower than what is written.
