Transpose Music – A How to Guide

How to Transpose Music Easily using Transposing Graph

How to Transpose Music Easily from one Key to Another. The Easy Transposer
Transposing music and Finding it Difficult? You can transpose music or keys easily with this music/key map. Simply find the musical key you are currently using in the central blue column and then move left or right to transpose and find the destination key.

For Example: If you are in the Key of C and you want to know how to transpose up by 4 Semitones simply move right by 4 columns until you reach E. All Entries in This column will relate back to the central column.

Therefore, if the chords in a piece were C, Em, Am and G and then you transposed up by 4 semitones – the result would be E, G#m, C#m and B.

Some Advice on Sharps and Flats when Transposing

Remember that any note listed as a # is also a Flat Note to the note above it. i.e. G# is the same note is Ab and Db is the same note as C#.

If you have a white root note and you transpose 1 semitone up it is a sharp, 1 semitone down is a flat.

Why do you need to Transpose Music?

These are some Reasons to Transpose Music

1. You may need to transpose a piece of music to make it better suited to an instrument. e.g. A song written for a violin might not be best suited for a trumpet.
2. Beginners may need to transpose – I know that hen I transcribe Bohemian Rhapsody from scratch, I had to play it -2 (down 2 semitones) and then play it in C. The actual key was Bb and it was too hard for me starting out.
3. A singer may not be able to sing the song it in that key. Take the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, for example, many of the acts had to transpose the music down because they could not reach the songs high notes. Some acts were quoted as saying that they could not “do a Freddie”.
4. If a guitarist is playing and they only know Em and cannot fo Fm you might need to bring the song into the key for the chords they know.