Transposing instrument: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
NDCompuGeek (talk | contribs) m copyedit |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
A '''transposing instrument''' is a musical instrument for which written notes are read at a pitch different from [[Pitch (music)#Concert pitch|concert pitch]], which a non-transposing instrument, such as a [[piano]], would play. On a transposing instrument, a concert C is written as a different note; the concert pitch that is played for a written C determines the key that an instrument transposes in. For example, a B{{music| |
A '''transposing instrument''' is a musical instrument for which written notes are read at a pitch different from [[Pitch (music)#Concert pitch|concert pitch]], which a non-transposing instrument, such as a [[piano]], would play. On a transposing instrument, a concert C is written as a different note; the concert pitch that is played for a written C determines the key that an instrument transposes in. For example, a B{{music|flat}} [[clarinet]]ist playing a written C would sound a concert B{{music|flat}}. Transposing [[harmonium|harmonia]] or electronic keyboards with a transpose function can also play a different set of pitches from what is notated, but these are not usually called transposing instruments. |
||
==Reasons for transposing== |
== Reasons for transposing == |
||
Though writing for transposing instruments entails more work for a composer or arranger, there are several reasons why instruments are transposed. |
Though writing for transposing instruments entails more work for a composer or arranger, there are several reasons why instruments are transposed. |
||
===Transposition at the octave=== |
=== Transposition at the octave === |
||
If an instrument has a range that is too high or too low for their music to be easily written on bass or treble clef, the music may be written either an [[octave]] higher or an octave lower than it sounds, in order to reduce the use of [[ledger line]]s. Instruments that "transpose at the octave" are not playing in a different [[Key (music)|key]] from concert pitch instruments, but sound an octave higher or lower than written. Some instruments with extremely high or low ranges use a two-octave transposition. |
If an instrument has a range that is too high or too low for their music to be easily written on bass or treble clef, the music may be written either an [[octave]] higher or an octave lower than it sounds, in order to reduce the use of [[ledger line]]s. Instruments that "transpose at the octave" are not playing in a different [[Key (music)|key]] from concert pitch instruments, but sound an octave higher or lower than written. Some instruments with extremely high or low ranges use a two-octave transposition. |
||
Music for the [[contrabassoon]] and the [[double bass]] is written on the [[bass clef]], one [[octave]] higher than concert pitch. Music for the [[guitar]] and, frequently, the tenor voice is written on the [[treble clef]], one [[octave]] higher than concert pitch. Music for the [[piccolo]] is written on the treble clef, one [[octave]] lower than concert pitch. If these instruments did not transpose at the octave, many of their pitches would have to be written with frequent ledger lines above or below the staff, making reading comparatively cumbersome. |
Music for the [[contrabassoon]] and the [[double bass]] is written on the [[bass clef]], one [[octave]] higher than concert pitch. Music for the [[guitar]] and, frequently, the tenor voice is written on the [[treble clef]], one [[octave]] higher than concert pitch. Music for the [[piccolo]] is written on the treble clef, one [[octave]] lower than concert pitch. If these instruments did not transpose at the octave, many of their pitches would have to be written with frequent ledger lines above or below the staff, making reading comparatively cumbersome. |
||
===Historical reasons=== |
=== Historical reasons === |
||
Historically, some instruments have come to be accepted (and widely manufactured) with a certain transposition as a standard, and most music written for those instruments would be transposed. Were non-transposed versions to be used, any pieces written for the instrument would have to be "de-transposed" into a C key, which would entail additional work. |
Historically, some instruments have come to be accepted (and widely manufactured) with a certain transposition as a standard, and most music written for those instruments would be transposed. Were non-transposed versions to be used, any pieces written for the instrument would have to be "de-transposed" into a C key, which would entail additional work. |
||
===Families of instruments=== |
=== Families of instruments === |
||
Many instruments are members of a family of instruments that differ mainly in size, such as the saxophone, clarinet, flute, etc. The instruments in these families have differing [[Range (music)|range]]s, with the members sounding lower as they get larger. It is desirable for all members of the same instrument family to have the same fingerings, so that a player can play any member of the family using the same fingerings. As a result, these instruments are transposed based on their range such that each written note is fingered the same way on each instrument. |
Many instruments are members of a family of instruments that differ mainly in size, such as the saxophone, clarinet, flute, etc. The instruments in these families have differing [[Range (music)|range]]s, with the members sounding lower as they get larger. It is desirable for all members of the same instrument family to have the same fingerings, so that a player can play any member of the family using the same fingerings. As a result, these instruments are transposed based on their range such that each written note is fingered the same way on each instrument. |
