[Home]TransposingInstruments

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A few notes to help me (and maybe others) to understand the range and transposing of the brass & saxes in the orchestra..
    - Richard, 22/04/09

Trumpet (Bb) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpet)
Nominal C (i.e. Bb) is with all valves open.
Written playing range F♯3 immediately below Middle C up to about three octaves higher
"Heard" range of the trumpet is from concert E3 (the E below middle C)

Cornet (Bb) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornet)
Written (and "heard") playing range and fingering same as trumpet

Alto Sax (Eb) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alto_saxophone)
Standard written range is B♭3 (immediately below Middle C) to F6
"Heard" range of the alto saxophone is from concert D♭3 (the D♭ below middle C to concert A♭5)

Table of Equivalent Pitch for the above instruments (showing bottom of their normal ranges too)
(C0 is the note at the bottom of the lowest audible octave ~16 Hz, with the octave number incrementing when the next higher C is reached. C4 = "middle C". Reference tuning is usually to A4 = 440 Hz, i.e. just above middle C):
    
Concert Pitch
Bb Transposing
(written pitch)
      
Eb Transposing
(written pitch)
      
C3
-
-
C#/Db3?
-
A#/Bb3?
D3
-
B3
D#/Eb3?
-
C4
E3
F#/Gb3?
C#/Db4?
F3
G3
D4
F#/Gb3?
G#/Ab3?
D#/Eb4?
G3
A3
E4
G#/Ab3?
A#/Bb3?
F4
A3
B3
F#/Gb4?
A#/Bb3?
C4
G4
B3
C#/Db4?
G#/Ab4?
C4 (middle C)
D4
A4
C#/Db4?
D#/Eb4?
A#/Bb4?
D4
E4
B4
D#/Eb4?
F4
C5
E4
F#/Gb4?
C#/Db5?
F4
G4
D5

A good list of instruments by transposition (and their actual pitch):
http://www.cmelody.com/?page_id=5

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Last edited April 22, 2009 3:05 pm by Richard (diff)
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