Transposing instruments

From Young Composers
Jump to: navigation, search

A transposing instrument is an instrument that reads notes that are not written at concert pitch. Several examples of common transposing instruments include the clarinet in B♭, trumpet in B♭, alto saxophone in E♭, and F horn.

Justification

There are many reasons why today's instrumentalists prefer playing on transposing instruments, rather than instruments in C.

Tone

With the family of recorders, each of these instruments are pitched in alternating keys of C, and F, and all are written "in C" without transposition. For the recorder family, however, there is little concern for issues of tone, as the instruments are relatively simple. With the clarinets, saxophones and some other woodwinds, however, the instrument's tone may differ in different keys. For example, the tone of the clarinet in B♭ is preferred to that of the clarinet in C today. A bass clarinet in C has also been manufactured, but problems in designing the instrument with decent intonation caused its demise. This same issue is true of the C melody saxophone, as well as numerous other instruments, and explains why certain instruments settled as being made in certain keys.

For the brass instruments, tone issues are more prominent than intonation issues. The C trumpet would sound brighter than a Bb trumpet, and it is the latter that is favoured today. The horn in F has been subject to many changes before settling into its current form. Instruments in C, E♭, and B♭ were considered and used, but most opted for the dark tone of the F horn over the others.

Fingerings within a family

Within single families of instruments, it is preferable for all the differently sized instruments to be played using the same fingerings. A clarinet player who is asked to play a part for E♭ clarinet would not want to learn the fingerings for E♭ separately from their B♭ clarinet. For this reason, the clarinet, sax, oboe, flute, and trumpet families all transpose so that their parts are read in the same clef with same fingering, even though their sounding pitches are completely different. On occasion, instruments of a same family are interchanged despite the composer's original intent. For instance, a demanding part for the B♭ clarinet might instead be performed on an A clarinet, in which case the clarinettist would be fully responsible for transposing the notes correctly. It is for this reason that composers usually never call for instruments like the A clarinet directly in their scores.

Range and notation

Some instruments, such as the piccolo, glockenspiel, and contrabass would be difficult to read without transposition, since notating for these instruments in their typical register would require many ledger lines. These instruments, though in C, therefore transpose by one or several octaves to bring their range into a more readable location on the staff.

In the case of the piccolo, this transposition also allows for fingerings on the flute and piccolo to correspond (see above).

List of transposing instruments

Instruments in C (15ma)

Sounding two octaves above written


Instruments in D♭ (high)

Sounding a minor ninth above written


Instruments in C (8va)

Sounding an octave above written


Instruments in B♭ (high)

Sounding a minor seventh above written


Instruments in E♭ (high)

Sounding a minor third above written


Instruments in D (high)

Sounding a major second above written


Instruments in C

Sounding at written pitch, i.e. non-transposing

Instruments in B♭

Sounding a major second below written


Instruments in A

Sounding a minor third below written


Instruments in G

Sounding a perfect fourth below written


Instruments in F

Sounding a perfect fifth below written


Instruments in E♭

Sounding a major sixth below written


Instruments in C (8vb)

Sounding an octave below written


Instruments in B♭ (low)

Sounding a major ninth below written


Instruments in G (low)

Sounding an octave and a perfect fourth below written


Instruments in F (low)

Sounding an octave and a perfect fifth below written


Instruments in E♭ (low)

Sounding an octave and a major sixth below written


Instruments in CC

Sounding two octaves below written


Instruments in BB♭

Sounding two octaves and a major second below written


Instruments in GG

Sounding two octaves and a perfect fourth below written


Instruments in EE♭

Sounding two octaves and a major sixth below written


Instruments in CCC

Sounding three octaves below what is written


Instruments in BBB♭

Sounding three octaves and a major second below written

Timpani

In the 17th and early 18th century, timpani were often treated as transposing instruments, almost always being tuned to the tonic and dominant notes. These were notated as C and G, and the actual tuning was indicated at the top of the score (for example, Timpani in A–D). This notation style was not universal: Bach, Mozart, and Schubert (in his early works) used it, but their respective contemporaries Händel, Haydn, and Beethoven wrote for the timpani at concert pitch.

Non-transposing instruments not in C

Several instruments are designed in keys other than C, yet do not tranpose. The most notable of them include the trombones, baritone and euphonium in bass clef, and the various keys of tuba. When composing for these instruments, the composer may treat them as non-transposing instruments in C, as they will produce the same pitches as the composer notates. However, the instruments themselves are pitched in a key other than C because the timbre of such C instruments is rarely preferred. It is the performer's duty to produce the composer's desired pitches on these instruments with music written at concert pitch. The composer only needs to consider transposition when writing for British brass band or other contexts where these instruments are transposed to B♭ on the treble clef.

Trombones all read at bass clef concert pitch. The higher trombones, alto and soprano, may also use tenor and treble clef. In brass bands, however, each of these instruments would transpose like treble clef instruments. For instance, the tenor trombone would transpose a major 9th, the same as that of the bass clarinet.

Baritone and euphonium horns read in either bass clef at concert pitch or treble clef transposing at the ninth like the bass clarinet.

Tubas typically read at bass clef concert pitch, the exception being in British brass bands where they read in transposing treble clef. There are four common sizes of tuba and each serve to facilitate certain passages in music. A concert tubist will use whichever tuba he or she feels most necessary and will be expected to learn the fingerings separately for each instrument.

Retrieved from "https://wiki.youngcomposers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Transposing_instruments&oldid=12806"