||
Instruments that transpose this way are often referred to as being in a certain "key", such as the A clarinet (clarinet in A), or the [[Horn (instrument)|F horn]] (horn in F). The instrument's key tells which pitch will sound when the player plays a note written as "C". A player of a |
Instruments that transpose this way are often referred to as being in a certain "key", such as the A clarinet (clarinet in A), or the [[Horn (instrument)|F horn]] (horn in F). The instrument's key tells which pitch will sound when the player plays a note written as "C". A player of a B{{music|flat}} clarinet who reads a written C will sound a B{{music|flat}}, while the player of an F horn will read the same note and sound an F. |
||
The [[flute]] family contains instruments with different transpositions. The standard concert flute is a non-transposing instrument with a range from middle C up about 3 octaves. The [[alto flute]] is a very similar instrument, but longer, and hence pitched lower, with a range starting from the G below middle C. The fingering that would produce a C on a standard flute produces the G a [[interval (music)|fourth]] lower on the alto flute. |
The [[flute]] family contains instruments with different transpositions. The standard concert flute is a non-transposing instrument with a range from middle C up about 3 octaves. The [[alto flute]] is a very similar instrument, but longer, and hence pitched lower, with a range starting from the G below middle C. The fingering that would produce a C on a standard flute produces the G a [[interval (music)|fourth]] lower on the alto flute. |
||
The situation is similar in other families of instruments. For example, [[clarinet]]s come in various pitches (A, |
The situation is similar in other families of instruments. For example, [[clarinet]]s come in various pitches (A, B{{music|flat}}, C, E{{music|flat}}), with music transposed appropriately for each so that the player can maintain the same fingerings for the same written notes. For reasons of timbre or to minimize switching between different instruments, expert clarinet players sometimes use a different instrument than their part calls for — usually substituting the B{{music|flat}} for the A or vice-versa — transposing the parts at sight instead.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} Advanced [[trumpet]] players may do this also, usually with the B{{music|flat}} and C instruments.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} |
||
In some families of instruments, the non-transposing C version had fallen into disuse; the clarinet family is one example, where only the |
In some families of instruments, the non-transposing C version had fallen into disuse; the clarinet family is one example, where only the B{{music|flat}} and A members are common, but in recent years, there is a tendency to utilize the C clarinet when called for. Horns are another example. |
||
Some families containing transposing instruments: |
Some families containing transposing instruments: |
||
*The [[clarinet family]] ([[piccolo clarinet]] in |
* The [[clarinet family]] ([[piccolo clarinet]] in A{{music|flat}}; sopranino clarinet in E{{music|flat}}, D; soprano clarinet in B{{music|flat}} and A; [[basset horn]] in F; [[alto clarinet]] in E{{music|flat}}; [[bass clarinet]] in B{{music|flat}} and A; [[contrabass clarinet]] in BB{{music|flat}}; and several other very low clarinets) |
||
*some members of the [[oboe]] family ([[oboe d'amore]] in A, [[cor anglais]] in F) |
* some members of the [[oboe]] family ([[oboe d'amore]] in A, [[cor anglais]] in F) |
||
*the [[saxophone]] family (either |
* the [[saxophone]] family (either B{{music|flat}} or E{{music|flat}}) <ref>The modern [[saxophone]] family is in B{{music|flat}} and E{{music|flat}}, but there is also an ''orchestral'' family of saxophones in C and F: F-sopranino, C-soprano, F-alto (sometimes called [[Mezzo-soprano saxophone|mezzo-soprano]]), C-tenor (now called [[C melody saxophone|C-melody]]), F-baritone, C-bass, and F-contrabass. The last of these was manufactured in the 1930s.</ref> |
||
*certain [[brass instrument]]s, notably the [[trumpet]] and [[Horn (instrument)|horn]]. |
* certain [[brass instrument]]s, notably the [[trumpet]] and [[Horn (instrument)|horn]]. |
||
Before valves became common about 1800, the [[horn (instrument)|horn]] could play only the notes of the [[overtone series]] from a single [[fundamental]] pitch. This fundamental could be changed by inserting one of a set of [[crook (music)|crooks]] into the instrument, shortening or lengthening the total length of its sounding tube. As a result, all horn music was written as if for a fundamental pitch of C, but the crooks could make a single instrument a transposing instrument into almost any key. Changing the crooks was a time-consuming process, so it took place only between pieces or movements. The introduction of valves made this process unnecessary (although [[Richard Wagner]] wrote horn parts as if crooks were still in use, evoking the tradition which was quickly becoming archaic). While an F transposition became standard in the early 19th century, composers differed in whether they expected the instruments to transpose down a fifth or up a fourth, especially when written in [[bass clef]]. |
