How do you transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax?

Answer 1

This depends on what key the Trombone is in and what clef the music is written in. Most trombone music in treble clef is for Bb trombone so there would be no transposing needed, they can play straight from the music. However, if they only read bass clef then you need to effectively 'transpose' the music down a third (two notes below on the stave)

Answer 2

Because the Baritone Saxophone is an E-flat transposing instrument, when it is reading the treble clef, the note that is sounding is actually an octave and a sixth (nearly two octaves) below what is written. The bass clef would be the bari sax's natural range, if everything were written to be played at concert pitch. Because the bass clef staff lines happen to be a third below the treble clef's staff lines - for example, the second line from the bottom of the stave is a G in treble clef; that line is a B-flat in bass clef - an instrument that happens to transpose from E-flat can do a "trick" to play bass clef parts, such as bassoon or trombone. Here's the trick:

Change the bass clef sign to a treble clef sign. Change the key signature to add three sharps. For example, if the key signature as written in bass clef is B-flat, that is, two flats, change it instead to G, one sharp. If the key signature in bass clef is five flats, change it to two flats. If the key signature in bass clef is C, change it to A- three sharps. There, now you can read it exactly as if it were treble clef!

The one thing to watch out for when you do this is accidentals. They will look a little funny. For example, if the key signature in bass clef was three flats originally, and then you see what looks to you like a treble clef F with a natural sign in front of it and then it returns to what looks like an F-flat, well, that's because in bass clef that was an A-natural (a change from the key signature) and then it returned to an A-flat in the key signature. You should play these two notes as F-sharp (the A-natural) and F-natural (the A-flat.) Most other accidentals can be read as if they were the treble clef notes, but if you see one that looks odd, it may be that what is a natural-then-back-to-flat in bass clef will be a sharp-then-back-to-natural for you on your bari sax.

Answer 3

If you are playing the sax by itself as a solo, you can play the music as it is written. If you want to play along with the piano, then you would need to transpose the notes.

Although the piano can be played in any key, it is assumed that with no accidentals in the music, the piano is in the key of C. The Bb tenor sax is two half steps below the piano's note C. If you want to match the piano, you must play the notes two half steps above what is written to match the piano.

For instance, if the piano music shows the notes to twinkle little star as: C - C - G - G - A - A - G, on a Bb Saxophone, you would play D - D - A - A - B - B - A.

The trick is to think in two half steps up. If the piano music shows a B natural, then you would play C# to sound the same as the piano's B.

Answer 4

when a note is given to you, you go down the staff 2 notes.

hope i helped,

~ Shego67