All you wanted to know about transposing

[Chris]

But never asked..

This http://www.margrietverbeek.nl/transpose.html#transponeren website has the answers..

Chris...

 

[Jeanette]

That's really useful thanks Chris, every now and then I get my theory books out but after 10 mins glaze over. This was really well explained.

Jx

 

[Colin the Bear]

I don't know why anybody has problems transposing Bb. It's just a move one whole tone up. Eb still makes my brain hurt.

I still find it easier to just know the concert pitch for alto/Bari

Key Signatures is best to just learn them. The order is useful for so many other applications.

 

[BrianJoeSandy]

I don't know why anybody has problems transposing Bb. It's just a move one whole tone up. Eb still makes my brain hurt.

Makes mine hurt too. I came up with this mnemonic. Alto is smaller than tenor therefore faster. When running round the circle of fifths alto is always 5 minutes ahead (circle with sharp keys on the right). Reason is if both play C tenor gets Bb alto gets Eb but Bb is a fifth above Eb therefore alto needs to play a fifth above if it is going to agree with tenor. Dunno if that helps.

 

[sushidushi]

I don't know why anybody has problems transposing Bb. It's just a move one whole tone up. Eb still makes my brain hurt.

I haven't really tried, but I can imagine that sharps and flats would throw me if I was trying to do it on the fly. Eb is just an extra semitone and in the opposite direction...

I probably ought to try transposing some stuff, just for the sheer hell of it. It's probably good for the soul or something.

 

[Bigtwin]

You can kick all this nonsense into the can but pulling a little trick like I did. I took some extra time and spent it searching systematically, and eventually I found a D# Alto. Simples.

 

[sushidushi]

You can kick all this nonsense into the can but pulling a little trick like I did. I took some extra time and spent it searching systematically, and eventually I found a D# Alto. Simples.

Good find. Does that mean you just have to count up nine semitones instead?

 

[Bigtwin]

Good find. Does that mean you just have to count up nine semitones instead?

Why would you do that when you can just use 3 tritones? Unless for some reason (like you are left handed) you want to work in SI, rather than metric mitre?

 

[sushidushi]

When I was a recorder-wielding youth, I used to play that with my right hand at the top. I'm not left-handed, but it seemed easier for C, B, A and G. That doesn't work on the saxophone, so I can't pretend someone else is playing it for me.