Transposition Steps For Orchestra, please.

2002-04-23 10:26 am

I'd like to start off a piano piece, which I know. Can anybody list the steps up or down I have to take in order to transpose it to each instrument? I know how to come up with the music, just by comparing it with the piano music, but say I write C,D,G,E on the piano, and I come up w/ a counter melody of whatever, how do I know what to notate it as relative to the piano piece??? It's sorta hard to explain what I am trying to say, but I have come up w/ pieces that sound good on noteworthy, but I believe would sound poor on a real instrument. I'm pretty sure all instruments aren't in the same key etc...

Please help.

~Jeff

Re: Transposition Steps For Orchestra, please.

Reply #1 – 2002-04-23 03:00 pm

At the Scriptorium helpful files section you'll find a "Compasses" NWC file that gives the ranges of various instruments, and also Transposition Tables giving the required transpositions.

Fred