Before valves became common about 1800, the [[horn (instrument)|horn]] could play only the notes of the [[overtone series]] from a single [[fundamental]] pitch. This fundamental could be changed by inserting one of a set of [[crook (music)|crooks]] into the instrument, shortening or lengthening the total length of its sounding tube. As a result, all horn music was written as if for a fundamental pitch of C, but the crooks could make a single instrument a transposing instrument into almost any key. Changing the crooks was a time-consuming process, so it took place only between pieces or movements. The introduction of valves made this process unnecessary (although [[Richard Wagner]] wrote horn parts as if crooks were still in use, evoking the tradition which was quickly becoming archaic). While an F transposition became standard in the early 19th century, composers differed in whether they expected the instruments to transpose down a fifth or up a fourth, especially when written in [[bass clef]]. |
||
| Line 33: | Line 33: | ||
There are a few families of instruments which have instruments of various sizes and ranges, but whose music is rarely or never transposed. The [[recorder]] family is one of these. The higher members of the family (soprano and above) transpose at the octave, as do the bass instruments (bass and great bass). However, they are referred to as "C-fingered" or "F-fingered" depending on the lowest note, which is fingered the same on all sizes. A player may go from one C-fingered instrument to another easily, and from one F-fingered instrument to another easily, but switching between the two requires learning a new set of fingerings or the ability to transpose the music at sight. |
There are a few families of instruments which have instruments of various sizes and ranges, but whose music is rarely or never transposed. The [[recorder]] family is one of these. The higher members of the family (soprano and above) transpose at the octave, as do the bass instruments (bass and great bass). However, they are referred to as "C-fingered" or "F-fingered" depending on the lowest note, which is fingered the same on all sizes. A player may go from one C-fingered instrument to another easily, and from one F-fingered instrument to another easily, but switching between the two requires learning a new set of fingerings or the ability to transpose the music at sight. |
||
====Tone and sound quality==== |
==== Tone and sound quality ==== |
||
Because of tone quality issues, some C (concert pitch) instruments — the [[C melody saxophone]], C soprano saxophone, and C soprano clarinet, for example — have declined in popularity in favor of the standard versions ( |
Because of tone quality issues, some C (concert pitch) instruments — the [[C melody saxophone]], C soprano saxophone, and C soprano clarinet, for example — have declined in popularity in favor of the standard versions (B{{music|flat}} [[Soprano saxophone|soprano]] and [[tenor saxophone]]; B{{music|flat}} and A clarinets). |
||
It was found that sometimes instruments sounded better when built in certain keys. For instance, the C clarinet was not a very pleasant sounding instrument, nor was the D or the |
It was found that sometimes instruments sounded better when built in certain keys. For instance, the C clarinet was not a very pleasant sounding instrument, nor was the D or the E{{music|flat}} clarinet; it was generally agreed that the B{{music|flat}} clarinet was the most pleasant sounding, and for this reason was the one which remained in dominant use in the present day. This is also true of the B{{music|flat}} trumpet, as well as several other instruments, such as the French horn and the trombone (which, outside the [[United Kingdom]] [[Brass band]] tradition, is not treated as a transposing instrument, although its basic overtone series is B{{music|flat}} or E{{music|flat}}). |
||
==Mechanical and physical considerations== |
== Mechanical and physical considerations == |
||
On [[woodwind instruments]] there is one major scale whose execution involves (more or less) simply picking up each finger sequentially from the bottom to top. This is usually the scale which reads as a C scale (the major scale with no sharps or flats) on that instrument. If it is a transposing instrument, the note written as C sounds as the note of the instrument's transposition — on an |
On [[woodwind instruments]] there is one major scale whose execution involves (more or less) simply picking up each finger sequentially from the bottom to top. This is usually the scale which reads as a C scale (the major scale with no sharps or flats) on that instrument. If it is a transposing instrument, the note written as C sounds as the note of the instrument's transposition — on an E{{music|flat}} alto saxophone, that note sounds as a concert E{{music|flat}}, on an A clarinet, that note sounds as a concert A. The [[bassoon]] is an exception; it is not a transposing instrument, yet its "home" scale is F. |
||
[[Brass instruments]], when played with no valves engaged (or, for [[trombone]]s, with the slide all the way in) play a series of notes which form the overtone series based on some fundamental pitch, e.g., the |
[[Brass instruments]], when played with no valves engaged (or, for [[trombone]]s, with the slide all the way in) play a series of notes which form the overtone series based on some fundamental pitch, e.g., the B{{music|flat}} [[trumpet]], when played with no valves being pressed, can play the overtones based on B{{music|flat}} (although not the fundamental pitch). Usually, that pitch is the note which indicates the transposition of that brass instrument. Trombones are an exception — they do not transpose, instead reading at concert pitch, although tenor and bass trombones are pitched in B{{music|flat}}, alto trombone in E{{music|flat}}. Music for baritone or euphonium is sometimes written in bass clef at concert pitch also. |
||
In the cases above, there is some reason to consider a certain pitch the "home" note of an instrument, and that pitch is usually written as C for that instrument. The concert pitch of that note is what determines how we refer to the transposition of that instrument. |
