 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2003-11-25 22:48
Hi,
I'm going to be playing my clarinet with our small group in church. All the music is written for C instruments. Is there a way I can tell what key I'll be playing the song in?
For example. Say a song is in the Key of G and the first note of the song starts on D. I'll start by playing the note E; but, what key will I play the song be in now?
I hope I'm explaining this correctly.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-11-25 23:20
You need to go up one full tone [G becomes A for you, D becomes E] and remember to add 2 #'s to the key signature. Most of us just read it that way and dont have to write it out. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-11-25 23:28
Another way to think of what key it changes into is the same way you change the note. If you have to play a note one full tone above what's written, the key signature rises one full tone also.
So if the original piece was written in the key of Eb, you play it in the key of F (one full tone above Eb). Which also happens to be two more sharps (or two less flats if you want to look at it that way!)
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2003-11-25 23:30
Ok, great.
Does it work the same way with flats: if it's one flat, add 2 flats?
Also, does it get to a point where something different can happen? For instance, if the song is in 5 sharps already does it go to 7 sharps (if there is such a thing)? Or does say 5 sharps turn back into, say, 2 sharps (I'm just making up the hypothetical.)
Thanks. This is very helpful to me right now.
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2003-11-25 23:46
To transpose to C you always add two sharps to the key signature, period.
So if it's written in the key of F (one flat), the two sharps will cancel the one flat and you have one sharp left over, right? You'll be in the key of G with one sharp. If you begin in the key of Ab (four flats) then the two sharps will again cancel out two of the flats and you'll be left in the key of Bb with two flats.
If you start in the key of G with one sharp, add two sharps and you'll be looking at a total of three sharps. If it starts at 5 sharps, then you'll have seven, and you're in real trouble unless you like sharps. Makes sense?
Just remember to think of the piano keyboard when you transpose. An E natural transposes to an F#, since that's the interval of one whole note, two half notes. An A#/Bb will transpose to C (ever heard of a B# or Cb? although music is written that way sometimes but it doesn't mean what you think it does) and B natural will transpose to C#, one whole note up. This is why it's nice to have taken piano in your childhood! You can visualize the blacks and whites in these situations.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-11-26 00:06
Quote:
Does it work the same way with flats: if it's one flat, add 2 flats?
Also, does it get to a point where something different can happen? For instance, if the song is in 5 sharps already does it go to 7 sharps (if there is such a thing)? Or does say 5 sharps turn back into, say, 2 sharps (I'm just making up the hypothetical.)
This is why I prefer to just take the key signature, add one whole tone to it and call that the new key signature. It's easier for me to understand.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2003-11-26 12:50
sfalexi's point about adding two sharps or cancelling two flats is a good way of looking at it. Do you know what the Circle of Fifths is? It is a visual aid for key signatures and transposition. If you keep one in your folder you can look at it and play the clarinet two positions clockwise around the circle of fifths from the key the C instrument is in. Here is a link to a circle of fifths. If you are a visual learner it might help.
http://www.mikemurphy.net/GuitarLessons/lessons/lesson18.htm
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2003-11-26 13:46
clarinetwife - Thank you for this! I've had to explain the circle of fifths to various ones by using one that's hand drawn and I had to write out the explanation of how it's used. This reference has it all on one page.
For those who transpose, with this thread they'll have both ways of thinking about the process. One or the other will be more useful to them depending on their line of thinking and their experience and knowledge of music theory.
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2003-11-26 14:21
Clarinet wife, thank you so very much ![[hot]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/hot.gif)
The explanation along with the visual is great for a visual type learner like me.
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2003-11-26 21:05
Transposing made me so crazy that I bought a C clarinet for the times I thought I would need to be transposing. Stress be gone!
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