Klarinet Archive - Posting 000226.txt from 1997/02

From: Paul Katula <Pkatula@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Transposing
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 1997 05:13:51 -0500

At 97-02-07 23:37:13 EST, Joie Canada wrote:

> French horns are in the key of F so their written note F is a concert C
> Alto and Baritone sax are in Eb so their written Eb is a concert C

...(That's backwards, but I'm sure it was just a late night slip. :-)
One way I've always thought of it is to START with the pitch of
the instrument you're playing, and then adjust TO the pitch of the
instrument the music is written for. So, if you're playing a Bb
clarinet and playing music from a horn part written for an Eb
horn, you have to move FROM Bb TO Eb, so play down a perfect
fifth (and add one flat to the key signature). I hope this is not a
confusing way to think about it; transposition is something that
takes a lot of practice, and you have to have a system that
makes sure you get it right.

-Paul Katula