Klarinet Archive - Posting 000398.txt from 1995/08

From: David Gilman <dagilman@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Basic Key Question
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 13:13:54 -0400

At 08:53 AM 8/30/95 +0000, Salvatore NARCISO wrote:
>Hello all,
> I am a beginner sax player who has little musical experience but a lot of
>enthusiasm. I am trying to figure out this whole transposition thing. As I
>understand it, my alto is a Eb alto. It was explained to me by my music
>teacher that the Eb relates to a piano's C key. So that, when I play a C on
>my sax it really isn't the same note as a C on the piano. (At about this
>point I'm nodding my head yes when I don't have a clue) I guess I'm
>thinking in terms of frequency - I mean a C is a C because it has a certain
>frequency, right? So if I play a Eb on the sax and it has the same
>frequency as a C on the piano than it's not an Eb it's a C!
>Can someone help me see the light?
>(I can't wait to start doing transposition)
>
>
Sal,

Here's how it works. Some instruments (violin, viola, flute, piano, most of
the bass clef instruments, among others) are called "C" instruments. They
play in what is called "concert pitch." This means when the note C is
written for them, the note C (in the same octave) comes out. Transposing
instruments do not have this luxury. On an alto saxophone, when a C is
written, the Eb below it (in concert pitch: the note you would produce on a
piano) comes out. That's why it's called an Eb alto sax.

Because of this transpositional difference, the same piece of music has to
be written in different keys for different instruments. For instance, if
the flutes are playing in Eb (3 flats), the alto saxes will have to play in
the written key of C (no sharps or flats in the key signature). [When a C
is written, a concert Eb comes out on an alto sax.] The Bb instruments
(trumpet, clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor and soprano saxes, ...) will be
playing in the written key of F (1 flat). [When an F is written, a concert
Eb comes out for them.] The same kind of analysis holds for F horns, A
clarinets, Db piccolos, and even for those C instruments which play in the
same key as the piano but in a different octave (double bass, guitar, C
piccolo).

Hope that helps.

David Gilman