SheetVideo / Free tools / Transposing instruments chart

Transposing instruments chart

Q: How do I transpose a B♭ trumpet part for alto sax?

Move every written note up a perfect fifth, and the key signature with it: a trumpet part in A major (three sharps) becomes an alto sax part in E major (four sharps). The transposer on this site does it to a PDF or MusicXML: choose “Trumpet in B♭” as what the part is written for, and “Alto sax” as what to write it for.

Q: What key is a B♭ instrument in when the piano is in C?

D major (two sharps). B♭ instruments read a tone above concert pitch, so concert C is written as D.

Q: What does concert pitch mean?

The note that actually sounds. A piano, flute or violin part is at concert pitch; a clarinet or sax part is written somewhere else and sounds at concert pitch when played.

Q: Which clef does each instrument read?

Most read treble clef. Bassoon, trombone, tuba, cello, double bass and bass guitar read bass clef; viola reads alto clef; cello, bassoon and trombone also use tenor clef up high. The table lists each.

Q: Is the alto sax in E♭ or in E flat major?

In E♭ means its written C sounds as E♭. It says nothing about the key of a piece: an alto sax plays in every key, written a major sixth above the sound.

A part for one instrument, read on another: how far it moves, which clef it goes to, and what every key becomes. Pick the two instruments below, or look them up in the tables.

A part written forbecomes a part for

Up a perfect fifthMove every written note up a perfect fifth. Both read treble clef.

Trumpet in B♭ part in	Alto sax part in	Sounds in (concert)
C♭ major 7♭	G♭ major 6♭	A major
G♭ major 6♭	D♭ major 5♭	E major
D♭ major 5♭	A♭ major 4♭	B major
A♭ major 4♭	E♭ major 3♭	G♭ major
E♭ major 3♭	B♭ major 2♭	D♭ major
B♭ major 2♭	F major 1♭	A♭ major
F major 1♭	C major no sharps or flats	E♭ major
C major no sharps or flats	G major 1♯	B♭ major
G major 1♯	D major 2♯	F major
D major 2♯	A major 3♯	C major
A major 3♯	E major 4♯	G major
E major 4♯	B major 5♯	D major
B major 5♯	F♯ major 6♯	A major
F♯ major 6♯	D♭ major 5♭	E major
C♯ major 7♯	A♭ major 4♭	B major

Minor keys move the same way: a part in F♯ minor becomes one in C♯ minor. Have the part as a PDF or MusicXML? The transposer writes it out for you

Every instrument: how it is written

Instrument	In	A written C sounds	From concert pitch, write it	Clef
Keyboard
Piano	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Grand staff
Organ, keyboard	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Grand staff
Woodwind
Flute	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Treble
PiccoloSounds an octave above the page, so it is written an octave down.	C	C, an octave higher	Down an octave	Treble
Alto flute	G	G, a perfect fourth lower	Up a perfect fourth	Treble
Oboe	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Treble
Cor anglais (English horn)	F	F, a perfect fifth lower	Up a perfect fifth	Treble
Clarinet in B♭	B♭	B♭, a major second lower	Up a major second	Treble
Clarinet in A	A	A, a minor third lower	Up a minor third	Treble
E♭ clarinetSounds a minor third above the page.	E♭	E♭, a minor third higher	Down a minor third	Treble
Bass clarinetTreble clef, a major ninth above the sound (an octave and a tone).	B♭	B♭, an octave and a major second lower	Up an octave and a major second	Treble
Bassoon	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Bassalso tenor clef up high
Saxophone
Soprano sax	B♭	B♭, a major second lower	Up a major second	Treble
Alto saxWritten a major sixth above the sound.	E♭	E♭, a major sixth lower	Up a major sixth	Treble
Tenor saxWritten a major ninth above the sound (an octave and a tone).	B♭	B♭, an octave and a major second lower	Up an octave and a major second	Treble
Baritone saxWritten an octave and a major sixth above the sound.	E♭	E♭, an octave and a major sixth lower	Up an octave and a major sixth	Treble
Brass
Trumpet in B♭	B♭	B♭, a major second lower	Up a major second	Treble
Trumpet in C	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Treble
Cornet, flugelhorn	B♭	B♭, a major second lower	Up a major second	Treble
French horn	F	F, a perfect fifth lower	Up a perfect fifth	Treblealso bass clef for low notes
TromboneIn brass bands it reads treble clef in B♭, like a euphonium.	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Bassalso tenor clef up high
Trombone, treble clef (brass band)	B♭	B♭, an octave and a major second lower	Up an octave and a major second	Treble
Euphonium, baritone hornOr treble clef in B♭ (written a major ninth up) in brass bands.	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Bass
Euphonium, treble clef (brass band)	B♭	B♭, an octave and a major second lower	Up an octave and a major second	Treble
Tuba	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Bass
Strings
Violin	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Treble
Viola	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Alto (C clef)also treble clef up high
Cello	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Bassalso tenor and treble clef up high
Double bassSounds an octave below the page.	C	C, an octave lower	Up an octave	Bass
Fretted
GuitarSounds an octave below the page (the treble clef with an 8 under it).	C	C, an octave lower	Up an octave	Treble
Bass guitarSounds an octave below the page.	C	C, an octave lower	Up an octave	Bass
Ukulele, mandolin	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Treble
Voice
Soprano, alto voice	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Treble
Tenor voiceTreble clef with an 8 under it: sounds an octave lower.	C	C, an octave lower	Up an octave	Treble
Baritone, bass voice	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Bass
Percussion
GlockenspielSounds two octaves above the page.	C	C, 2 octaves higher	Down 2 octaves	Treble
Xylophone, celestaSounds an octave above the page.	C	C, an octave higher	Down an octave	Treble
Vibraphone, marimba	C	C, as written	Nothing: it reads concert pitch	Treblealso grand staff (marimba)

