When a B♭ clarinet plays a written C, you hear a B♭. That's not a mistake, it's by design: the clarinet is a transposing instrument — it sounds different from how it is written. Here you'll find every common transposing instrument in one chart, why they exist, and how to rewrite a part correctly.
In short
A transposing instrument sounds higher or lower than written. Its name tells you which note sounds when a C is written: on an instrument in B♭ a written C sounds as B♭, in E♭ as E♭, in F as F. To rewrite a concert-pitch part (a part in C) for such an instrument, move it the same distance in the opposite direction: a B♭ clarinet sounds a major second lower, so you write a major second higher.
Transposing instruments chart
Use “Concert → written” to write a concert-pitch part (from a score or piano part, say) for the instrument; “Written → concert” is the way back to concert pitch. The intervals are named as in neumascan.
| Instrument | Written C sounds as | Sounds, relative to written | Concert → written | Written → concert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piccolo | C | an octave higher | octave ↓ | octave ↑ |
| Alto flute in G | G | a perfect fourth lower | perfect fourth ↑ | perfect fourth ↓ |
| Clarinet in B♭ | B♭ | a major second lower | major second ↑ | major second ↓ |
| Clarinet in A | A | a minor third lower | minor third ↑ | minor third ↓ |
| Clarinet in E♭ | E♭ | a minor third higher | minor third ↓ | minor third ↑ |
| Clarinet in D | D | a major second higher | major second ↓ | major second ↑ |
| Bass clarinet in B♭ (treble clef) | B♭ | a major ninth lower | major ninth ↑ * | major ninth ↓ * |
| English horn in F | F | a perfect fifth lower | perfect fifth ↑ | perfect fifth ↓ |
| Soprano sax in B♭ | B♭ | a major second lower | major second ↑ | major second ↓ |
| Alto sax in E♭ | E♭ | a major sixth lower | major sixth ↑ | major sixth ↓ |
| Tenor sax in B♭ | B♭ | a major ninth lower | major ninth ↑ * | major ninth ↓ * |
| Baritone sax in E♭ | E♭ | an octave and a major sixth lower | octave + major sixth ↑ * | octave + major sixth ↓ * |
| Trumpet in B♭, cornet, flugelhorn | B♭ | a major second lower | major second ↑ | major second ↓ |
| Trumpet in C | C | as written | — | — |
| Trumpet in D | D | a major second higher | major second ↓ | major second ↑ |
| Trumpet in E♭ | E♭ | a minor third higher | minor third ↓ | minor third ↑ |
| Horn in F | F | a perfect fifth lower | perfect fifth ↑ | perfect fifth ↓ |
| Alto horn in E♭ (tenor horn in brass bands) | E♭ | a major sixth lower | major sixth ↑ | major sixth ↓ |
| Baritone, euphonium in B♭ (treble clef) | B♭ | a major ninth lower | major ninth ↑ * | major ninth ↓ * |
| Guitar | C | an octave lower | octave ↑ | octave ↓ |
| Double bass | C | an octave lower | octave ↑ | octave ↓ |
* A major ninth is an octave plus a major second. neumascan currently transposes by up to one octave: choose the interval without the octave (major second or major sixth) — the notes then sit one octave away from the usual register.
Non-transposing instruments include flute, oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, piano, harp and timpani — and, in the orchestra, trombone and tuba: they sound as written. In British-style brass bands and many wind bands, though, trombone, baritone and tuba parts also come transposed in B♭ or E♭ in treble clef.
What is concert pitch? Written vs. sounding pitch
The key of an instrument — “in B♭”, “in E♭”, “in F” — is the note that sounds when the player reads and fingers a C. A B♭ clarinet plays a written C and sounds B♭; an A clarinet plays C and sounds A. Whether the instrument sounds higher or lower isn't in the name — that's what the chart is for.
Concert pitch means written the way it actually sounds — like piano, violin or flute music. Scores are often written in concert pitch; the individual parts for transposing instruments almost never are.
A note on note names: German musicians call B♭ simply “B” and B natural “H” — useful to know when you read German editions or part names like “Klarinette in B”.
Why do transposing instruments exist?
- Same fingering, same notes: saxophones and clarinets come in many sizes. Because each size is written as a transposing instrument, a written note always has the same fingering — switching from alto to tenor sax doesn't mean learning to read again.
- History: natural horns and trumpets had no valves and could only play the natural harmonics. For each key, players fitted a different crook — the music was still written in C, and the crook decided how it sounded. That's where “horn in F” and “trumpet in B♭” come from.
- Readability: piccolo, guitar and double bass sound an octave higher or lower than written — otherwise their notes would sit far above or below the staff, with lots of ledger lines.
How to transpose to and from concert pitch
- Look up the interval: the chart above tells you how far to move — for a B♭ clarinet from concert pitch, a major second up.
- Move the key signature: the key moves by the same interval. As a rule of thumb, B♭ instruments get two more sharps (or two fewer flats), E♭ instruments three more sharps and F instruments one more sharp — see the key chart below.
- Move every note and adjust the accidentals: a concert E♭ becomes F for the B♭ clarinet, a concert B becomes C♯.
- Check the range: if a note falls below the instrument's lowest note, move the passage up an octave — or play it on another instrument of the family.
Going back to concert pitch works the same way in the other direction: a trumpet part in B♭ moves down a major second, an alto sax part down a major sixth, a horn part in F down a perfect fifth.
Key signature chart for B♭, E♭ and F instruments
| Concert pitch | B♭ instrument | E♭ instrument | F instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | D major (2♯) | A major (3♯) | G major (1♯) |
| F major (1♭) | G major (1♯) | D major (2♯) | C major |
| B♭ major (2♭) | C major | G major (1♯) | F major (1♭) |
| E♭ major (3♭) | F major (1♭) | C major | B♭ major (2♭) |
| A♭ major (4♭) | B♭ major (2♭) | F major (1♭) | E♭ major (3♭) |
| G major (1♯) | A major (3♯) | E major (4♯) | D major (2♯) |
| D major (2♯) | E major (4♯) | B major (5♯) | A major (3♯) |
Concert pitch note chart for B♭, E♭ and F instruments
The E♭ column doubles as an alto sax transposition chart: find the concert note, read the note the alto sax plays.
| Concert pitch | B♭ instrument | E♭ instrument (alto sax) | F instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | D | A | G |
| D♭ | E♭ | B♭ | A♭ |
| D | E | B | A |
| E♭ | F | C | B♭ |
| E | F♯ | C♯ | B |
| F | G | D | C |
| G♭ | A♭ | E♭ | D♭ |
| G | A | E | D |
| A♭ | B♭ | F | E♭ |
| A | B | F♯ | E |
| B♭ | C | G | F |
| B | C♯ | G♯ | F♯ |
Faster: photograph the part and let it be transposed
Rewriting by hand takes time — and a forgotten accidental only shows up at rehearsal. With neumascan it works like this:
- Photograph the printed part or upload it as a PDF.
- Under “Transpose”, pick a preset — “B♭ clarinet / trumpet”, “Alto sax (E♭)”, “Horn in F” — or any interval up to an octave.
- Listen to check: the transposed part plays in the browser, with the sounding note highlighted.
- Download it as a PDF for printing — or as MusicXML and MIDI.
neumascan sets the key signature, accidentals and note values itself. It reads printed single parts, and piano, choir and full scores as a beta; handwriting isn't supported yet. Who it's worth it for is in Who is neumascan for?; the tool on its own is the sheet music transposer.