In the cases above, there is some reason to consider a certain pitch the "home" note of an instrument, and that pitch is usually written as C for that instrument. The concert pitch of that note is what determines how we refer to the transposition of that instrument. |
||
With the exception of the [[Trombone#Bass trombone|bass trombone]], all of the instruments in United Kingdom [[brass band]] music (including [[cornet]], [[flugelhorn]], [[alto horn|tenor horn]], [[euphonium]], [[baritone horn]], [[Trombone#Tenor trombone|tenor trombone]], and even the [[tuba|bass tuba]]) are notated in treble clef as transposing instruments in either |
With the exception of the [[Trombone#Bass trombone|bass trombone]], all of the instruments in United Kingdom [[brass band]] music (including [[cornet]], [[flugelhorn]], [[alto horn|tenor horn]], [[euphonium]], [[baritone horn]], [[Trombone#Tenor trombone|tenor trombone]], and even the [[tuba|bass tuba]]) are notated in treble clef as transposing instruments in either B{{music|flat}} or E{{music|flat}}. |
||
==On the conductor's score== |
== On the conductor's score == |
||
In [[conducting|conductor]]s' scores, music for transposing instruments is generally written in transposed form, just as in the players' parts. A few publishers, especially of modern music, provide conductors with scores written entirely in concert pitch, making the pitch relationships of the entire score easier for the conductor to see. |
In [[conducting|conductor]]s' scores, music for transposing instruments is generally written in transposed form, just as in the players' parts. A few publishers, especially of modern music, provide conductors with scores written entirely in concert pitch, making the pitch relationships of the entire score easier for the conductor to see. |
||
==List of instruments by transposition== |
== List of instruments by transposition == |
||
*Instruments in C (high) — sounding two [[octave|octaves]] higher than written |
* '''Instruments in C (high) — sounding two [[octave|octaves]] higher than written''' |
||
**[[Glockenspiel]] |
** [[Glockenspiel]] |
||
** Garklein [[recorder]] |
** Garklein [[recorder]] |
||
**[[Crotales]] |
** [[Crotales]] |
||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in D{{music|flat}} (high) — sounding a [[minor ninth]] higher than written |
||
**[[Piccolo]] in |
** [[Piccolo]] in D{{music|flat}} <!-- Should this even be here? I have never even heard of such an instrument --> |
||
*Instruments in C (high) — sounding an [[octave]] higher than written |
* '''Instruments in C (high) — sounding an [[octave]] higher than written''' |
||
**[[Piccolo]] |
** [[Piccolo]] |
||
**[[Celesta]] |
** [[Celesta]] |
||
**Sopranino, soprano (descant), bass, great bass [[recorder]] |
** Sopranino, soprano (descant), bass, great bass [[recorder]] |
||
**[[Handbells]] |
** [[Handbells]] |
||
**[[Tin whistle]] |
** [[Tin whistle]] |
||
**[[Xylophone]] |
** [[Xylophone]] |
||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in B{{music|flat}} (high) — sounding a [[minor seventh]] higher than written |
||
**[[Piccolo trumpet]] (may also be tuned to A) |
** [[Piccolo trumpet]] (may also be tuned to A) |
||
**[[Soprillo]] (sopranissimo saxophone) |
** [[Soprillo]] (sopranissimo saxophone) |
||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in A{{music|flat}} (high) — sounding a [[minor sixth]] higher than written |
||
** |
** A{{music|flat}} [[piccolo clarinet]] (very rare) |
||
*Instruments in F (high) - sounding a [[perfect fourth]] higher than written |
* Instruments in F (high) - sounding a [[perfect fourth]] higher than written |
||
**[[Trumpet|F trumpet]] |
** [[Trumpet|F trumpet]] |
||
**[[Piccolo oboe|Musette]] (piccolo oboe in F) |
** [[Piccolo oboe|Musette]] (piccolo oboe in F) |
||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in E{{music|flat}} (high) — sounding a [[minor third]] higher than written |
||
**[[E flat clarinet| |
** [[E flat clarinet|E{{music|flat}} soprano clarinet]] |
||
**[[Trumpet| |
** [[Trumpet|E{{music|flat}} trumpet]] |
||
**[[Sopranino saxophone]] |
** [[Sopranino saxophone]] |
||
*Instruments in D (high) — sounding a [[major second]] higher than written |
* Instruments in D (high) — sounding a [[major second]] higher than written |
||
**D [[soprano clarinet]] |
** D [[soprano clarinet]] |
||
**[[Trumpet|D trumpet]] (may also be tuned to |
** [[Trumpet|D trumpet]] (may also be tuned to E{{music|flat}}) |
||
*A selection of Instruments in C (unison) — sounding as written; these are ''non-transposing instruments'' |
* '''A selection of Instruments in C (unison) — sounding as written; these are ''non-transposing instruments''''' |
||
**[[Piano]] |
** [[Piano]] |
||
**[[Vibraphone]] |
** [[Vibraphone]] |
||
**[[Flute]] |
** [[Flute]] |
||
**[[Oboe]] |
** [[Oboe]] |
||
**C [[soprano clarinet]] (moderately rare) |
** C [[soprano clarinet]] (moderately rare) |
||
**C [[soprano saxophone]] (rare) |
** C [[soprano saxophone]] (rare) |
||
**C [[Trumpet]] |
** C [[Trumpet]] |
||
**[[Bassoon]] |
** [[Bassoon]] |
||
**[[Alto trombone]] |
** [[Alto trombone]] |
||
**[[Tenor trombone]] when written in tenor or bass clef |
** [[Tenor trombone]] when written in tenor or bass clef |
||
**[[Bass trombone]] |
** [[Bass trombone]] |
||
**[[Euphonium]] or [[baritone horn]] when written in bass or tenor clef |
** [[Euphonium]] or [[baritone horn]] when written in bass or tenor clef |
||
**[[Tuba]] when written in bass clef |
** [[Tuba]] when written in bass clef |
||
**[[Marimba]] |
** [[Marimba]] |
||
**[[Violin]] |
** [[Violin]] |
||
**[[Viola]] |
** [[Viola]] |
||
