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Topic: Transposing Beforehand (Read 4651 times) previous topic - next topic

Transposing Beforehand

I want to type my school's marching band music into NWC so I can listen to it and put in on our website.  If I transpose the staves that are not in Concert C before I type anything, will they be in the right key when I'm done?  and how many semitones to I put in to go from Concert C to BbTrumpet, French Horn, Eb Sax, and whatever key a baritone horn is in.  Thanks for any help!

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #1 –
 
Perform a search with keywords "transposing instruments" which should bring up many results. There has been long discussions on the subject for years.

Hth
 

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #2 –
Before you post the music to your website, check the copyright laws of your country.

Having passed that hurdle, just enter the notes as written and let Noteworthy do the work.

If you're copying from a transposed part, then you adjust the playback pitch by adjusting the midi tab settings in staff properties (F2 will access that).

If you're copying from a score in concert pitch, then simply enter the notes as written, new staff for each part.  When you've got everything entered, use Tools - Transpose, and transpose by however many halfsteps you need.  Select update playback.  The transposition is almost instantaneous.

For alto sax you want +9 semitones.  Bari sax (do they use 'em in marching bands?), it's +21.  Tenor sax is +14, clarinet and trumpet are +2.  These numbers show the relationship between the sound to play back and the written note.  To play concert Bb on clarinet, you have to read notes written 2 semitones higher (hence the + sign).

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #3 –
Bari sax (do they use 'em in marching bands?, it's +21.
They are used in marching bands, at least around here.
That +21 thing puts the notes awfully high in the bass clef.  What I do is -3, then change the clef to treble, highlight the whole staff and drag it back up two spaces.

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #4 –
Bari sax parts are always written in treble clef.

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #5 –
Sorry, David (in Delta) Palmquist, I assumed that when you wrote "If you're copying from a score in concert pitch..." you meant that typical bass parts would be used for the bari sax, and that they would be written (untransposed) in the normal sounding range for the bari sax, and then transposed from the bass into the treble clef.

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #6 –
I would always write Baritone Sax in Bass Clef on a Concert Score and transpose to Treble at the correct pitch when printing the parts.

In fact I actually score Alto and Tenor Saxes 8va in a Concert Score to avoid ledger lines and transpose -3 and +2 respectively when printing parts.

This is how I was trained in manual scoring - probably not as relevant now with software tools.

Mancini's "Sounds and Scores" established my basic method.

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #7 –
Hi Barry, I can see the rationale for writing the bari sax in concert pitch in the bass clef, then transposing and changing the clef.

I haven't worked from a concert score, only from transposed scores, so that partly explains my ignorance.

Steve, how do you march with a bari without taking out your teeth?  Unless you're very tall?

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #8 –
A bari isn't that big (not that I ever marched with one).  When I was in school, we always had two or three baris (120- to 150-member band) played by kids that were 5'6" to 6'0" who managed fine.  Now, if you want a big sax, try the bass...

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #9 –
Yes, there's a lady in Portland who plays one.  She calls it Big George.

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #10 –
what is the transposition for a baritone horn to the tenor sax?

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #11 –
A baritone horn (the thing that resembles an euphonium) can read the same part if it's in treble clef.

A baritone sax part is written 21 semitones above what you hear; a tenor sax part is written 14 above.  You can do the arithmetic.

Generally speaking, the Eb saxes will always have one more sharp or one less flat in their key signatures than the Bb instruments.

Re: Transposing Beforehand

Reply #12 –
If you think that the bass sax is a problem, you want to try the BBb Tuba in English style brass bands!  Octave below the baritone horn!  Only way to do that is -14 (as for baritone horn, and then set the treble clef with an octave down!  That's fine for midi, but just remember to clear the ocatve change for score and parts!  It upsets some players!!!!!!