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Transposing Instruments: Written vs. Concert Pitch
Saxophones, clarinets and trumpets are transposing instruments: play a written C and you will not hear the piano’s C. This page lists, for each instrument, what a written C sounds like, and how to convert concert pitch into written notes.
Transposition by instrument
| Instrument | Written C sounds as | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Soprano saxophone (B♭) | B♭ | major 2nd down |
| Alto saxophone (E♭) | E♭ | major 6th down |
| Tenor saxophone (B♭) | B♭ | major 9th down |
| Baritone saxophone (E♭) | E♭ | major 13th down (octave + major 6th) |
| Clarinet in B♭ | B♭ | major 2nd down |
| Clarinet in A | A | minor 3rd down |
| Clarinet in E♭ | E♭ | minor 3rd up |
| Bass clarinet (B♭) | B♭ | major 9th down |
| Trumpet / cornet (B♭) | B♭ | major 2nd down |
| French horn (F) | F | perfect 5th down |
| Euphonium, treble clef (B♭) | B♭ | major 9th down |
| Piccolo | C | octave up |
| Soprano recorder | C | octave up |
| Tin whistle (D) | C | octave up |
| Flute, oboe, bassoon | C | none (concert pitch) |
| Trombone, tuba, euphonium (bass clef) | C | none (concert pitch) |
| Alto recorder | C | none (concert pitch) |
| Ocarina (C) | C | none (concert pitch) |
Concert pitch → written note
To play piano (concert-pitch) music on a transposing instrument, convert each note with this table. For example, to sound a concert C on alto sax, play a written A.
| Concert pitch (piano) | B♭ instruments (trumpet, clarinet, tenor & soprano sax) | E♭ instruments (alto & baritone sax) | F instruments (horn) | A instruments (clarinet in A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | D | A | G | E♭ |
| C♯ | E♭ | B♭ | G♯ | E |
| D | E | B | A | F |
| E♭ | F | C | B♭ | F♯ |
| E | F♯ | C♯ | B | G |
| F | G | D | C | G♯ |
| F♯ | G♯ | E♭ | C♯ | A |
| G | A | E | D | B♭ |
| G♯ | B♭ | F | E♭ | B |
| A | B | F♯ | E | C |
| B♭ | C | G | F | C♯ |
| B | C♯ | G♯ | F♯ | D |
Get fingerings straight from your sheet music
Looking up every note of a piece in a chart is slow. Yubioto reads a photo or PDF of your sheet music, puts the fingering under each note and plays the melody back. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
Why do transposing instruments exist?
So that a family of instruments (soprano, alto, tenor…) shares one set of fingerings. Written C is fingered the same on every saxophone; the size of the instrument sets the sounding pitch.
How far up do I write for a B♭ instrument?
A major second above concert pitch: piano C becomes written D. For E♭ instruments (alto sax) write a major sixth up (or minor third down); for F horn, a perfect fifth up.
Tenor and soprano sax are both in B♭ – what is the difference?
The tenor sounds an octave below the soprano. The direction of transposition is the same; only the octave differs. Alto and baritone have the same relationship.
Can an app transpose for me?
Yes – the Yubioto app reads your sheet music, and when you pick an instrument it transposes and shows the fingerings. Load a piano part, choose alto sax, and you get the written notes and fingerings.
Fingering charts for other instruments
- Saxophone fingering chart
- Recorder fingering chart
- Alto recorder fingering chart
- Flute fingering chart
- Piccolo fingering chart
- Oboe fingering chart
- Clarinet fingering chart
- Bassoon fingering chart
- Trumpet fingering chart
- French horn fingering chart
- Trombone fingering chart
- Euphonium fingering chart
- Tuba fingering chart
- Ocarina fingering chart
- Tin whistle fingering chart
- Harmonica fingering chart
- Transposition chart