Who reads which part
Concert pitch: piano, guitar chords, flute, oboe, violin, trombone, tuba and most other instruments — anything that reads at concert pitch.
B♭: clarinet, soprano saxophone, trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, bass clarinet (sounds a major ninth lower) and tenor saxophone (sounds a major ninth lower).
Every major key
| Concert pitch | B♭ | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| C major (0) | D major | 2♯ |
| D♭ major (5♭) | E♭ major | 3♭ |
| D major (2♯) | E major | 4♯ |
| E♭ major (3♭) | F major | 1♭ |
| E major (4♯) | F♯ major | 6♯ |
| F major (1♭) | G major | 1♯ |
| F♯ major (6♯) | A♭ major | 4♭ |
| G major (1♯) | A major | 3♯ |
| A♭ major (4♭) | B♭ major | 2♭ |
| A major (3♯) | B major | 5♯ |
| B♭ major (2♭) | C major | 0 |
| B major (5♯) | D♭ major | 5♭ |
Every minor key
| Concert pitch | B♭ | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| A minor (0) | B minor | 2♯ |
| B♭ minor (5♭) | C minor | 3♭ |
| B minor (2♯) | C♯ minor | 4♯ |
| C minor (3♭) | D minor | 1♭ |
| C♯ minor (4♯) | E♭ minor | 6♭ |
| D minor (1♭) | E minor | 1♯ |
| E♭ minor (6♭) | F minor | 4♭ |
| E minor (1♯) | F♯ minor | 3♯ |
| F minor (4♭) | G minor | 2♭ |
| F♯ minor (3♯) | G♯ minor | 5♯ |
| G minor (2♭) | A minor | 0 |
| G♯ minor (5♯) | B♭ minor | 5♭ |
Every note
Each note is moved by letter as well as by pitch, so a sharp stays a sharp and a flat a flat — B becomes C♯, not its enharmonic twin.
| Concert pitch | C | C♯ | D♭ | D | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G♭ | G | A♭ | A | B♭ | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | D | D♯ | E♭ | E | F | F♯ | G | G♯ | A♭ | A | B♭ | B | C | C♯ |
Frequently asked questions
How do I transpose from concert pitch to B♭ instrument?
Move every note up a major second — 2 semitones, 1 letter name up. Change the key signature the same way: music in C major becomes D major.
What key is concert B♭ major for a B♭ instrument?
C major. Concert B♭ is the most common band key, which is why it is the usual example.
Why does the chart choose D♭ major instead of C♯ major?
Where a key could be written two ways, the chart picks the one with fewer sharps or flats, the way band and orchestral parts are printed: D♭ major has five flats, C♯ major seven sharps. The notes are the same.