What is concert pitch?
Concert pitch is the pitch that sounds. A piano playing a C sounds a C. A flute, oboe, violin, cello, trombone and bassoon all read the note they sound, and so does a voice. Parts for them are in concert pitch.
Written pitch is what is printed in a transposing instrument's part. A trumpet player who reads a C and plays it with the fingering for C produces a B♭, a major second below. A pianist who reads the same C hears a C. The two players see one note and sound two pitches, a tone apart.
That is all "transposing" means. The part is written in one key and sounds in another, and the player does not think about it.
Why are some instruments transposing instruments?
It started with brass that had no valves. A natural horn or trumpet could play only the notes of one key, so players changed its key by swapping a crook, a coil of tubing. Composers wrote the part as if the instrument were in C, and the crook decided what came out. When valves arrived, the habit stayed.
Families of instruments gave it a second reason. Clarinets and saxophones come in several sizes with the same fingering. If every size reads the same written note for the same fingering, a player can move from an alto sax to a tenor, or from a B♭ clarinet to a bass clarinet, without learning a new fingering chart. The cost is that the printed note and the sounding note no longer match.
Orchestras also use two clarinets, one in B♭ and one in A, so that the player can avoid a key with many sharps or flats. The A clarinet sounds a minor third below written pitch.
What do B♭, E♭ and F instruments mean?
The letter names the note that sounds when the player reads and fingers a written C. A B♭ instrument sounds B♭ for a written C. An E♭ instrument sounds E♭. An F instrument sounds F.
| Instrument | A written C sounds | To write a concert pitch part for it |
|---|---|---|
| B♭ trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, B♭ clarinet, soprano saxophone | B♭, a major second lower | Up a major second |
| B♭ tenor saxophone, bass clarinet | B♭, a major ninth lower | Up a major ninth |
| E♭ alto saxophone, alto clarinet | E♭, a major sixth lower | Up a major sixth |
| E♭ baritone saxophone | E♭, an octave and a major sixth lower | Up a major thirteenth |
| E♭ clarinet | E♭, a minor third higher | Down a minor third |
| F horn, English horn | F, a perfect fifth lower | Up a perfect fifth |
| A clarinet | A, a minor third lower | Up a minor third |
| D trumpet | D, a major second higher | Down a major second |
| G alto flute | G, a perfect fourth lower | Up a perfect fourth |
| B♭ euphonium or baritone in treble clef | B♭, a major ninth lower | Up a major ninth |
Trombone, bassoon, cello and tuba in bass clef are not transposing. A euphonium or baritone horn can be either. In an orchestra or concert band, its part is usually in bass clef at concert pitch. In a British-style brass band, it is a B♭ part in treble clef. Check the instrument line at the top of the part.
How do I transpose a part for trumpet, alto sax or horn?
Say you have a tune in concert pitch, such as a piano part, and a trumpet player needs it. Move every note up the interval in the table, and change the key signature to match.
- Find the interval. For a B♭ trumpet or clarinet it is up a major second. For an alto sax, up a major sixth. For a horn in F, up a perfect fifth.
- Move the key. Concert F major, with one flat, becomes G major for the trumpet, with one sharp.
- Move each note by the same interval, keeping the letter names in step. A concert E becomes F♯ for the trumpet, not G♭.
- Check the range. A part that is too high or too low for the instrument may need an octave shift.
- Play it, and look for strange accidentals.
| Concert key | B♭ trumpet or clarinet | E♭ alto sax | F horn |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | D major | A major | G major |
| F major | G major | D major | C major |
| B♭ major | C major | G major | F major |
| G major | A major | E major | D major |
| Concert pitch | B♭ trumpet or clarinet | E♭ alto sax | F horn |
|---|---|---|---|
| C D E F G | D E F♯ G A | A B C♯ D E | G A B C D |
Going the other way, from a trumpet part to concert pitch, moves each note down the same interval. Notation software can do all of this for you. Knowing the rule is still useful when a part has a mistake, or when you have to do it by hand on the stand.
Which instruments transpose by an octave?
Some instruments sit so high or low that their parts are written an octave away, to keep the notes on the staff. Their pitch names stay the same, so people sometimes forget they transpose.
| Instrument | Sounds |
|---|---|
| Piccolo | An octave higher |
| Celesta, xylophone | An octave higher |
| Glockenspiel | Two octaves higher |
| Guitar, classical guitar | An octave lower |
| Bass guitar, double bass | An octave lower |
| Contrabassoon | An octave lower |
| Tenor voice, when written in treble clef | An octave lower |
A tenor part in treble clef is often marked with a small 8 under the clef. It means the same as a guitar part: the notes sound an octave lower than written. See bass, alto and tenor clef for clefs.
Why does the band tune to B♭?
Concert bands usually tune to concert B♭. B♭ is the pitch that trumpets, clarinets and tenor saxophones play when they read a written C, and C is one of the first notes students learn. Many band instruments can play it comfortably and in tune. Alto saxophones and horns read a different note for the same pitch: a written G on alto sax, and a written F on horn.
Orchestras tune to A instead, and the oboe often gives it. A is an open string on the violin, viola, cello and double bass, which makes it a natural note to tune to.
Whatever the note, the standard for the A is 440 Hz. See how to tune your instrument for how to tune to it, and why some orchestras sit a little higher.
Transposing instruments in SheetScroll
When SheetScroll listens, it needs to know that your printed C sounds as a B♭. Open Settings → Listening and find Your instrument. It starts at concert pitch, and the list names each transposition with the instruments that use it, such as B♭ (clarinet, trumpet, soprano sax), E♭ (alto sax, alto clarinet) and F (horn, English horn). Automatic lets SheetScroll work it out from your playing.
A score's own settings have the same row, so one piece can differ from your default. PDFs, scans and photos show written pitch, so new ones start with your default: set it once. A digital score that states its transposition needs nothing from you.
Listening to your own parts and turning pages for you is part of Pro. The free clarinet, saxophone and trumpet courses listen and turn without Pro, and the saxophone course's pieces carry their transposition, so you set nothing. Moving a whole chord chart to another key, with a capo or in Nashville numbers, is a different feature: see chord charts and transposing. For more on wind and brass parts, see SheetScroll for wind and brass players.
Questions
What is concert pitch?
The pitch that actually sounds. Parts for piano, flute, violin, cello, trombone and voice are written at concert pitch. Parts for transposing instruments are written in another key.
Why are some instruments transposing instruments?
Mostly so that an instrument family shares one fingering chart. A player reads the same written note on an alto sax and a tenor sax, and the sounding pitch differs. Valveless brass also used crooks to change keys.
What does B♭ instrument mean?
It sounds B♭ when it plays a written C. Trumpets, clarinets and soprano saxophones are B♭ instruments, and they sound a major second below the written note.
How do I transpose from concert pitch to B♭?
Move every note up a major second and the key signature up a whole step. Concert C major becomes D major.
What note does an alto sax play in concert pitch?
A written C on alto sax sounds an E♭, a major sixth lower. To write a concert pitch part for it, move the notes up a major sixth.
Is a trumpet a transposing instrument?
The usual B♭ trumpet is. Its written C sounds B♭. A trumpet in C, used in some orchestras, is not.
Why does the band tune to B♭?
Concert B♭ is what B♭ trumpets, clarinets and tenor saxes sound for a written C. It is a note most band instruments play comfortably, so many bands tune to it.
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