Music Section of shanemcdonald.org

This section contains information which may be useful on how to transpose music. When music is in a particular key, it may be difficult to play or too high or low to sing comfortably. This page will show you how transposing of music will make a difference to the singing or playing of a piece of music.
Any Words highlighted as a link will bring you to the definition for that word.

Trouble Playing the Original Key - Transpose

The song you are playing may be written in a difficult key to play, e.g. D# and you may wish to play this in a key which has easy chords such as C, G or E - depending on your instrument. When you transpose you have to remember that all accidentals will be transposed also. 

Take for example the section of music below - its Jingle Bells and is currently in the key of F (1 Flat). 

Jingle Bells in the key of F

If you want to transpose this to the key of C - with no flat or sharp notes - we have to transpose downwards.
There are 5 semitones between F and C therefore you transpose down by 5 semitones to play in C.
This is the Result in C, having transposed each note downwards by 5 semitones.

Jingle Bells in the key of C

It may not look like 5 semitones when written on the stave - but you have to remember for each line there is a sharp or flat - Therefore the steps were 

The Easy Way of Transposing

Instruments such as Keyboards, or Synths will have an option to auto-transpose the keyboard. You can specify how much you want to transpose with the pressing of one key.

Therefore, if you play a chord of C on the piano, now that it has been transposed, you will actually be playing the chord of G, which is 5 semitones below C.

Hopefully, with the above examples you can understand at least the basic principles behind transposition of music between keys.

Learn Chord Shapes	Chord Playing Techniques
Learn to Read Music	How to Transpose Music