Brainlag Plus Music
Brainlag Plus MusicWriting for a transposing instrument
The note a transposing instrument reads for a note that is to sound, and the key signature its part carries: the clarinets, the trumpet in B flat, the horn and cor anglais in F, and the double bass.
Written higher than it sounds
A transposing instrument sounds lower than written. So when you know the note that is to sound, its part is written higher, by the same interval:
| Instrument | Sounds | So its part is written |
|---|---|---|
| clarinet in B flat, trumpet in B flat | a major 2nd lower | a major 2nd higher |
| clarinet in A | a minor 3rd lower | a minor 3rd higher |
| horn in F, cor anglais | a perfect 5th lower | a perfect 5th higher |
| double bass | an octave lower | an octave higher |
The note that sounds is called concert pitch.
The rest of this lesson and its 6 practice questions are in Plus Music.
Screen 1 of 4, free to read.
- 6 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards