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Topic: Transposition (Read 3531 times) previous topic - next topic

Transposition

Hi everybody!

I am a new NWC user. I am currently done in an orchestration of some old pieces of mine. I did a fair job doing it, however, I am not very keen at transpositions. I already know how to do it in NWC, but I don't know the rules for each instrument.
Can anybody out there provide me with the details of each instrument of an orchestra, telling me like -12 (an octave lower), or -3, -5, and so on? I assume that the instruments you don't mention are scored at concert pitch.
Thanks in advance!

Re: Transposition

Reply #1 –
The command summary includes the information you need. Get it from the NWC Scriptorium.

Hth.

PS: I remember an earlier thread on this issue but I failed to find it.

Re: Transposition

Reply #2 –
You're probably thinking of https://forum.noteworthycomposer.com/?topic=1649, where I gave a long list of transposing instruments and their transpositions. (Unaccountably, I left out the contrabassoon, which sounds an octave lower than written.)

Re: Transposition

Reply #4 –
Oboe, flute, violin trans = 0
(C trumpet = 0)

Bb trumpet, cornet, clarinet, soprano sax = -2

Eb clarinet = +3

French Horn, English Horn = -7

Eb Alto Saxophone, Eb Alto Horn = -9

Bb Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Baritone Treble Clef = -14

Eb Baritone Saxophone, Eb Contrabass Clarinet = -21

(All saxophones and clarinets are written in treble clef.)

Trombone, Euphonium, Cello, = 0

Almost all else are 0.

Re: Transposition

Reply #5 –
Oh, I forgot!!! For my favorite instrument, bass saxophone, NWC cannot go to -26 as required, so I fudge, and set it to -14, like tenor sax, and know that the bass sax line is sounding one octave higher than the bass sax will play it... Hah!

Really, I DO write for sax ensemble, with some bass sax parts.

Re: Transposition

Reply #6 –
Bb soprano clarinet, Bb trumpet, Bb soprano sax are transposed up one whole step... so you set the midi playback to -2 (to make it sound down two semitones. This is reached by highlighting the desired staff, and at the top Staff > Staff Properties > Midi tab > Transposition, and set the semitones there.

So, if you compose a piece in, say Concert Pitch F, the Bb clar, tpt,sop sax parts will be in G, and all notes trasposed up one whole step from concert pitch.

Similarly, the Eb alto saxophone and Eb alto horn will be transposed up a major sixth, to concert D. The transposition on the Midi tab in NWC will be set to -9 to make it sound at concert pitch.

The F French Horn and English Horn will be transposed up a major 5th from concert F to C on their parts. The transposition on the Midi tab in NWC will be set to -7.

Tenor sax and baritone treble clef is transposed up an octave plus a whole step, to G, the midi tab to -14.

etc.

Re: Transposition

Reply #8 –
A workround for larger transpositions is to use the octave shift on the clef.

To make this look right hide the shifted clef and layer the staff with a staff holding just the normal clef.

Peter