Re: Concert pitch question (confused ex-tuba player)

[Guy Stalnaker]

Ken,

Using Trumpet in b-flat ...

When the trumpet player looks at their part written in C-major and they play the note middle-c, c', what sounds is the note b-flat, one step lower. Thus all the orchestra/wind ensemble parts that play Concert C (your tuba or trombone) must play a b-flat to play the same note. Thinking at the score level, the work would be in the key of B-flat, but the part written for the b-flat trumpet will be in C-Major.

This idea applies to all non-Concert instruments. Following the example above with an F-horn part in the key of C-Major. When the horn player plays middle C ( c' ), the note that comes out is the F a fifth below c'. For the rest of the concert-C instruments to play in the same key, they'd play in F-Major.

Now reverse the logic - a work in the concert key of C-Major. If the trumpet is a b-flat trumpet, and their C is b-flat, to get to concert-C they must play a whole step higher. Following the logic above, they'd be looking at their part in the key of D-major, and their note d' will sound one whole step lower, c'.

You have several ways to proceed. One is to enter the pitches AS THEY ARE in the score you have. Then use the \transpose options in Lilypond to modify the output files:


\transpose <from_pitch> <to_pitch>

To get a b-flat trumpet part to concert pitch, its part must be written DOWN a whole step (from the example above, from D-major in the trumpet part, to C-major which is the key the work is in):

\transpose d c { <lp_code_variable_here> }


You can:

1. Have one output file for the pitches as the instrumentalists must see them (as you now have).
2. Have a second output file to transpose all instruments to concert C so that a conductor will see things in the same key
3. Have the midi output tied to 2. rather than 1. so that it sounds harmonious.

This can ALL happen in the \score {} part of your Lilypond source file:

%%% Transposed parts, IF NEEDED

\score {
  \new Staff \with {
    instrumentName = "Part One"
  }
  { \global \transpose <from_pitch> <to_pitch> { \partOne } }
  \new Staff \with {
    instrumentName = "Part Two"
  }
  { \global \transpose <from_pitch> <to_pitch> { \partTwo } }
  \new Staff \with {
    instrumentName = "Part Three"
  }
  { \global \transpose <from_pitch> <to_pitch> { \partThree } }
  \new Staff \with {
    instrumentName = "Part Four"
  }
  { \global \transpose <from_pitch> <to_pitch> { \partFour } }

  \layout { }
  \midi { \tempo 4=100 }
}

%%% Non-transposed parts
\score {
  \new Staff \with {
    instrumentName = "Part One"
  }
  { \global  { \partOne } }
  \new Staff \with {
    instrumentName = "Part Two"
  }
  { \global  { \partTwo } }
  \new Staff \with {
    instrumentName = "Part Three"
  }
  { \global  { \partThree } }
  \new Staff \with {
    instrumentName = "Part Four"
  }
  { \global  { \partFour } }

  \layout { }
  \midi { \tempo 4=100 }
}

If you enter the work in concert pitch, then the \transpose directive goes the other way. To get the output trumpet part for a work in concert C, the \transpose directive would be:

\transpose c d { <music> }


Hope this helps. For more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_pitch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposing_instrument

Guy

On 9/17/21 4:09 PM, Kenneth Wolcott wrote:

HI All;

  I have a couple downloaded examples of brass quartet arrangements
(theme excerpts mostly) forn 8notes.com, hosted by UK composer David
Bruce, where each part is apparently NOT in concert pitch, but the
parts are together, as they would be in a conductor's score.  The
music, engraved as written, sounds AWFUL.  I suspect that I need to
run transpose on each part to convert them to concert pitch, but I
don't know for sure if that's the case and if so, exactly how to do
that.  I have attached one example pdf to illustrate my question.

  I know, as an ex-tuba player (and a very low-level amatuer tuba
player), that tuba and trombone (bassoon?) don't require transposition
as they are already in concert pitch (I never played a tuba in the key
of C, F or Eb).  However most of the other wind instruments of an
orchestra are not in concert pitch.  So when there is a trumpet in Bb,
it certainly is not the same as a tuba in Bb, correct?  What about
Horn in F?  What happens when the overall pitch of the piece in
question is not C Major?

  I've taken some church hymns, written for SATB (obviously) and
converted them directly to a brass quartet (Soprano toTrumpet, Alto to
French Horn, tenor to Trombone, and Bass to Tuba) and it doesn't sound
bad, using the exact key the Hymn was written in.

  Could someone clue me in on the basics here (I've read the Lilypond
manuals on this topic, but I think I need a more rudimentary
explanation).

Thanks,
Ken Wolcott

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