Which key is my instrument in?
| Key | Instruments | A written C sounds |
|---|---|---|
| B♭ | Clarinet, Soprano saxophone, Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn, Bass clarinet (a major ninth lower), Tenor saxophone (a major ninth lower) | B♭ |
| E♭ | E♭ clarinet, Alto saxophone, Baritone saxophone (an octave and a major sixth lower) | E♭ |
| F | English horn, French horn | F |
| G | Alto flute | G |
| A | A clarinet | A |
| D | D trumpet | D |
| C, by octaves | Double bass (an octave lower), Guitar (an octave lower), 7-string guitar (an octave lower), 8-string guitar (an octave lower), Brazilian 7-string guitar (an octave lower), Bass guitar (an octave lower), Bass ukulele (an octave lower), Piccolo (an octave higher), Recorder (an octave higher), Contrabassoon (an octave lower), Ocarina (an octave higher), Xylophone (an octave higher), Glockenspiel (two octaves higher) | C, an octave or two away |
The full chart: every concert key
Read across: a piece in the concert key on the left is written in these keys for each instrument.
| Concert | B♭ part | E♭ part | F part | G part | A part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major 0 | D major 2♯ | A major 3♯ | G major 1♯ | F major 1♭ | E♭ major 3♭ |
| D♭ major 5♭ | E♭ major 3♭ | B♭ major 2♭ | A♭ major 4♭ | F♯ major 6♯ | E major 4♯ |
| D major 2♯ | E major 4♯ | B major 5♯ | A major 3♯ | G major 1♯ | F major 1♭ |
| E♭ major 3♭ | F major 1♭ | C major 0 | B♭ major 2♭ | A♭ major 4♭ | F♯ major 6♯ |
| E major 4♯ | F♯ major 6♯ | D♭ major 5♭ | B major 5♯ | A major 3♯ | G major 1♯ |
| F major 1♭ | G major 1♯ | D major 2♯ | C major 0 | B♭ major 2♭ | A♭ major 4♭ |
| F♯ major 6♯ | A♭ major 4♭ | E♭ major 3♭ | D♭ major 5♭ | B major 5♯ | A major 3♯ |
| G major 1♯ | A major 3♯ | E major 4♯ | D major 2♯ | C major 0 | B♭ major 2♭ |
| A♭ major 4♭ | B♭ major 2♭ | F major 1♭ | E♭ major 3♭ | D♭ major 5♭ | B major 5♯ |
| A major 3♯ | B major 5♯ | F♯ major 6♯ | E major 4♯ | D major 2♯ | C major 0 |
| B♭ major 2♭ | C major 0 | G major 1♯ | F major 1♭ | E♭ major 3♭ | D♭ major 5♭ |
| B major 5♯ | D♭ major 5♭ | A♭ major 4♭ | F♯ major 6♯ | E major 4♯ | D major 2♯ |
Charts for each transposition
- Concert → B♭
- Concert → E♭
- Concert → F
- Concert → G
- Concert → A
- B♭ → concert
- E♭ → concert
- F → concert
- G → concert
- A → concert
- B♭ → E♭
- E♭ → B♭
- B♭ → F
- F → B♭
- E♭ → F
- F → E♭
Want the tuner to read out your written note instead? That is the transposing-instrument tuner. For what each instrument can reach, see the instrument range charts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a transposing instrument?
One whose part is written at a different pitch from the one it sounds. A B♭ trumpet playing a written C sounds a B♭; an alto sax playing a written C sounds the E♭ a sixth below. The instrument is named after the concert pitch its written C produces. It lets a player read the same fingerings on every size of an instrument.
Which instruments do not transpose?
Piano, organ, flute, oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, trombone, euphonium in bass clef and tuba all read at concert pitch. Guitar, bass and double bass, piccolo, glockenspiel and xylophone transpose only by octaves, which changes no note names.
How do I transpose a melody for a B♭ trumpet or clarinet?
Write every note a major second (two semitones) higher and add two sharps to the key signature — or take two flats away. Concert C becomes D, concert F becomes G, and a tune in concert B♭ major is written in C major. The transposer above does it for a whole line of notes.