Klarinet Archive - Posting 001058.txt from 1998/03

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Transposing Clarinet music for Saxophone
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 23:23:18 -0500

On Thu, 19 Mar 1998, Badbec15 wrote:

> I was wondering how I would transpose clarinet or piano music to be
> played on the saxophone. I can transpose music I just don't remember how
> to transpose clarinet or piano to sax if somebody could tell me I would
> greatly appreciate.

Is the saxophone a soprano, alto, tenor or baritone? More than likely it
is the alto which you would have. If so, to transpose from the piano or
other concert-pitch instrument, transpose up a major 6th. If that puts
some of the notes out of the range of the instrument, you can transponse
down a minor 3rd, and get the same effect, only the saxophone will now
sound an octave lower than the original. To transpose from the clarinet
to the alto saxophone, transpose up a perfect 5th. Again, if this causes
range problems, you can transpose down a perfect 4th.

For the tenor saxophone, transpose concert pitches up a major ninth. You
can play clarinet music on the tenor without transposing, but the result
will be one octave below the original version.

If baritone saxophone is the one in question, the transposition is up an
octave plus a major sixth. There is an alternative method if the music
being transposed from the piano or other concert-pitch instrument is in
bass clef. That method requires only that you change the clef sign from
bass to treble, and add three sharps or subtract three flats from the key
signature. This works for all notes except where there are accidentals in
the original. For notes inflected by accidentals, you still have to
figure out the 8ve + M6 for each note.

Don't forget to transpose the key signature in addition to the notes.

Ed Lacy
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Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
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