Beginner impro Best way to start learning transposing from concert pitch?

[atwl77]

So all this while I've only been reading music specifically transposed for my instrument, but I want to start learning to be able to play directly from music written in concert pitch.

The approach I'm thinking is to (i) mentally replace the key signature in my head (e.g. for alto sax, a G major becomes E major), and (ii) try to visualize the notes on the staff should actually be two steps below what's written. Optionally, (iii) play an octave higher, if step ii puts the music out of range of the instrument. (iv) need to be wary of accidentals, but start with easier pieces and only worry about it later.

But I wonder if that's the best (or even correct?) way to approach transposition. Or should I be thinking in actual steps (G -> 3 semitones down -> E)? Or some other method?

 

[Ghr9204]

There are no dark secrets. What I have learned in sight reading new music written for any instrument is to glance - first look at the key signature, tempo and changes, where are the repeats and endings, dal signo and dal capo - transfers 2nd, 3rd time around. Soak in the big picture. Then while sight reading, my eyes glace ahead several measures while I am playing the current measure. It takes practise to train the eyes.

Now we add transposing the non-native concert pitch sheet. Same thing, for tenor and soprano, I add 2 sharps to key signatures, read the notes up a 2nd. Alto and bari, I add 3 sharps to the key signatures, read down a minor 3rd.

It just takes practise. If you have those Jazz Play-Along books by Hal Leonard, Jamey Aebersold with the backing tracks, read off the C part.

If you get frustrated, take a break. For starters, choose songs in easy key signatures first with an easy to read part.

Over time (be patient and give yourself at least several months to catch on, you'll improve with time), with the simpler pieces, you are now training your mind, changing it from your uneducated mindset we all have to this new mind set.

Again, there are no dark secrets. What does help is to be able to learn to play in all the key signatures. This helps, but you can be working on your transpositioning skills meanwhile on the easier key signatures.

A decade ago then as a recent pensioner, I was attending the nearby air base chapel services on Sunday. I was also a member of their Protestant worship band. Led by another pensioner with a talented family, his 2 older boys in high school were also involved, one playing bass guitar and the other the drums.

Jorge, the leader on rythm guitar accidentally started one number in the wrong key, which we did not rehearse. I just adapted and played in the new key. We were doing all the modern worship songs. After, he commented, surprised that I played it as though it were nothing.

With patience and persistence you'll get there. After you've been doing this off and on consistently, you'll get better at it. Think in the long term versus short term, months and years versus days and months. But, as you continue, others will become amazed at your abilities as a musician.

 

[skeller047]

I just keep two keys in my head at once. If the concert key is G, then I’m in E on alto (A on tenor and clarinet and C on alto flute). Then I just think in terms of scale steps in that key. I see a B, I play a G# on alto.

I actually don’t THINK “G#”, I think “3rd”. I like to think in relationships, rather than specific note names. This helps for learning tunes too; learn the relationships of the notes, you can easily play the tune in any key.

 

[MikeMorrell]

Hi @atwl77,

I admire your personal challenge! I just note that - these days - (IMHO) it's seldom necessary for transposed instruments to play 'directly from written concert C music '. Due to advances in sheet music websites and also in both paid and free sheet music apps. [Note to other members: please correct me if I'm wrong about this!]

Without any real experience in relation to your question, I think both @ghostler's and @skeller047's are valuable.

I can't really add much, I'm afraid. For the past few months, I've been learning to play tenor sax 'fills' and solo's based on a concert C 'chord-sheet' (annotated above the vocals). For tenor sax, many chord (scale) transpositions are relatively easy to remember and play. For example (on tenor): F -> G, A -> B, Bes->C, C->D, etc. The most challenging thing for me to learn was to play in (transposed) chords/scales that (in a Big Band) I wasn't used to playing in. For example: E-> F#, B -> C#.

I'm sure that my 'learning exercise' is much, much easier than learning to play in a 'transposed key' from written sheet music in concert C! I have no idea how you might learn to do this and I humbly bow to more experienced members! From my limited experience, I believe that both @ghostler's and @skeller047's tips are valuable!

FWIW (without any practical experience whatsoever!) I might additionally suggest that when starting out, you start off with 'baby steps' and gradually develop from these. Three possibilities spring to mind:

1. Start out with learning just a few relatively easy scale transpositions from concert C
2. Start out with very simple melodies in a concert C key that are easy to transpose to familiar transposed keys
3. First learn the melody (or whatever) in the concert C scale (preferably by playing it) so that you're already familiar with 'the structure' of the (written) melody (intervals, timing, dynamics, etc.); then learn to play the same melody in your 'transposed scale' using the concert C sheet music as a guide. You'll already have the melody in your head and you'll be familiar with the concert C sheet music. So your challenge will be to play the same from the sheet music in a transposed key. I'm sure you'll immediately hear any 'wrong notes' and quickly correct them. More importantly, you'll see where you're initial transposition (process) can be improved.

Once again, I admire your personal challenge. And once again, I repeat that (IMHO) it's an advanced skill that - with the steady advance of online and offline music tech - is a personal option to learn but isn't necessary.

 

[turf3]

Just get a bunch of music and start playing it. That's the only way to get better at it.

How you choose to think about it, what mental gymnastics you use, will be determined by what works. Talking about it with words beforehand is not going to show you how to do it.

How often this is needed depends highly on what situations you play music in. In my own case I read concert-key parts and transpose at sight for saxophone constantly, because something like 90% of the time when I'm playing saxophone I'm playing off a lead sheet or fake book or chord chart that's written in concert key.

30 years ago when the only music I was reading was big-band charts and concert-band charts, I rarely read concert-key music and my skills were weaker.

If, next month, I join two rehearsal bands and a concert band, I'll probably be mostly reading tranposed parts again.

 

[atwl77]

I actually don’t THINK “G#”, I think “3rd”. I like to think in relationships, rather than specific note names. This helps for learning tunes too; learn the relationships of the notes, you can easily play the tune in any key.

When searching for songs online, especially with some hard-to-find songs or some Chinese songs, I sometimes find them written in this kind of number format (e.g. instead of B, A, G in G major, it is simply written 3, 2, 1... wit dots above or below the number if it is on higher or lower octaves). It sounds to me like your method is like this, but in reverse. I have a little bit of familiarity with playing tunes written this way (and the great thing is, music written this way is scale-agnostic, pick a scale and just play), so it helps if I can reverse that concept and apply it to note reading.

Start out with learning just a few relatively easy scale transpositions from concert C

Interestingly, I find that concert E♭ or B♭ easier to begin with (at least for E♭ instruments), because I can mostly ignore the key signature and focus on the dots on the staff.

 

[Colin the Bear]

For a Bb instrument just read a tone up.

For an Eb instrument it's a little more complicated so, just learn the concert pitch of your fingerings.
You know where A is, F#, and you know where Eb is C. Just join the dots so to speak. Easier and simpler than complicated transposing.