**[[Cello]] |
** [[Cello]] |
||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in B{{music|flat}} — sounding a [[major second]] lower than written |
||
** |
** B{{music|flat}} [[soprano clarinet]] |
||
**[[Soprano saxophone]] |
** [[Soprano saxophone]] |
||
**[[Wagner Tuba|Tenor Wagner Tuba]](new notation) |
** [[Wagner Tuba|Tenor Wagner Tuba]](new notation) |
||
**[[Trumpet]] |
** [[Trumpet]] |
||
**[[Cornet]] |
** [[Cornet]] |
||
**[[Flugelhorn]] |
** [[Flugelhorn]] |
||
** |
** B{{music|flat}} [[bass clarinet]] (German notation in bass clef) |
||
** B{{music|flat}} Mellophone |
|||
**B♭Mellophone |
|||
*Instruments in A — sounding a [[minor third]] lower than written |
* Instruments in A — sounding a [[minor third]] lower than written |
||
**[[Oboe d'amore]] |
** [[Oboe d'amore]] |
||
**A [[soprano clarinet]] |
** A [[soprano clarinet]] |
||
**A [[basset clarinet]] |
** A [[basset clarinet]] |
||
**A [[trumpet]] |
** A [[trumpet]] |
||
*Instruments in G — sounding a [[perfect fourth]] lower than written |
* Instruments in G — sounding a [[perfect fourth]] lower than written |
||
**[[Alto flute]] |
** [[Alto flute]] |
||
**G [[soprano clarinet]] |
** G [[soprano clarinet]] |
||
**G [[basset horn]] (obsolete) |
** G [[basset horn]] (obsolete) |
||
** Bugles in G: Soprano - Contra |
** Bugles in G: Soprano - Contra |
||
*Instruments in F — sounding a [[perfect fifth]] lower than written |
* Instruments in F — sounding a [[perfect fifth]] lower than written |
||
**[[Cor Anglais]] |
** [[Cor Anglais]] |
||
**[[Horn (instrument)|Horn]] |
** [[Horn (instrument)|Horn]]<ref>There are two complications with horn transposition. First, some older editions write for valved horns as if they still had crooks, and thus may change the transposition several times within a piece or movement. Second, when horn parts are written in [[bass clef]], they may be written an octave lower than expected, transposing up, rather than down as in treble clef. In today's scores, horns always transpose down, even in bass clef; but the other notation was standard until the beginning of the 20th century.{{cite web |title=Written Vs. Sounding Pitch |url=http://www.dml.indiana.edu/pdf/byrd_WrittenVsSoundingPitch_0105.pdf |accessdate=2007-03-22}}</ref> |
||
**F Mellophone |
** F Mellophone |
||
| ⚫ | |||
** [[Basset-horn]] |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
{{Fact|date=March 2007}} |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
Second, when horn parts are written in [[bass clef]], they may be written an octave lower than expected, transposing up, rather than down as in treble clef. In today's scores, horns always transpose down, even in bass clef; but the other notation was standard until the beginning of the 20th century.{{cite web|title=Written Vs. Sounding Pitch|url=http://www.dml.indiana.edu/pdf/byrd_WrittenVsSoundingPitch_0105.pdf|accessdate=2007-03-22}}</ref> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
**[[ |
** [[Bass guitar]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in B{{music|flat}} (low) — sounding an [[octave]] and a [[major second]] below what is written |
||
**[[ |
** B{{music|flat}} [[bass clarinet]] (French notation in treble clef) |
||
**[[ |
** [[Tenor saxophone]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in A (low) — sounding an [[octave]] and a [[minor third]] below what is written |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
**[[Bass guitar]] |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in G (low) — sounding an [[octave]] and a [[perfect fourth]] below what is written |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in F (low) — sounding an [[octave]] and a [[perfect fifth]] below what is written |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
<!-- **F baritone [[Saxophone#Members_of_the_saxophone_family|saxophone]] (very rare)--> |
<!-- **F baritone [[Saxophone#Members_of_the_saxophone_family|saxophone]] (very rare)--> |
||
**[[Wagner Tuba|Bass Wagner Tuba]] (old notation) |
** [[Wagner Tuba|Bass Wagner Tuba]] (old notation) |
||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in E{{music|flat}} (low) — sounding an [[octave]] and a [[major sixth]] below what is written |
||
**[[Contra-alto clarinet]] |
** [[Contra-alto clarinet]] |
||
**[[Baritone saxophone]] |
** [[Baritone saxophone]] |
||
** |
** E{{music|flat}} [[tuba]] when written in treble clef (British brass band music) |
||
*Instruments in CC (low) — sounding two [[octave]]s below what is written |
* '''Instruments in CC (low) — sounding two [[octave]]s below what is written''' |
||
**[[Contrabass flute]] (rare) |
** [[Contrabass flute]] (rare) |
||
<!-- **C Bass [[Saxophone#Members_of_the_saxophone_family|saxophone]] (very rare) --> |
<!-- **C Bass [[Saxophone#Members_of_the_saxophone_family|saxophone]] (very rare) --> |
||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in BB{{music|flat}} (very low) — sounding two [[octaves]] and a [[major second]] below what is written |
||
** |
** B{{music|flat}} [[tuba]] when written in treble clef (British brass band music) |
||
** |
** B{{music|flat}} [[contrabass clarinet]] |
||
**[[Bass saxophone]] |
** [[Bass saxophone]] |
||
| ⚫ | |||
**G [[Contrabass_flute#Variations|subcontrabass flute]] (rare) |
|||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in GG (very low) — sounding two [[octave]]s and a [[perfect fourth]] below what is written |
||
**[[ |
** G [[Contrabass_flute#Variations|subcontrabass flute]] (rare) |
||
| ⚫ | |||
*Instruments in |
* Instruments in EE{{music|flat}} (very low) — sounding two [[octaves]] and a [[major sixth]] below what is written |
||
** |
** [[Subcontrabass clarinet|Octocontra-alto clarinet]] (very rare) |
||
| ⚫ | |||
*Instruments in |
