What key is a B♭ instrument in compared to concert pitch?
A B♭ instrument reads a whole step above concert pitch, E♭ a major 6th above, F horn a perfect 5th above. Table of keys plus a free tool that transposes charts for you.
A B♭ instrument (trumpet, clarinet, soprano and tenor sax) reads a major 2nd above concert pitch, so a song in concert C is written in D for it, and concert B♭ is written in C. E♭ instruments (alto and baritone sax) read a major 6th above: concert C is A. F horn reads a perfect 5th above: concert C is G. Piano, guitar, flute, violin, trombone and bass read concert pitch. The free AiHud Chart Transposer (aihud.net/music/transpose) converts a chart between any of these automatically.
What "concert pitch" means
Concert pitch is the actual sounding note. Transposing instruments are named for the concert note that sounds when they play a written C: a B♭ trumpet playing written C sounds B♭, an E♭ alto playing written C sounds E♭, an F horn playing written C sounds F.
The rule of thumb
To write for the instrument, go from concert pitch to the instrument: B♭ up a whole step, E♭ up a major 6th (down a minor 3rd), F up a perfect 5th. To read the instrument part back in concert, go the other way.
Key signatures
B♭ parts have two more sharps (or two fewer flats) than concert. E♭ parts have three more sharps (three fewer flats). F parts have one more sharp (one fewer flat). A tune in concert E♭ (three flats) is in F (one flat) for trumpet, C (no sharps or flats) for alto sax, and B♭ (two flats) for horn.
Let the tool do it
Upload a photo, PDF or MusicXML of the chart, tell the transposer which key it is written in and which instrument will read it. It returns an engraved PDF, MusicXML and a MuseScore file with notes and chord symbols moved.
Quick reference: concert pitch to B♭, E♭ and F
| Instrument | Written vs concert | Concert C becomes | Concert B♭ (key) becomes | Concert F7 becomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ trumpet, clarinet, soprano sax, tenor sax | a major 2nd up | D | C | G7 |
| E♭ alto sax, baritone sax | a major 6th up (minor 3rd down) | A | G | D7 |
| F horn | a perfect 5th up | G | F | C7 |
| Trombone, bass, cello | concert pitch, bass clef | C | B♭ | F7 |
| A clarinet | a minor 3rd up | E♭ | D♭ | A♭7 |
| E♭ trumpet, E♭ soprano clarinet | a minor 3rd down | A | G | D7 |
| D trumpet | a major 2nd down | B♭ | A♭ | E♭7 |
| Alto flute in G | a perfect 4th up | F | E♭ | B♭7 |
Tenor sax and baritone sax actually sound an octave lower than trumpet and alto, but lead sheets for them are written exactly like the trumpet and alto parts.
Honest limits
- Single-staff music only (lead sheets, melody parts); piano and full scores are not supported yet.
- MusicXML uploads are exact. PDFs and photos are read twice; bars where the readings disagree are marked in red to check.
- Repeats, codas and first/second endings come through as plain bars.
- 3 free charts a day, 10 with an email.
Questions
What key is a B♭ instrument in compared to concert pitch?
A B♭ instrument (trumpet, clarinet, soprano and tenor sax) reads a major 2nd above concert pitch, so a song in concert C is written in D for it, and concert B♭ is written in C. E♭ instruments (alto and baritone sax) read a major 6th above: concert C is A. F horn reads a perfect 5th above: concert C is G. Piano, guitar, flute, violin, trombone and bass read concert pitch. The free AiHud Chart Transposer (aihud.net/music/transpose) converts a chart between any of these automatically.
Is a B♭ trumpet in the key of B♭?
Not exactly. The instrument is pitched in B♭: its written C sounds B♭. It can play in every key; the name only tells you the transposition.
Which instruments are in concert pitch?
Piano, guitar, bass, flute, oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, trombone, tuba and mallets read concert pitch (guitar and bass sound an octave lower than written).
Are chord symbols transposed too?
Yes. Chord symbols move with the melody, so a concert Bb7 becomes C7 on a B♭ part and G7 on an E♭ part.
Can it read a phone photo?
Yes, but a PDF or MusicXML file is more accurate. Printed lead sheets photographed flat, close and in focus work best. Low-resolution or blurry photos are refused (it does not use up a free chart). Every chart is read twice and any bar the two readings disagree on is marked in red for you to check.
Which instruments are supported?
B♭ trumpet, clarinet, soprano and tenor sax; E♭ alto and baritone sax; F horn and English horn; A clarinet; D and E♭ trumpet; E♭ soprano clarinet; alto flute in G; baritone/euphonium in treble clef (B♭); concert pitch in treble or bass clef, viola (alto clef) and tuba. For anything else use Custom: any key, any interval, any clef.
Try it on your chart
Snap a photo of a lead sheet (or upload a PDF or MusicXML), pick the instrument, and get a clean, engraved part with the melody and the chord symbols transposed. Or go custom: any key, up or down by semitones, an octave shift and the clef you read. PDF + MusicXML + MuseScore file, free.
Open the free Chart Transposer