For a transposing instrument, look up the correct transposition (the person playing the instrument may be able to tell you), and move all of your chords up or down by the correct number of half steps. If you are changing keys to play with another instrumentalist who is transposing or who is playing in a different key from you, you will need to figure out the correct transposition. For example, if you moved counterclockwise by three keys, put the capo at the third fret. Then capo at the fret that marks the number of keys moved. A guitarist who wants to change chords without changing the pitch should lower the key (go counterclockwise on the circle) by as short a distance as possible to find a playable key. While deciding on a new key, though, keep in mind that you are also making the piece higher or lower, and choose keys accordingly. Start changing the other chords by the same amount, and in the same direction, and see if you are getting mostly easy-to-play chords. If that doesn't seem to work for your piece, try a transposition that makes the most common chord an easy chord. (Guitarists, for example, often find the keys G, D, A, E, C, Am, Em, and Dm easier to play in than other keys.) The last chord of most pieces will usually be the chord that names the key.
If you are changing keys in order to make the chords easy to play, try changing the final chord so that it names an easy-to-play-in key. If some keys are easier for you to play in than others, you may want to check to make sure the key you choose has "nice" chords. Notice that, since you're going in a circle, raising the music a lot eventually gives the same chords as lowering it a little (and vice-versa). The further you go, the more it will change. If you want it lower, go in the counterclockwise direction. If you want the music to sound higher, go around the chromatic circle in the clockwise direction. If you are transposing because the music is too low or too high, decide how much higher or lower you want the music to sound. You may find more opportunities to play (and earn the gratitude of your fellow musicians) if you can say, "we can change keys if you like", or "I can cover that bass clef C part for you, no problem." Or, if you play a transposing instrument, work on being able to play C parts on sight. Practice playing in an unfamiliar clef, for example bass clef if you are used to reading treble clef. When this is easy, move on to more challenging keys and larger intervals. Start with pieces written in C, and play them only a half step or whole step lower or higher than written. Since you know the piece, you will recognize when you make a mistake. (Vocalists transpose at sight without even thinking about it, since they don't have to worry about different fingerings.) To practice this skill, simply start playing familiar pieces in a different key.
Like any other performance skill, it can be learned with practice, and it is a skill that will help you become an extremely versatile instrumentalist. Transposing at sight means being able to read a part written in one key while playing it in another key. To turn a B flat part into an E flat part (B flat to E flat = down a perfect fifth), transpose the part up a perfect fifth.ĭo the correct transposition by interval, including changing the written key by the correct interval. To turn a B flat part into a C part (B flat to C = up one step), transpose the part down one whole step. To compensate properly, always transpose by moving in the opposite direction from the change in the part names. This may seem counterintuitive, but remember, you are basically compensating for the transposition that is "built into" the instrument. If you have a C part and want it to become a B flat part, for example, you must transpose up one whole step. Make sure you are transposing in the correct direction. The difference between an E flat part and a B flat part is a perfect fifth. For example, the difference between a C and a B flat part is one whole step. The written key signature has nothing to do with the type of part you have only the part's transposition from concert pitch (C part) matters for this step.įind the interval between the two types of part. To Decide Transpositions for Transposing InstrumentsĪsk: what type of part am I transposing and what type of part do I want? Do you have a C part and want to turn it into an F part? Do you want to turn a B flat part into a C part? Non-transposing parts are considered to be C parts.
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