* '''Instruments in CCC (super low) — sounding three [[octave]]s below what is written''' |
||
** |
** C [[Contrabass_flute#Variations|subcontrabass flute]] (very rare) |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
===Timpani=== |
|||
** B{{music|flat}} [[Subcontrabass clarinet|octocontrabass clarinet]] (very rare) |
|||
| ⚫ | In the 17th and early 18th century, [[timpani]] were often treated as transposing instruments, as they were almost always tuned to the tonic and dominant notes. These were notated as C and G, and the actual tuning was indicated at the top of the score (for example, ''Timpani in A–D''). This notation style was not universal: Bach, Mozart, and Schubert (in his early works) used it, but their respective contemporaries Handel, Haydn, and Beethoven wrote for the timpani at concert pitch. <ref>{{cite book|first=Norman|last=Del Mar|title=The Anatomy of the Orchestra|publisher=Univ of California press|date=1981}}</ref> |
||
| ⚫ | |||
== |
=== Timpani === |
||
| ⚫ | In the 17th and early 18th century, [[timpani]] were often treated as transposing instruments, as they were almost always tuned to the tonic and dominant notes. These were notated as C and G, and the actual tuning was indicated at the top of the score (for example, ''Timpani in A–D''). This notation style was not universal: Bach, Mozart, and Schubert (in his early works) used it, but their respective contemporaries Handel, Haydn, and Beethoven wrote for the timpani at concert pitch. <ref>{{cite book |first=Norman |last=Del Mar |title=The Anatomy of the Orchestra |publisher=Univ of California press|date=1981}}</ref> |
||
== See also == |
|||
* [[:Category:Transposing instruments]] |
* [[:Category:Transposing instruments]] |
||
==Notes== |
== Notes == |
||
<references/> |
<references/> |
||
==References== |
== References == |
||
*Kennan, Kent Wheeler. ''The Technique of Orchestration'', Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970, 1952; ISBN 0-13-900316-9 |
* Kennan, Kent Wheeler. ''The Technique of Orchestration'', Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970, 1952; ISBN 0-13-900316-9 |
||
{{musical notation}} |
{{musical notation}} |
||
Revision as of 15:57, 2 November 2009
A transposing instrument is a musical instrument for which written notes are read at a pitch different from concert pitch, which a non-transposing instrument, such as a piano, would play. On a transposing instrument, a concert C is written as a different note; the concert pitch that is played for a written C determines the key that an instrument transposes in. For example, a B♭ clarinetist playing a written C would sound a concert B♭. Transposing harmonia or electronic keyboards with a transpose function can also play a different set of pitches from what is notated, but these are not usually called transposing instruments.
Reasons for transposing
Though writing for transposing instruments entails more work for a composer or arranger, there are several reasons why instruments are transposed.
Transposition at the octave
If an instrument has a range that is too high or too low for their music to be easily written on bass or treble clef, the music may be written either an octave higher or an octave lower than it sounds, in order to reduce the use of ledger lines. Instruments that "transpose at the octave" are not playing in a different key from concert pitch instruments, but sound an octave higher or lower than written. Some instruments with extremely high or low ranges use a two-octave transposition.
Music for the contrabassoon and the double bass is written on the bass clef, one octave higher than concert pitch. Music for the guitar and, frequently, the tenor voice is written on the treble clef, one octave higher than concert pitch. Music for the piccolo is written on the treble clef, one octave lower than concert pitch. If these instruments did not transpose at the octave, many of their pitches would have to be written with frequent ledger lines above or below the staff, making reading comparatively cumbersome.
Historical reasons
Historically, some instruments have come to be accepted (and widely manufactured) with a certain transposition as a standard, and most music written for those instruments would be transposed. Were non-transposed versions to be used, any pieces written for the instrument would have to be "de-transposed" into a C key, which would entail additional work.
Families of instruments
Many instruments are members of a family of instruments that differ mainly in size, such as the saxophone, clarinet, flute, etc. The instruments in these families have differing ranges, with the members sounding lower as they get larger. It is desirable for all members of the same instrument family to have the same fingerings, so that a player can play any member of the family using the same fingerings. As a result, these instruments are transposed based on their range such that each written note is fingered the same way on each instrument.
Instruments that transpose this way are often referred to as being in a certain "key", such as the A clarinet (clarinet in A), or the F horn (horn in F). The instrument's key tells which pitch will sound when the player plays a note written as "C". A player of a B♭ clarinet who reads a written C will sound a B♭, while the player of an F horn will read the same note and sound an F.
The flute family contains instruments with different transpositions. The standard concert flute is a non-transposing instrument with a range from middle C up about 3 octaves. The alto flute is a very similar instrument, but longer, and hence pitched lower, with a range starting from the G below middle C. The fingering that would produce a C on a standard flute produces the G a fourth lower on the alto flute.
