Saxophone Forum


by moms
(3 posts)
18 years ago

transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

hi, I am hoping you can help me out.I am trying to transpose some music for my daughter but I don't read music.if I could see where the notes are on sheet music from a piano and were the same notes would be on a sheet music for Bb tenor sax then I think I could do it.she reads sheet music for Bb tenor sax but the transposing is a little confusing .is there some way you could help me out and show me a what a piano scale and Bb tenor sax scale would look like on a piece of sheet music... thanks sue

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  1. by wilez
    (1 post)

    8 years ago

    Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

    It would be SO worth it to check out Amazon.com! There you'll find LOTS of stuff written specifically FOR Bb instruments. Your daughter would love it, as all the work of transposition is done for you. For instance, there's something call "The Real Book". It has tons of tunes from the "Great American Songbook", which will include the melodies written out, plus chord changes that your daughter can improvise over when she learns to do that. But it's all written out for Bb tenor sax. There are other books like this, too, like a Charlie Parker Omnibook, which comes in a version for Bb instruments. If you check, there are others as well. They're very common for jazz books, in fact, since the two major front line instruments in jazz - trumpet and tenor sax - are both Bb instruments. I really hope you check this stuff out for your daughter's sake - it's very exciting hearing about youngsters learning, and she'll be delighted to find new tunes to play! Good luck!

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  2. by Sax Mom
    (964 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

    The music basically would all look the same, but the Bb saxophone would have to play notes one full step higher on the staff than what is written for piano. If you don't read music, this can be very confusing, especially since notes are often flatted or sharped according to the key signature, and not necessarily right by the note. For example (and this is all treble clef), a note that surrounds the bottom line is an E, and would need to be transposed to an F# for Tenor Sax. If it is an Eb (according to the key signature or as an accidental), then it would need to be an Fnatural. F is the note within the first space from the bottom. Your daughter should understand this since she reads music, and should be able to help you to understand this. Generally, you need to move notes on the lines up to the space above, notes in the spaces up to the line above. The key signature will need to have two fewer flats or two more sharps than the piano score. You should be able to hear what sounds wrong, and make adjustments as necessary... she should get used to what needs to be done.

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    1. by saxplaya81
      (110 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

      The easiest way to transpose from piano to tenor for you would be to take the note on the piano and go up to keys to the next note, then you will have the tenor note So, if the note on piano is C, you go up 2 keys (C#, D), so on tenor the note would be D.

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      1. by Dark Eyes
        (138 posts)

        18 years ago

        Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

        I just wanted to clarify that when Saxplaya81 said keys he means half steps, right saxplaya81? :-) Cheers, Dark Eyes (unloved thesis)

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        1. by saxplaya81
          (110 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

          yup

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      2. by wvujazzman
        (48 posts)

        18 years ago

        Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

        Saxplaya is correct. The only problem with this is... the original poster doesn't read music. So she doesn't know which notes on the staff correspond to which notes on the piano. There's an opportunity here... to teach the daughter to transpose for herself. If she reads music, she can do it. And it's a very valuable skill to have. The daughter should be able to read a melody line on a piano song and raise two half steps and write that note on a piece of staff paper. Eric

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        1. by moms
          (3 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

          thanks everyone for the great advice.i'm a visiual learner and all this is confusing me.espeically with the flats and shapes.i really think if i could see a piano scale and a Bb tenor sax scale it sure would be helpful.once my daughter and i figure out what we are doing here it will be a great skill for her to have but until then we just keep pounding along.

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        2. by kelsey
          (930 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

          Get your Daughter a private teacher. Since you know very little about music, you shouldn't try to teach her yourself. Music is too complicated for you to wade in and do it yourself. Your intentions are good but you are wasteing your time.......Kelsey
          Barry Kelsey

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        3. by Sax Mom
          (964 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

          Piano--C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C BbSax--D,E,F#,G,A,B,C#,D Piano--D,E,F#,G,A,B,C#D BbSax--E,F#,G#,A,B,C#,D#,E Piano--Bb,C,D,Eb,F,G,A,Bb BbSax--C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C Piano--Ab,Bb,C,Db,Eb,F,G,Ab BbSax--Bb,C,D,Eb,F,G,A,Bb Piano--F,G,A,Bb,C,D,E,F,G BbSax--G,A,B,C,D,E,F#,G Piano to BbSax C=D C#=D# D=E E=F# F=G F#=G# G=A G#=A# A=B B=C# and Db=Eb Eb=F Gb=Ab Ab=Bb Bb=C and Cb=Db Fb=Gb B#=C## (D) E#=F## (G)

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        4. by kelsey
          (930 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

          Sax Mom, She will have no idea what you are talking about. I am however impressed by your vast knowledge of transposition...Kelsey
          Barry Kelsey

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        5. by moms
          (3 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: transpose piano music to Bb tenor sax

          thank you sax mom for the tranpose notes,i'll see what we can do from here.my daughter has been playing her sax now for 3 years (in school)and it is hard to find music for her and a little costly.we find all kinds of piano books in second hand stores.so now maybe with alittle luck she can start playing some great songs.i want to thank you all for all your help.this will be a great surprise for her when a tranpose a song or 2 for her..thanks again for all your help moms

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