List of transposing instruments

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List of transposition (order by instrument and amount of transposition):

Instrument family Instrument name A written C4 produces: Comment
Accordion A♭  A♭5 Used with the University of Chicago Carillon
  C5
D♭ Piano Accordion D♭4 An Accordion that transposes up a half step from concert pitch.
Piano Accordion C4
 in C C4
  C3 A Special Accordion used to reinforce the Tenors in Choir Concerts
Bass Accordion C2 Commonly used in accordion bands
arpeggione Arpeggione C2/C3 In Bass Clef, alternates between sounding at the pitch of the guitar and 1 octave below when written on the treble clef
bagpipe Great Highland Bagpipe D♭4
Great Highland bagpipe in A C4 Newly used
Northumbrian Smallpipes in F or F+ B♭4 for F (~20 cents sharp for F+) Older and traditionally made instruments use a pitch sharp of F described as F+ (F-plus). See History of Pitch Standards in Western Music.
banjo C4  Tuned an octave above a regular Banjo
banjo Banjo C3
5 string bluegrass banjo Banjo G4 Open G tuning is high string G4 and middle string G3 on 5 string banjo.
bassoon Sopranoon F5 Soprano bassoon
Altoon C5 Alto bassoon, also known as Octave bassoon
Tenoroon  F4
Bassoon C4
A Bassoon  A3 From part in BWV 150
Contrabassoon, Contraforte C3
bugle G4
Soprano bugle, Mellophone bugle, French horn bugle G3
Baritone bugle, Euphonium bugle G2 notated in different clefs, but sound same pitches
Contrabass bugle G1
carillon Carillon in Wiesbaden, Germany C5
Sydney University Carillon D♭4
B3
Carillon at the University of Chicago A♭3
 in Florida C3
celesta Celesta C5
C4 Sounding range: 4 Octaves is C3-C7, 5 octaves is C2-C7 or F2-F7, and 5 1/2 octaves is C2-F7
clarinet B♭   B♭4
Basset clarinet  A4 an A Soprano Clarinet w/ an Extended range (when written in bass clef)
A♭ Piccolo clarinet A♭4
E  E4 an Octave lower version is the E alto clarinet
E♭ clarinet E♭4
D clarinet D4 rare
C soprano clarinet C4
B soprano clarinet B3
B♭ clarinet B♭3
Bass clarinet  B♭3 German notation in bass clef
A soprano clarinet A3
Basset clarinet in Treble Clef A3 Basically an A Soprano Clarinet with an Extended range
A♭ soprano clarinet A♭3
G  G3 also known as clarinet d’amour
G basset clarinet  G3 Extended range Mezzo Soprano Clarinet in G
Basset horn  F3 F Alto Clarinet
Alto clarinet E♭3
C bass clarinet  C3
Bass clarinet  B♭2 French notation in treble clef
A bass clarinet  A2 Being made by Yamaha, ideal for Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A major/Bass Clarinet Version
F  F2
Contra-alto clarinet E♭2
Contrabass clarinet B♭1
Octocontra-alto clarinet  E♭1 very rare
B♭ octocontrabass clarinet  B♭0 very rare
cornet Soprano cornet E♭4
Cornet B♭3
crotales Crotales C6
crotales C4
csakan Csakan A♭4
euphonium Euphonium  C4 when written in bass clef
B♭2 when written in treble clef
fife Folk B♭ fife A♭4
flugelhorn Flugelhorn B♭3
flute D♭ piccolo D♭5
Piccolo C5
Treble flute G4
F4
Soprano flute E♭4
D♭ Flute D♭4
Flute C4
B♭ flûte d'amour B♭3
A flûte d'amour  A3 Mezzo-Soprano Flute
Alto flute G3
F   F3 Countertenor Flute
Bass flute (Tenor Flute) C3
Contra-alto flute  G2 now being called a Baritone Flute
Contrabass flute  C2 rare
G subcontrabass flute  G1 rare
Double contrabass flute  C1 very rare
Hyperbass flute  C0 True Subcontrabass Flute in C
glockenspiel Glockenspiel C6
C4
guitar C4