The situation is similar in other families of instruments. For example, clarinets come in various pitches (A, B♭, C, E♭), with music transposed appropriately for each so that the player can maintain the same fingerings for the same written notes. For reasons of timbre or to minimize switching between different instruments, expert clarinet players sometimes use a different instrument than their part calls for — usually substituting the B♭ for the A or vice-versa — transposing the parts at sight instead.[citation needed] Advanced trumpet players may do this also, usually with the B♭ and C instruments.[citation needed]
In some families of instruments, the non-transposing C version had fallen into disuse; the clarinet family is one example, where only the B♭ and A members are common, but in recent years, there is a tendency to utilize the C clarinet when called for. Horns are another example.
Some families containing transposing instruments:
- The clarinet family (piccolo clarinet in A♭; sopranino clarinet in E♭, D; soprano clarinet in B♭ and A; basset horn in F; alto clarinet in E♭; bass clarinet in B♭ and A; contrabass clarinet in BB♭; and several other very low clarinets)
- some members of the oboe family (oboe d'amore in A, cor anglais in F)
- the saxophone family (either B♭ or E♭) [1]
- certain brass instruments, notably the trumpet and horn.
Before valves became common about 1800, the horn could play only the notes of the overtone series from a single fundamental pitch. This fundamental could be changed by inserting one of a set of crooks into the instrument, shortening or lengthening the total length of its sounding tube. As a result, all horn music was written as if for a fundamental pitch of C, but the crooks could make a single instrument a transposing instrument into almost any key. Changing the crooks was a time-consuming process, so it took place only between pieces or movements. The introduction of valves made this process unnecessary (although Richard Wagner wrote horn parts as if crooks were still in use, evoking the tradition which was quickly becoming archaic). While an F transposition became standard in the early 19th century, composers differed in whether they expected the instruments to transpose down a fifth or up a fourth, especially when written in bass clef.
There are a few families of instruments which have instruments of various sizes and ranges, but whose music is rarely or never transposed. The recorder family is one of these. The higher members of the family (soprano and above) transpose at the octave, as do the bass instruments (bass and great bass). However, they are referred to as "C-fingered" or "F-fingered" depending on the lowest note, which is fingered the same on all sizes. A player may go from one C-fingered instrument to another easily, and from one F-fingered instrument to another easily, but switching between the two requires learning a new set of fingerings or the ability to transpose the music at sight.
Tone and sound quality
Because of tone quality issues, some C (concert pitch) instruments — the C melody saxophone, C soprano saxophone, and C soprano clarinet, for example — have declined in popularity in favor of the standard versions (B♭ soprano and tenor saxophone; B♭ and A clarinets).
It was found that sometimes instruments sounded better when built in certain keys. For instance, the C clarinet was not a very pleasant sounding instrument, nor was the D or the E♭ clarinet; it was generally agreed that the B♭ clarinet was the most pleasant sounding, and for this reason was the one which remained in dominant use in the present day. This is also true of the B♭ trumpet, as well as several other instruments, such as the French horn and the trombone (which, outside the United Kingdom Brass band tradition, is not treated as a transposing instrument, although its basic overtone series is B♭ or E♭).
Mechanical and physical considerations
On woodwind instruments there is one major scale whose execution involves (more or less) simply picking up each finger sequentially from the bottom to top. This is usually the scale which reads as a C scale (the major scale with no sharps or flats) on that instrument. If it is a transposing instrument, the note written as C sounds as the note of the instrument's transposition — on an E♭ alto saxophone, that note sounds as a concert E♭, on an A clarinet, that note sounds as a concert A. The bassoon is an exception; it is not a transposing instrument, yet its "home" scale is F.
Brass instruments, when played with no valves engaged (or, for trombones, with the slide all the way in) play a series of notes which form the overtone series based on some fundamental pitch, e.g., the B♭ trumpet, when played with no valves being pressed, can play the overtones based on B♭ (although not the fundamental pitch). Usually, that pitch is the note which indicates the transposition of that brass instrument. Trombones are an exception — they do not transpose, instead reading at concert pitch, although tenor and bass trombones are pitched in B♭, alto trombone in E♭. Music for baritone or euphonium is sometimes written in bass clef at concert pitch also.
In the cases above, there is some reason to consider a certain pitch the "home" note of an instrument, and that pitch is usually written as C for that instrument. The concert pitch of that note is what determines how we refer to the transposition of that instrument.
With the exception of the bass trombone, all of the instruments in United Kingdom brass band music (including cornet, flugelhorn, tenor horn, euphonium, baritone horn, tenor trombone, and even the bass tuba) are notated in treble clef as transposing instruments in either B♭ or E♭.
On the conductor's score
In conductors' scores, music for transposing instruments is generally written in transposed form, just as in the players' parts. A few publishers, especially of modern music, provide conductors with scores written entirely in concert pitch, making the pitch relationships of the entire score easier for the conductor to see.
