Q&A for How to Transpose Music From C to B Flat

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  • Question
    What are the reasons for transposing a piece of music?
    Sue Yang
    Instrumental Music Teacher
    Sue Yang is an Instrumental Music Instructor based in Sunnyvale, CA. With over 22 years of experience, Sue's expertise spans piano, voice, violin, and songwriting. After working in performance, event production, and teaching, Sue served as a resident bilingual music instructor at the International School of The Peninsula in Palo Alto, where she played a crucial role in developing the curriculum from nursery school through 5th grade. In 2009, Sue established the Sue Yang Music Studio, which later became the First Movement Music Academy. Sue is also the founder of the TAJCCNC National iSing singing competition in North America and an active contributor to the Taiwanese-American Chamber of Commerce. She graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in Australia with a Bachelor of Music.
    Instrumental Music Teacher
    Expert Answer
    One of the reasons for transposing is that the original keys might be difficult to play or sing because they have too many flats or sharps. To make it easier, the music is being transposed to a more manageable key. For example, artists and composers shift it up or down by half a step or by a few steps to make it more comfortable when performing or recording.
  • Question
    I want to make sure I understand. Whatever key the piano music is written in, you raise it a step higher?
    Community Answer
    If you are playing a Bb instrument, yes. Well, you raise it a tone higher. So if written note is a C, you read a D, if a D, an E, if an E, an F# and so on...There's another method you can try if you know the sequence of sharps and flats. It turns out that for transposing up a tone, you either gain two sharps or lose two flats. So if the piano has three flats(Eb major), you play with one flat (F major); if the piano has two flats, you play with none; if it has one flat, you play with one sharp; and if the piano is playing with no sharps or flats (in C), you need to play with two sharps (in D).
  • Question
    How do I make notes on songs I hear and then play them on the trumpet?
    Community Answer
    You either need to know the notes' names or how to write music. You can write it down in b flat if you're going to play it yourself. If you can't write or read music, just write down the names of the notes in order, without the length. Since you know the piece, it shouldn't be to hard to replay it.
  • Question
    How do I transpose a solo written in C major for trombone?
    Community Answer
    The trombone already reads in the key of C. There is no transposition. You would need to put the notes into bass clef, like the left hand of piano music.
  • Question
    If the tenor sax is in the key of G, what key do I play to accompany it with a guitar?
    Community Answer
    The key you play to accompany the tenor sax is F.
  • Question
    Do I need to transpose up a whole tone while using a C trumpet?
    Community Answer
    No. Instruments in the key of C all read the notes without transposing.
  • Question
    What is concert C on a B-flat trumpet?
    Community Answer
    Concert C is the C you would hear if played by a piano, flute, violin, oboe or any other C instrument. In order to play a note that sounds the same on a trumpet, clarinet or tenor saxophone, you need to play a D.
  • Question
    What if I just have the notes and no sheet music?
    Community Answer
    You may still transpose with the notes only. For transposing, the notes are the most important element that would be on the sheet music.
  • Question
    How do I transpose an F horn to a B flat clarinet?
    Gabe
    Community Answer
    Simply move all the notes up four steps. You could also move them down three steps.
  • Question
    If a song I'm singing is written too high for my voice, how do I quickly determine the appropriate key?
    Community Answer
    Get a piano or guitar and play the first note or chord of the song. Then, lower the key until it sounds right. Eventually, after enough practice, you won't require an instrument to do this.
  • Question
    How do I tell my singing range?
    Community Answer
    It's actually very easy, try humming from the lowest note you can that is comfortable for you, and then slowly go as high as you can comfortably. When you can't go any higher or any lower, that's your singing range.
  • Question
    Why bother with transposing instruments? Why not make them the same as a piano?
    Community Answer
    The short answer is: Tradition and inertia. When first developed, wind instruments like trumpets exhibited certain "natural" frequencies when blown. Over time, manufacturers settled on keys like Bb and Eb to standardize production and to make horns sound good together, for instance in military marching bands. There was no need to make them sound good with pianos. Later, as concert orchestras developed, professional musicians were comfortable with their traditional keys. Manufacturers could (and do) make non-transposing wind instruments, but few are commercially successful because nearly all music is written with the traditional transposing instruments in mind.
  • Question
    How do I transpose music for my cello?
    Community Answer
    Cello music doesn't need transposition. However, if your original tune is in treble clef, you'll want to render it in bass clef to play it in the cello's natural range.
  • Question
    I have a chromatic harmonica and often buy music written for clarinet. Do I need to transpose? It seems to sound OK.
    Community Answer
    If you're planning to play it on your own, it should be fine. If you're going to play it with other people, you'll need to transpose the music to C.
  • Question
    What key do I need on an electric guitar if I play in the key of C on my alto saxophone?
    Community Answer
    Alto sax is in Eb, so you would need to transpose the alto key/pitches down a minor third to find the concert key/pitches. A minor third is three 1/2 steps. Therefore, alto sax C is concert Ab.
  • Question
    How do I transpose music from an alto sax to a soprano sax?
    Community Answer
    You need to put it up two tones; an alto sax C, D, E, F, G becomes E, F#, G#, A, B.
  • Question
    How do I transpose music from tenor sax to alto sax?
    Community Answer
    Take the tenor sax music and transpose it up a 5th or down a forth. For example: concert music is written as a C, tenor sax plays a D, alto sax plays an A. The difference between the tenor and the alto music is a 5th/4th.
  • Question
    What are the piano notes " A C G B " on a trumpet?
    Community Answer
    A is valves 1 and 2, B is middle valve, C is when you don't press down anything, and G is the same as C.
  • Question
    If I were matching an alto sax to piano, would D major for piano and F major for alto sax fit?
    Community Answer
    You're transposing in the wrong direction. You would be playing in B major on the saxophone.
  • Question
    How can I play a part written for the piano on my clarinet?
    Community Answer
    Add two sharps to the key signature or subtract two flats. That is your key for the clarinet. Then, read each piano note up one whole step.
  • Question
    How do I transpose music from F# to B flat?
    Community Answer
    If it's key of F# concert, take the number of flats in Key of Bb (2 - Bb and Eb) and sharpen the same number of notes. In this case, you will get key of G#, but you could call it key of Ab if you wanted.
  • Question
    How do I transpose music from C to B flat on a piano?
    Community Answer
    Piano is already in the key of C. However, if transposing piano music to an instrument in the key of Bb, either add two sharps or subtract two flats.
  • Question
    How do I transpose piano music in Bb to C?
    Community Answer
    You would have to play it one full tone lower. so CDEFGAB in Bb would be Bb CDEFG Ab in C.
  • Question
    When a C instrument plays in four sharps, how many sharps would a B flat instrument play in?
    Community Answer
    When a C instrument plays in four sharps (the key of E), a Bb instrument would play in six sharps (F#).
  • Question
    If I want a song written in the key of G major transposed into the key of C, and the beginning note is D, what will the transposed note be?
    Community Answer
    The note that corresponds to D in G major is A in C major. An easy way to do this is to count the semitones from the base note to the needed note. From G to D is seven semitones. If you count seven semitones from C you get A.
  • Question
    How do you transpose B flat to C?
    Ruby
    Top Answerer
    You would simply move each note up a step. B flat would be C, C would be D, D to E, E to F, F to G, G to A, and A to B.
  • Question
    How do I transpose from the key of middle c to Bb below middle?
    Community Answer
    Lower every note by a whole step, using the Bb key signature would be appropriate (with Bb and Eb). For example: D-E-F-G-E-C-D becomes C-D-Eb-F-D-Bb-C.
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