When asking a symphony player to single out the most important transposition for a trumpet, I am sure you would get many suggestions. Transposing trumpet parts in a symphony is a way of life. Some transpositions are easy and some are extremely difficult. Transposing in a show usually begins with the vocalists request to lower her/his key one half-steps because of the singer’s cold. Transposing on a combo job where you are playing from a fake book means that whatever you see, you will have to transpose it into your trumpet’s key which is up a full step.
When considering the transposition most often required, I would say the transposition to concert pitch would be the most common. Even when performing in church, you will have to make the concert pitch adjustment and for that reason I have included some exercises to make the C transposition much easier for those not used to the adjustment.
There are different ways to learn transposition and I suggest that you visit an earlier site which explains the steps involved for transposition to any key. But for now, we will concentrate on only the concert pitch transposition.
Two ways to think of transposition are-
1. Key change
2. Interval adjustment
Key Change-
If your transposition is up a second, your key change would be up a step also. Notice that I said a full step, not a half step. If you are reading a concert C, in order to play the same pitch on a Bb trumpet, you will have to play one full step higher, or the note D. If the concert pitched material is written in the key of Bb, you will adjust it correctly by playing everything up a step in the key of C.
Interval adjustment-
If you are able to visualize the concert pitch note C, up one full step will give you the trumpet note D.
By using these two methods together you will be able to transpose any concert pitch music after a little practice.
Exercise #1.
The easiest way to learn to transpose is to practice a melody which you recognize for if you make the wrong transposition, you will hear it at once.
Exercise #2.
Usually the wider the skips are the more difficult transpositions.
Exercise #3.
Transposing melodies which are unknown to you become more of a problem.
Exercise #4.
Accidentals are always an issue.
Exercise #5.
Isolated notes are the worst.
Example #6.
Transposing key signature.
Example #7.
Transposing intervals.
Exercise #8.
Putting it all together.
Exercise #9.
Write in your transposed notes before you play them.
Exercise #10.
Write in your transposed notes before you play them.
I hope the above material is helpful to you and for more information and exercises, I would recommend the following material-
Bruce,
Good article. I thing you missed the type of transposition that I and my colleagues use. Clef changing. For me the most important transposition is that of bass clef. Once you are comfortable with the bass clef, and combine it with your transposition of up one step, a lot of the transpositions no longer are transposed at all, simply read.
Example:
From a Bb trumpet:
to D trumpet – play in bass clef changing the key.
to Eb trumpet – play in bass clef up one step, changing the key.
to E trumpet – play in bass clef up one step, changing the key.
From a C trumpet:
to Eb trumpet – play in bass clef changing the key.
to E trumpet – play in bass clef changing the key.
F trumpet – play in bass clef up one step, changing the key.
One of my first great teacher’s, Bert Truax, had me learn the Bach Cello Suites (in the original bass clef, not transcribed into treble). Once I was fairly fluent he would assign them up a step.
This has helped me so much over the years. When I see a part in Eb, E or F, I don’t have to transpose them at all. I just read them. Well except for the up a step part, that is transposing I guess. But it’s such second nature that I no longer even think about it. I’ve been playing the C trumpet since high school and transpositions of one step have been part of my playing for ever.
Interesting. I read trombone parts down a fifth (change key) and play as treble clef Bb parts.