List of instruments by transposition
- Instruments in C (high) — sounding two octaves higher than written
- Glockenspiel
- Garklein recorder
- Crotales
- Instruments in D♭ (high) — sounding a minor ninth higher than written
- Piccolo in D♭
- Instruments in C (high) — sounding an octave higher than written
- Instruments in B♭ (high) — sounding a minor seventh higher than written
- Piccolo trumpet (may also be tuned to A)
- Soprillo (sopranissimo saxophone)
- Instruments in A♭ (high) — sounding a minor sixth higher than written
- A♭ piccolo clarinet (very rare)
- Instruments in F (high) - sounding a perfect fourth higher than written
- Instruments in E♭ (high) — sounding a minor third higher than written
- Instruments in D (high) — sounding a major second higher than written
- D soprano clarinet
- D trumpet (may also be tuned to E♭)
- A selection of Instruments in C (unison) — sounding as written; these are non-transposing instruments
- Piano
- Vibraphone
- Flute
- Oboe
- C soprano clarinet (moderately rare)
- C soprano saxophone (rare)
- C Trumpet
- Bassoon
- Alto trombone
- Tenor trombone when written in tenor or bass clef
- Bass trombone
- Euphonium or baritone horn when written in bass or tenor clef
- Tuba when written in bass clef
- Marimba
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Instruments in B♭ — sounding a major second lower than written
- B♭ soprano clarinet
- Soprano saxophone
- Tenor Wagner Tuba(new notation)
- Trumpet
- Cornet
- Flugelhorn
- B♭ bass clarinet (German notation in bass clef)
- B♭ Mellophone
- Instruments in A — sounding a minor third lower than written
- Instruments in G — sounding a perfect fourth lower than written
- Alto flute
- G soprano clarinet
- G basset horn (obsolete)
- Bugles in G: Soprano - Contra
- Instruments in F — sounding a perfect fifth lower than written
- Cor Anglais
- Horn[2]
- F Mellophone
- Bass Wagner Tuba (new notation)
- Basset-horn
- F alto saxophone (rare)
- Instruments in E♭ — sounding a major sixth below what is written
- Instruments in C (low) — sounding an octave below what is written
- Instruments in B♭ (low) — sounding an octave and a major second below what is written
- B♭ bass clarinet (French notation in treble clef)
- Tenor saxophone
- Euphonium when written in treble clef (British brass band music)
- Baritone horn when written in treble clef
- Tenor trombone when written in treble clef (British brass band music)
- Tenor Wagner Tuba (old notation)
- Instruments in A (low) — sounding an octave and a minor third below what is written
- A bass clarinet (obsolete)
- Instruments in G (low) — sounding an octave and a perfect fourth below what is written
- Contra-alto flute (rare)
- Instruments in F (low) — sounding an octave and a perfect fifth below what is written
- Bass Wagner Tuba (old notation)
- Instruments in E♭ (low) — sounding an octave and a major sixth below what is written
- Contra-alto clarinet
- Baritone saxophone
- E♭ tuba when written in treble clef (British brass band music)
- Instruments in CC (low) — sounding two octaves below what is written
- Contrabass flute (rare)
- Instruments in BB♭ (very low) — sounding two octaves and a major second below what is written
- B♭ tuba when written in treble clef (British brass band music)
- B♭ contrabass clarinet
- Bass saxophone
- Instruments in GG (very low) — sounding two octaves and a perfect fourth below what is written
- G subcontrabass flute (rare)
- Instruments in EE♭ (very low) — sounding two octaves and a major sixth below what is written
- Octocontra-alto clarinet (very rare)
- Contrabass saxophone (rare)
- Instruments in CCC (super low) — sounding three octaves below what is written
- C subcontrabass flute (very rare)
- Instruments in BBB♭ (super low) — sounding three octaves and a major second below what is written
- B♭ octocontrabass clarinet (very rare)
- Subcontrabass saxophone (very rare)
Timpani
In the 17th and early 18th century, timpani were often treated as transposing instruments, as they were almost always tuned to the tonic and dominant notes. These were notated as C and G, and the actual tuning was indicated at the top of the score (for example, Timpani in A–D). This notation style was not universal: Bach, Mozart, and Schubert (in his early works) used it, but their respective contemporaries Handel, Haydn, and Beethoven wrote for the timpani at concert pitch. [3]
See also
Notes
- ^ The modern saxophone family is in B♭ and E♭, but there is also an orchestral family of saxophones in C and F: F-sopranino, C-soprano, F-alto (sometimes called mezzo-soprano), C-tenor (now called C-melody), F-baritone, C-bass, and F-contrabass. The last of these was manufactured in the 1930s.
- ^ There are two complications with horn transposition. First, some older editions write for valved horns as if they still had crooks, and thus may change the transposition several times within a piece or movement. Second, when horn parts are written in bass clef, they may be written an octave lower than expected, transposing up, rather than down as in treble clef. In today's scores, horns always transpose down, even in bass clef; but the other notation was standard until the beginning of the 20th century."Written Vs. Sounding Pitch" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-03-22.
- ^ Del Mar, Norman (1981). The Anatomy of the Orchestra. Univ of California press.
References
- Kennan, Kent Wheeler. The Technique of Orchestration, Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970, 1952; ISBN 0-13-900316-9
| Staff | |
|---|---|
| Musical notes | |
| Articulation | |
| Sheet music | |
| Other systems | |
| Related | |
