Saxes can play in any key the fingerings just look different from one to another. Note: This does not refer to the key signature. Hey! If you found this information helpful, why not share a link to this article on your school website, with your friends, or with your colleagues? Concert Pitch (Sounding Pitch) Key of Eb Written Pitch (Alto, Bari) Key of Bb Written Pitch (Soprano, Tenor) C A D C#, Db A#, Bb D#, Eb D B E D#, Eb C F E C#, Db F#, Gb F D G F#, Gb D#, Eb G#, Ab G E A G#, Ab F A#, Bb A F#, Gb B A#, Bb G C B G#, Ab C#, Db Use this to check how the pitches are related right away and reference the later sections if you want more details and information.

Can A Saxophone Play In Any Key? Saxophone Transposition Chartīefore we get into the details on each instrument and how transposing the saxophone works, we’ll give you what you came from right off the bat: the transposition chart for saxophones.

See the 2012 version here of this article and a downloadable PDF chart.

This shortcut method works for any transposition. The interval relationship from the “F” to the “A” is a major 3rd upwards – this also happens to be the correct transposition interval for Horn in A. To represent the standing pitch on the modern Horn in F, add an “F” to this imaginary staff. An easy trickĪn easy way to remember the correct transposition interval is to relate the transposition to Horn in F and discern the interval relationship.įor example, if the transposition key is A-alto, imagine an “A” on the treble clef staff to represent that key. Learning that skill on the major instrument is a great place to start. All music education majors need to read scores and transpose the various instruments. It is also a requirement for any hornist aiming to be a music educator. It is a necessary skill – a requirement for any hornist looking to be a professional. I do not implement or teach the “clef method” as Farkas describes in The Art of French Horn Playing, and this post will not cover that method.Īt first the interval method seems like a very tedious process, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second-nature.

Transpositions may be done by interval or by using clef substitutions, or by a combination.

See the updated version of this article here.There are still a few more tricks to go, but this particular post is dedicated to a complete transposition chart.

Over the past few months, I have been posting various transposition tricks, including how to transpose: Transposition Chart (PDF) (updated 2012).

B flat to c transposition chart