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Subject:
Re: confused about transposing
Date:
Wed, 28 Jan 2004 21:48:55 -0500
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Chip,
The important thing to understand about the \transpose function is that
the two note names following the \transpose represent the interval of
transposition. To transpose from music written in C to music appropriate
for a Bb instrument, you must end up with music in the key of D. This
infers that the music must 'move up' by a whole tone, because the Bb
instrument is essentially 'playing a whole tone flat': when you finger C
on a Bb instrument, a concert Bb comes out. By recognizing that the
music must go up one whole tone, you can say
\transpose c d
\transpose bes c
\transpose f g
etc.
Any of those \transpose intervals will move the music from its current
key up to the next key by a whole tone. This works regardless of the
original key. For
\transpose ees f
the following will happen:
\key c major becomes d major and all notes are moved up one whole tone
\key f major becomes g major and all notes are moved up one whole tone
etc.
Likewise, the manual example, \transpose c g' moves the key up by a
fifth, and each note up by a fifth, so the example music (in D) is moved
to G. Note that notation of two notes separated by a fifth requires
adding the ' to ensure that it goes up (rather than down a fourth).
The answer to your specific question is dependent on information I don't
have, so here's my guesses: either your chart was originally in
Lilypond, and you successfully used the \transpose function to move it
from something (and I'd guess it was C?) to Bb for tenor sax; or your
original chart was transposed from whatever key it was originally in to
a lilypond score which is now \key bes major; or your charts are all on
paper, and you just want to enter the notes from the Bb sax part, and
then use \transpose to shift it to bass clef. That's assuming, in all
cases, that you're talking tenor/bass trombone, moving to bass clef
rather than tenor, and not that you're aiming at an alto trombone in
alto clef :)
Case 1: The chart was originally in lilypond in C, and has been
\transpose c d to make the Bb part. I'm assuming also that this Bb part
is in treble clef, and that the trombone will be reading bass clef,
non-transposing. (By the way, if it's someone who plays bari treble-clef
parts, especially on valve trombone, he/she may be quite prepared to
read the tenor sax part as it stands.) Also, there are two more
possibilities that are important here: a) you wrote the part using
relative notation or b) you wrote the part using absolute notation (ie,
each note is marked to indicate absolute pitch).
For case 1a, remove the \transpose function with it's two note names.
Change the note that indicates the relative reference so it is an octave
lower (ie, c' to c or c to c,). Change the clef to bass instead of
treble or which ever of it's aliases you might have used.
For case 2a, change the \transpose from whatever it is to c c, and
change the clef from treble to bass.
Case 2: The chart was originally on paper, and was transposed to Bb when
entered, so that there is no standing \transpose function. In this case, add
\transpose bes c,
and change the clef to bass.
Case 3: all current charts are on paper, and you want to make a lilypond
version. Again, two sub-cases: a) you have the original C part and b)
you don't.
Case 3a: when entering the notes, use relative notation and make the
relative statement relative an octave lower than normal. Ie, if the
first note in the chart is c' (middle C) then notate it 'c', with the
relative reference c,
Case 3b: when entering the notes, use a \transpose bes c,(note this , is
not a comma in the sentence structure, but a c,) and a relative
reference appropriate to a trumpet (ie, if the first note is c'', make
your relative for c'', then notate the first note as just c).
Any of these _ought_ to work properly. If they don't, though, I
apologize, and you get to analyze why it didn't, and adjust properly.
Please, if you have to do that, write the list and tell us?
raybro
chip wrote:
I have a chart I have transcribed for tenor sax. Now I would like to
transpose it to trombone, bass clef. I read the little bit in the
manual about transposing on page 87 but am confused by the pics - the
sample code shows
\transpose c g'
\transpose c f'
but the pics show a staff transposed into A and G, from D. I would
expect to see the samples transposed into g and f, I guess.
Anyway, I need some tips on going from Bb Tenor to Trombone.
Thanks,
Chip
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