Guitar, Bass guitar C3 at times an octave G clef is used; see Octave clef, pedantically speaking transposes to E minor in standard tuning because open strings form a minor chord, bass has only low 4 strings
handbells Handbells C5
C4
hardanger fiddle Hardanger Fiddle D4 Except when tuned like a traditional violin: G,D,A,E
Hardanger Fiddle in C C4
horn F4
Horn F4 when written in bass clef (old notation)
Baritone horn  C4 when written in bass clef
  C4 new instrument in production
B♭ marching horn B♭3
Horn F3
Tenor horn E♭3
Baritone horn  B♭2 when written in treble clef
mando-guitar Mando-guitar C4
mellophone Mellophone F3
oboe F piccolo oboe F4
E♭ piccolo oboe E♭4
Oboe C4
Oboe d'amore A3 Mezzo Soprano Oboe
Cor anglais  F3 English horn or F alto Oboe
Heckelphone and Bass oboe  C3 (Extended Range) Tenor Oboe
organ Cammerton Pipe Organ in D D4 A pipe organ that transposes up a whole step from concert pitch
organ C4
oud   C4 Non transposing because it's tuned an octave higher
Oud G2 bolahenk tuning
recorder Garklein recorder C6
Sopranino recorder C5/F5
Soprano recorder C5, formerly G4
B♭ Soprano recorder  B♭4 A Concert Band Soprano Recorder
Alto recorder  F4 In alternative notation
Voice flute D4, formerly A3 D Tenor recorder
Tenor recorder C4, formerly G3
Basset recorder F3
Bass recorder C3 in Treble Clef
Great bass recorder F2
Contrabass recorder C2
saxophone Piccolo saxophone B♭4
Sopranino saxophone E♭4
C soprano saxophone C4
Soprano saxophone B♭3
F alto saxophone  F3
Alto saxophone E♭3
C Tenor Saxophone C3 aka C Melody Saxophone
Tenor saxophone B♭2
Baritone saxophone E♭2
C bass saxophone  C2
Bass saxophone B♭1
Contrabass saxophone E♭1 rare
C contrabass saxophone  C1 New instrument in production
Subcontrabass saxophone  B♭0 very rare
tin whistle Tin whistle C5 Some whistle players treat whistles pitched higher or lower than the "standard" D tin whistle as transposing instruments.
trombone Trombone  C4 except in brass band music
C4
C3
Tenor trombone B♭2  when written in treble clef
Trumpet C Piccolo Trumpet C5
Piccolo trumpet B♭4 may also be in A
Piccolo Trumpet in A A4
F trumpet F4
E trumpet E4
E♭ trumpet E♭4
D trumpet D4 may also be in E♭
C trumpet C4
Trumpet B♭3
A trumpet A3
A♭ Trumpet A♭3 New
E♭ bass trumpet E♭3 Alto Trumpet
D bass trumpet D3
Bass trumpet C3 Tenor Trumpet
Bass trumpet  B♭2 when written in treble clef
Tuba Tuba  C4 except in brass band music
E♭ tuba E♭2  when written in treble clef (British brass band music)
B♭ tuba  B♭1 when written in treble clef (British brass band music)
Venova Venova C5
Violin Treble violin  C5 aka Pochette
Alto Violin C5 Upright Viola in Bass Clef
Octobass  C2 Found in the MIM
C0 In Treble Clef
Viol Double bass C3
Vocal Female Vocal  C5 Bari & Bass parts in Bass Clef: Female Barber Shop (aka Sweet Adeline quartet)
C4
Vocal tenor parts C3 when written in treble clef; at times an octave G clef is used; see Octave clef
Wagner Tuba Tenor Wagner tuba B♭3, formerly B♭2
Bass Wagner tuba  F3, formerly F2
Whistle Low whistle  C4 a non transposing tin whistle (true key note is generally D3)
Xylophone Xylophone C5

See also[]

  • Category:Transposing instruments
  • Instrument transposition

Notes[]


References[]

  • Kennan, Kent Wheeler. The Technique of Orchestration, Second Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970, 1952; ISBN 0-13-900316-9
  • Del Mar, Norman. The Anatomy of the Orchestra. University of California Press, 1981
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