The key chart: concert key, and what each instrument reads

Concert (piano, C instruments)	B♭ instrumentsclarinet, trumpet, soprano and tenor sax	E♭ instrumentsalto and baritone sax	F instrumentshorn, cor anglais
C♭ major 7♭	D♭ 5♭	A♭ 4♭	G♭ 6♭
G♭ major 6♭	A♭ 4♭	E♭ 3♭	D♭ 5♭
D♭ major 5♭	E♭ 3♭	B♭ 2♭	A♭ 4♭
A♭ major 4♭	B♭ 2♭	F 1♭	E♭ 3♭
E♭ major 3♭	F 1♭	C no sharps or flats	B♭ 2♭
B♭ major 2♭	C no sharps or flats	G 1♯	F 1♭
F major 1♭	G 1♯	D 2♯	C no sharps or flats
C major no sharps or flats	D 2♯	A 3♯	G 1♯
G major 1♯	A 3♯	E 4♯	D 2♯
D major 2♯	E 4♯	B 5♯	A 3♯
A major 3♯	B 5♯	F♯ 6♯	E 4♯
E major 4♯	F♯ 6♯	D♭ 5♭	B 5♯
B major 5♯	D♭ 5♭	A♭ 4♭	F♯ 6♯
F♯ major 6♯	A♭ 4♭	E♭ 3♭	D♭ 5♭
C♯ major 7♯	E♭ 3♭	B♭ 2♭	A♭ 4♭

In short

A transposing instrument reads a part written at a different pitch from the one it sounds. A B♭ clarinet, trumpet or soprano sax sounds a major second below the page, so its part is written a major second up; an E♭ alto sax sounds a major sixth below (its part goes up a major sixth); an F horn a perfect fifth below; a tenor sax a major ninth below. To turn a part for one instrument into a part for another, move it by the difference: a B♭ trumpet part becomes an alto sax part a perfect fifth higher, so A major becomes E major.

What the chart covers

Every common transposing instrument: clarinets, saxophones, trumpets, horn, low brass, strings, guitar, voices, mallets
What a written C sounds as on each
How far to move a concert-pitch part for each, and which clef it reads
Any instrument to any other: the interval, the clef and all fifteen keys
The classic chart of concert keys for B♭, E♭ and F instruments

What it leaves out

Ranges: where each instrument is comfortable, which a part may need to be moved an octave for
Historical crooks and rarer keys (horn in E♭, trumpet in D, clarinet in C)

Why some instruments are written at another pitch

A family of instruments shares one set of fingerings. A saxophonist who has learnt the alto can pick up a tenor and play the same written notes with the same fingers: the tenor sounds lower, but the page and the hands do not change. So each instrument is written so that its fingering for a written C is the same, and the part is moved to where that instrument sounds.

That is why a B♭ instrument, playing a written C, sounds the B♭ below it: the part is written a tone higher than the music sounds. An E♭ alto sax playing a written C sounds the E♭ a major sixth below. Concert pitch is the sound itself: piano, flute, oboe, violin and the C trumpet read it as it sounds.

Between two transposing instruments, the move is the difference between them. B♭ trumpet to E♭ alto sax: the alto is written a major sixth above the sound, the trumpet a major second, so the trumpet part goes up a perfect fifth. The key goes with it - three sharps for the trumpet, four for the alto - and the clef changes where the new instrument reads another: trombone and bassoon read bass clef, viola alto clef.

Some instruments sound an octave from the page without being in another key: guitar, bass guitar and double bass sound an octave lower than written, piccolo and xylophone an octave higher, glockenspiel two. A tenor voice reads a treble clef with an 8 under it, an octave below.

Questions

How do I transpose a B♭ trumpet part for alto sax?

What key is a B♭ instrument in when the piano is in C?

What does concert pitch mean?

Which clef does each instrument read?

Is the alto sax in E♭ or in E flat major?

Why these tools are free

They are pieces of SheetVideo

SheetVideo puts sheet music and tab on videos of people playing, lined up with the recording by listening to it. To do that it has to read every score format there is, and write them out again. These pages are those readers and writers, opened up. The video is the part that is paid, and only for full-length exports without the small mark.

Make a free 60-second video How the sync is measured