List of transposing instruments
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
Categories:
- Transposing instruments
- Musical instruments