Post on 01-Jan-2016
Concert Key and Transposition!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Public Service Announcement brought to you by Daniel P. Sanchez
What is it?
Concert Pitch – The note that sounds out loud when an instrument is played
Concert Key – The key signature that sounds as an ensemble plays together
Transposition – Taking a pitch (or a set of pitches) and changing it (them) by an interval
WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Wouldn’t it just be easier for each instrument to read in concert key?? Then we wouldn’t have to transpose!!NO!!!! (I’ll explain this in a minute)
Musicians must be a crazy, sadistic bunch if they submit themselves to transposition on a regular basis…True Enough, but that doesn’t explain the practical
functions of transposing
Who came up with this dumb idea anyway?No one did! It just sort of evolved along with the music as
things became more challenging and technically demanding
Why indeeed......
I have come up with 3 reasons
1. Historical/Traditional Concerns
2. Range of the Instruments
3. A modern combination of 1 and 2
Tradition/Historical Concerns
Music and Musicians are deeply rooted in a long standing tradition (e.g. Italian instructions, arbitrary time signatures, etc…)
Instruments used to be keyed differently to make technical facility easierBrass – CrooksWoodwinds – entire different instruments (A clarinet,
Db piccolo are remnants of this practice)
Piston and rotary valves invented, new key systems invented
Natural Horn/Trumpet
Early Woodwinds
Range
Range:The concert key of some instruments
don’t lie well within the context of “normal” clefs
Instruments are transposed to where the bulk of their range lies within, or at least near, the staff
It cuts down on ledger lines
Range (Piccolo)
Written Pitch Concert/Sounding
Pitch
Range (Double Bass)
Written Pitch Concert/Sounding Pitch
Reason #3
More modern instruments were developed that required transposition (i.e. Saxophone)
Following the tradition of other transposing instruments, Saxophones are written in one part of the staff, but sound in another part of the staff.
Alto Sax
Written Pitch Concert/Sounding Pitch
BUT WAIT!!! There’s more…
Families of instruments like saxophones (also flutes and clarinets) can read the same music and same fingerings.
The transposition takes care of making the instrument sound in the correct register
e.g. – Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bari Sax all ready the same range of notes and use the same fingerings on the different instruments – the size of the instrument and the transposition give it the SATB, choir-like, sound.
So… How Does One Find Their Concert Key
An Excellent Question.
There are several ways to do this:1. Find the transposition of your instrument
and use it! 2. Use the Circle of 4ths 3. Use the handy-dandy chart Mr. Martini
made available to everyone in the band!!!!!!
Instrument Transpositions
Instrument
Written
Transposition Sounding
C Flute C Perfect Unison (P1) C
Bb Clarinet C Down Major Second (M2) Bb
F Horn C Down Perfect Fifth (P5) F
Eb Alto Sax C Down Major Sixth (M6) Eb
Circle of 4thsWhen Moving from “Written” to “Concert” Pitch
C InstrumentsDon’t Move
Bb InstrumentsMove two “hours” clockwise
F InstrumentsMove one “hour” clockwise
Eb InstrumentsMove three “hours” clockwise
Circle of 4ths
When moving from “Written” to “Concert” PitchMove clockwise on the circle
When moving from “Concert” to “Written” PitchMove counter-clockwise on the circle
Concerning Key Signatures
The sharps and flats in key signature always occur in the same order… ALWAYS!
Sharps Flats
FCGDAEB BEADGCF
Sharps - FCGDAEB
1. Five2. Cats3. Got4. Drowned 5. At6. Erie7. Beach
Flats - BEADGCF
The opposite order of the sharps
Identifying Key SignatureUse the Circle of Fourths
Each “hour” moving clockwise from C adds one flat
Each “hour” moving counter-cw from C adds one sharp
Identifying Key Signatures
Flats:The PENULTIMATE flat in a key signature is
the name of that key signature
Sharps:The LAST sharp in a key signature is a half
step below the name of the key signature (i.e. the last sharp in the key signature is the leading tone, or “ti”)
For Example
Find the PENULTIMATE flat
Another Example
Remember, the LAST sharp tells you the leading tone
Practice
Find the Key Signature
More Practice
Find the Key signature
Concert Pitch Practice
Given the Written Pitch, name the sounding (Concert) pitch for your instrument
C
Concert Pitch Practice
Given the Written Pitch, name the sounding (Concert) pitch for your instrument
Bb
Concert Pitch Practice
Given the Written Pitch, name the sounding (Concert) pitch for your instrument
D
Final Thoughts
This topic can be extremely tricky, and sometimes trips up professional musicians
If you are confused about any of these things, see Mr. Sanchez or Mr. Martini in the next few days
There will be a quiz on identifying key signatures and finding concert pitch 4/29 & 4/30 (whichever is your ensemble day)Be Prepared and ASK QUESTIONS if you need
help