Author: Tom A
Date: 2005-01-23 23:43
Welcome, SolidRockMan! It's not clear whether you WORKED OUT that G major is the right key in this example, or whether you've played it and it SOUNDS CORRECT. Can you explain how you arrived at G Major?
Anyway, in your A Major example, you should play in F sharp Major on the alto, 3 semitones (a minor 3rd) below what's written.
There are a couple of ways to get the right transposition:
1) Working out the key first. On alto, go down 3 semitones to the new key. This tells you your key sig (assuming you know your keys);
2) Working out the key signature first. If the original is in a sharp key, ADD 3 sharps to get your key signature. If the original is a flat key, SUBTRACT 3 flats to get you key signature. If the original has fewer than 3 flats, then subtract the flats you have and add the remaining number as sharps.
Either way, you read the notes 2 steps (a 3rd) below what's written. This generally means line notes should be read as though on the next line down, space notes on the next space down. If you want to play the melody at written pitch, then you should also go up an octave.
As you can see, transposing for alto is hazardous in "popular" church music because guitars favour sharp keys to begin with.
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
