onalky - Posted - 08/27/2007:  11:04:43

I am a banjo player, but my 10 year old is a fiddle player. We use a lot of standard notation books such as the Bluegrass fakebook. Most of the songs are in the key of G. How do I transpose to the key of A, C or D?
When I transpose from G to A, do I count up one whole step for each note. I.E. If the note is B do I just change it to a C then sharpen the corresponding notes for the key I am transposing to? If I go from the key of G to the key of D do I count A,B,C,D which is four steps, then move each note up 4 steps then sharp the notes for the key of D? Thanks, Kevin

Edited by - OTJunky on 05/30/2008 17:41:10

scrubber - Posted - 08/27/2007:  12:22:46

Don't banjo players (five string banjos, anyway) use a capo for this? When I call out a tune in A all the banjo jammers slap on their capos and play it in G anyway!

Your method works (although, in your first example, a whole step up from B would be C#) but remember to count the starting note as "1" (the key of D is a fifth above the key of G). You may have to transpose down sometimes (rather than up) to keep the notes in a 'playable' register of your instrument.

Edited by - scrubber on 08/27/2007 12:25:59

onalky - Posted - 08/27/2007:  12:52:36

Thanks scrubber. Yea, I always use the capo, I was trying to figure out how to transpose for the fiddle.

Dick Hauser - Posted - 08/27/2007:  13:32:52

If you do a lot of transposing, why don't you get software like "printmusic" . Then, enter the notation in your computer After that, you can transpose the whole score in one easy operation. I use it all the time. It also lets me make "wav" files I can listen to. When I print notation, I always enlarge the notation up to 120 %. This makes it easier to read when I am sitting down and playing from the notation. The software will also import scanned files.

If you have slow/fast software like "the amazing slow downer", your son can play along with the "wav" files when learning tunes. He can change the speed and key. In addition, it allows you to have a tune play as many times as you want, and if you desire, "up" the speed by a designated amount each time the tune is played.


gulfguy

ladymuse - Posted - 08/27/2007:  17:25:49

doing it by ear would be simple - (if the tune's a part of you already)

however, if you are transposing the music (manuscript) You might take a look at this link - as it should easily answer any questions on pitch relations - (with key sigs or accidentals)

and give you something tangible

http://www.musictheory.halifax.ns.c...y_trans.html

Jen

I haven't tried printmusic, but I have noteworthy composer

http://noteworthycomposer.com

They have a free eval download - (about 823 kbs - very fast!)
I have the full program, (39$) where you can put it into word (yea, you can put manuscript in the middle of a letter! or document )8^}

it's looks exactly like writing manuscript (notation program - easy to use) and it also saves as midis along with the original notation.
It also has text and a lyric writer - (basically everything a pencil does - all the keys, etc -any symbols on manuscripts.

It also prints manuscripts - headers, etc, (one stave to an arrangement/orchestra)whatever size or color -

I haven't tried scanning anything into it yet - (I just love to write!) it's faster for me -

You can also play it back in the original notation, watch the melody light up, and transpose it with arrow keys or change instruments.
(128 instruments - all you need is a sound card!)

Jen

All fid up and loving it!

Edited by - ladymuse on 08/27/2007 19:27:45

allenadale - Posted - 08/28/2007:  08:21:55

It is generally a matter of moving all the notes by the same amount. Transposing from G to D, for instance, each note would be transposed up by a fifth. G to D, A to E, B to F#, C to G, D to A, E to B and F# to C#. Good guide points to make sure you are transposing correctly are the tonic, the fourth and the fifth (G, C, D -- D, G, A). If you can keep these lined up, everything else should fall in place.

For simple pieces, transposing keys is probably easiest to do by ear. It might take a little practice, but you simply forget about all that tranposing each note so many steps and concentrate on the relationship between the notes. You can practice this by taking a simple tune you know well (Mary had a little lamb, for instance), and practice playing it in different keys.

For more complex pieces, you would probably be better off transposing on paper, or using appropriate software.

I hope this helps.

Sue B. - Posted - 09/02/2008:  11:29:46

You can always mess with cross-tunings to do this. Many Cajun fiddlers tune down a whole step, for several reasons including the ease of playing with the common C accordion. Sue