transposer for notes and chord symbols
paste note names or chord symbols, say which instrument they were written for and which one will read them, and get the part back in the right key. it is made for the moment a lead sheet or score is in concert pitch and the player in front of you reads in B♭, E♭ or F.
- paste note names or chord symbols, pick both instruments, read the result.
- it spells notes by letter, so concert E♭ becomes F on trumpet, never E♯.
- a chart for every common instrument is below the tool.
transpose your notes
how to use the transposer
- type or paste the music. capital letters A to G are notes; add # or b for sharps and flats (♯ and ♭ work too). chord symbols such as Ebmaj7, Gm7b5, C7(b9) and F7/A keep their quality and bass note.
- under "written for", pick the instrument the part was written for. a lead sheet or piano part is concert pitch.
- under "read by", pick the player's instrument. the result updates as you type.
- to change key as well, for a different voice range or an easier key, add an extra shift.
barlines, words and punctuation pass through as they are, so you can paste a whole chord chart. tick the octave box when your notes carry octave numbers; that keeps tenor sax, baritone sax and bass clarinet parts in the right register, since they also move by an octave.
transposition chart for common instruments
every transposing instrument is named after the concert pitch it sounds when it plays a written C. to write its part, move concert pitch up by the interval in the third column.
| instrument | key | written part vs concert | concert C is written | concert B♭ major is written in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn | B♭ | major 2nd higher | D | C major |
| clarinet, soprano sax | B♭ | major 2nd higher | D | C major |
| tenor sax, bass clarinet | B♭ | major 9th higher | D, an octave up | C major |
| alto sax | E♭ | major 6th higher | A | G major |
| baritone sax | E♭ | major 6th plus an octave higher | A, an octave up | G major |
| E♭ clarinet | E♭ | minor 3rd lower | A | G major |
| A clarinet | A | minor 3rd higher | E♭ | D♭ major |
| horn, English horn | F | perfect 5th higher | G | F major |
| flute, oboe, violin, piano, trombone | C | no change | C | B♭ major |
guitar, bass guitar and piccolo are written an octave away from where they sound but in the same key, so only the octave changes.
why the spelling matters
concert E♭ on a B♭ trumpet is written F, because a whole step up from E♭ lands on the next letter name. E♯ would sound the same and read wrong in the new key. the transposer counts letters as well as half steps, so every note keeps the spelling a player expects in the new key. when a transposition would land in a key with seven or more sharps or flats, such as G♯ major, it writes the same sounds in the simpler key, A♭ major, the way an arranger would.
for step-by-step guides with ranges and worked examples, see the transposing instruments guide. to check a key signature, the circle of fifths shows all of them.
common questions
how do I transpose music from concert pitch to B♭?
move every note and chord up a whole step, a major 2nd, so concert B♭ becomes C and concert F becomes G. the key signature gains two sharps or loses two flats. in the transposer, set "written for" to concert pitch and "read by" to the B♭ instrument.
how do I transpose for alto sax?
move every note up a major 6th, which lands on the same letter as going down a minor 3rd: concert C becomes A and concert B♭ becomes G. pick E♭ alto sax under "read by" and the transposer does it.
can the transposer change the key of a song?
yes. leave both instruments on concert pitch and use "extra shift" to move everything up or down, by a half step up to an octave. chord symbols such as Bbmaj7 or G7/B are transposed along with the notes.
does the transposer handle chord symbols?
yes. it reads note names and chord symbols, including qualities and slash bass notes, and spells the result in the new key, so Ebmaj7 for concert pitch comes out as Fmaj7 for B♭ trumpet.
sources
the transposer is free and runs in your browser. notei, our product, publishes it; for whole scores, notei's notation editor writes transposing parts and its Transpose tool moves a score to a new key.
writing the whole arrangement? in notei, a part for B♭ trumpet, clarinet or E♭ alto sax is written at the right pitch for you, and the Transpose tool moves a passage or a full score to a new key. both are on the free plan.
write it in notei