Properly Transposing
Hello, I have been using MuseScore for quite some time now. I have been using it to play concert band pieces. I found a song I would love to play, but it is for the Bassoon. I play the Baritone Saxophone and I would like to play it on there. I am awful at transposing, and I noticed the transposing feature, and tried to use it. I honestly just don't comprehend it. I looked at tutorials, and I still just honestly do not get it. I know that the Bassoon is a concert pitch instrument and that the Bari is an E Flat instrument. So, could someone please just tell me what settings I should use to properly transpose this piece? Oh, and I also need to transpose a french horn piece to an Alto Saxophone piece. Thanks!
Comments
Basically," the "type' of horn it is means that when the horn plays its "C", the concert pitch is what ever the name of the horn is. So, Bb trumpet means that when the trumpet plays its "C", a concert pitch instrument, (piano, for example) plays Bb, an Eb instrument's "C" is Eb concert.
:)
Here's a little cheat you can use to play the Bassoon part directly on your Bari Sax... (sorry, this is getting away from Musescore, but sometimes musicians need quick hacks to get the job done.)
If you read the Bassoon part as though it were written in treble clef instead of bass, written notes match the transposition necessary for your instrument. For example, the first-space A in the bass clef becomes an F if read in the treble clef.
To complete the transposition, you add three sharps (or remove three flats) so that the key is in agreement with what the Bari Sax would play along with the Bassoon. For example, C Major on the bassoon becomes A Major on the Bari.
This works both ways between any E-flat treble clef instrument and Concert pitch bass clef instrument. This is not just a party trick, I have used this many times to quickly fake Alto sax parts from concert pitch scores.
We now return you to the regular MuseScore channel.
Cheers,
Tom
MuseScore will actually do all the hard work for you, and help you to understand transposing instruments while you do it.
1. Create a 2 part score for Bassoon and Bari Sax.
2. Press the Concert Pitch button at the top left of the tool bar - you will see the Bari Sax key signature change to the same as the Bassoon.
3. Enter the Bassoon part into the bassoon stave then copy it onto the Bari Sax stave - take no notice of how the part looks - there will be loads of ledger lines.
4. Press the Concert Pitch button again.
5. You will find the Bari Sax line is now there for you in the correct key.
HTH
Michael
Another method: create the score for baritone sax, change the clef to bass, turn on Concert Pitch, enter the notes, then turn off Concert Pitch, then change the clef back to treble.