good morning, excuse me, I am new to this forum... I need some help... I teach music in a middle school... in my class there is a boy who plays the horn, he told me a horn in B (I think he meant in Bb)... he would like to bring it to class to play together with the flutes and guitars and I would be very happy... it's just that I am not very experienced with the horn... I know it is a transposing instrument...
now I would like to know... if I want the boy in question to play, for example, the same notes that the flutes play (and which are written on the sheet music for the flutes), how should I transpose the piece?
in practice, if the sheet music is in C major and the first note to be played is a C, in order to make him play a C with his Bb horn that is the same as the others' flutes, what do I have to write on HIS sheet music? because he does not transpose mentally so I would have to rewrite the sheet music for him...
Anyway, if I'm not mistaken (I haven't started orchestration yet), horns in both Bb and F transpose a fifth below (I was thinking for a bit whether it was above or below ahahah, I hope I didn't say something stupid); anyway, a horn player should read an untransposed score in mezzo-soprano clef.
Anyway, if I'm not mistaken (I haven't started orchestration yet), the horns, both in Bb and F, transpose a fifth lower (I spent a bit of time thinking whether it was above or below ahahah, I hope I didn't say something stupid); anyway, a non-transposed score should be read by a transcriber in mezzo-soprano clef.
If the transposing instrument is in B-flat, it means it sounds one tone lower compared to C instruments; therefore, to make it sound the same C as a piano, it must play a D. In essence, if the sheet music is in C major, you will have to transpose it one tone higher to D major (2#). Conversely, an E-flat instrument means it sounds a tone and a half higher than C instruments; therefore, to make it play a piano's C, it must play an A. For completeness, if the piano sheet music is in C major, you will have to transpose it to A major (3#).
does a natural B horn also exist? he spoke to me about a double horn that plays in F and B (and I thought it was in Bb), but he doesn't know how to play the F one...
anyway, in case it were a natural B horn, I would have to transpose it a tone and a half higher, right?
As far as I know, double horns are usually in F and Bb... anyway yes, if it were in B natural you would have to transpose everything a semitone higher.
dearest trumpet player, being a conservatory graduate, I know perfectly well how to transpose a piece into any key, since these things are done at the solfeggio exam!!! my question was a bit different... since unfortunately I am a graduate in piano and not in horn, I only wanted to know in which key I should transpose a piece to have it played by a Bb horn... no one was surprised by my question because everyone, except you, understood perfectly the meaning of my request, which unfortunately escapes you... if I were you I would be surprised by this, because in life understanding Italian is more important than doing transposition!!!
Calm down, it is obvious that the discussion regarding transposing instruments is very clear to those who play them! In general, when playing orchestral instruments, almost everyone knows how to behave. Pianists have little orchestral experience, limited as it may be to the study of a couple of piano concertos performed for their diploma. You enter the heart of the logic of transposing instruments when you start playing chamber music, or when you have to arrange light music for a small ensemble, or even when you deal with an orchestra; therefore, it is more than understandable that if one deals with a transposing instrument for the first time, one seeks connections to know how to transpose the score in order to "link" it with the other instruments in C.
Many of my pianist colleagues would not know how to transpose a score for a transposing instrument; this does not change the fact that, having solid foundations in theory and transposition, once clarified, the matter no longer represents a problem.
does a natural B horn also exist? he spoke to me about a double horn that plays in F and B (and I thought it was in Bb), but he doesn't know how to play in F...
anyway, in case it were a natural B horn, I would have to transpose it a tone and a half higher, right?
thanks a lot, you are very kind
Yes Marta, horns exist in many other keys; some have fallen into disuse, including the one in natural B, which is very rare as I was telling you in my previous post.
dear trumpet player, being a conservatory graduate, I know perfectly well how to transpose a piece into any key, since these things are done at the solfeggio exam!!! my question was a bit different... since unfortunately I am a graduate in piano and not in horn, I only wanted to know in which key I should transpose a piece to have it played by a Bb horn... no one was surprised by my question because everyone, except you, understood the meaning of my request perfectly, which unfortunately escapes you... if I were you I would be surprised by this, because in life understanding Italian is more important than doing transposition!!!
thesimon explained the difference, whom I thank again for the useful advice; anyway, I will also kindly and politely explain it to you again... you said that I don't know how to transpose a piece one tone higher... I replied to you that I know very well how to transpose a piece from C major to D major, or even to E major, and in all the other keys... what I wanted to know, therefore, is not the method of transposing a piece from one key to another, but only into which key to transpose the piece to be played by the B-flat horn, because I have never played with a B-flat horn before and therefore I wanted to be sure to do the transposition in the correct key... once it is clarified that I must transpose one tone higher, I can do the transposition easily on my own...
i hope it is clearer now... and having said that, I am finishing because with all the things I have to do (including transposing pieces for B-flat horn, which I assure you not all of my permanent colleagues do, limiting themselves to having only recorders play in unison) I have no desire to waste time with someone who makes polemics about nothing just to feel like a "cooler" musician than the others... excuse the acidic tone, but middle school teachers are naturally acidic, and pianists are erratic, so combine the two and you will understand what comes of it...
thanks again to everyone for the timely and very clear advice... you have been very kind...
