All you wanted to know about transposing

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
 
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.
sFun_doh2.gif


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.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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.
 
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.
sFun_doh2.gif

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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 

Similar threads... or are they? Maybe not but they could be worth reading anyway 😀

Members' Blogs

Trending content

Forum statistics

Topics
29,594
Messages
513,164
Members
8,740
Latest member
Sillywizard
Back
Top Bottom