Looking at a classical piece of music, with the question asking me to transpose a bar into concert pitch. Does this mean that I have to re-write the bar in the key which the rest of the piece is in? The bar in question is in Ab major, with the rest of the piece in E minor. Or does writing the bar in concert pitch means to write it out in the key of C? What is concert pitch?

Many thanks, Jenn

Concert pitch is the sound/pitch you hear the notes. So say an alto sax is playing a G - the concert pitch you hear is B flat.

What instrument are you transposing? If it's just a bar or two I tend to ignore working out the keys etc and just transpose it according to the instrument. Down a tone for Bb clarinet for example.

Its a clarinet I am writing out for! So if a clarinet is in Bb, I just lower it all by a tone if I am in Ab major for this given bar?

No, the clarinet music you see there is what the clarinettist will play. You need it at concert pitch, which, because of it being a clarinet in Bb, you transpose it down a tone. I'm not quite sure you have they keys correct though. Ab major and E minor don't really link with the tranposition...

POOP! I have just realized what I've done.

There are several music lines in this piece, and I looked at one part's key sig and didnt look at the rest of the key sigs! Most of which happen to have no sharps or flats at all!!!!!!!

Ok, well have a go now you have figured out the key bits and try again . Which exercise/example is it and in what book/past paper?

It's the ABRSM Theory of Music Grade 7, 2006

Thanks for your help Scaramouche

Do you mean the past papers for Grade 7, 2006? I've got them in front of me and I can't find anything like you're describing.

Page 8, 9, and 10. Music is Bruckner's Symphony NO.6

The instruments in this question are Clarinets in A, which means that their notes sound a minor 3rd lower than they are written. So, to write out the parts as they would sound at concert pitch you transpose the bar down a minor 3rd.

Can I just ask (this is not a dig), but did you not learn about transposition at grade 5 ?

Can I add that I see you did Grade 6 theory in April 2007. How did you manage with the transpositions in that?

To be fair it might be still confusing to jenn. It's not my best point and I probably could do with working on it...oops

I love this forum..........Lets suggest you "use" the AB guide to music theory, part 2. Have a read, pretty boring stuff, but you will get the idea. Or, why not buy a transposing wheel, Ron Greenes got a great one.....EVERYBODY HAVE A GREAT DAY.....I AM...

I had a look for that transposing wheel and I found this site, where they give the cost at 8.95 dollars. Is it available in this country does anyone know? I've never seen it in the shops but it looks quite handy

Thanks for the info Richard!

Might be useful if you don't know your key signatures but you can't use it in an exam.
I just wonder how much sense it would make to someone who needs something like that to work out transposition?

I'm not sure what you mean by that. You don't know why I might be considering it "handy". What's exams got to do with it?