LilyPond Music Glossary: 1.314 transposing instrument

## 1.314 transposing instrument

ES: instrumento transpositor, I: strumento traspositore, F: instrument transpositeur, D: transponierende Instrumente, NL: ?, DK: ?, S: ?, FI: transponoitava soitin.

Instruments whose notated pitch is different from their sounded pitch. Except for those whose notated and sounding pitches differ by one or more octaves (to reduce the number of ledger lines needed), most such instruments are identified by the letter name of the pitch class of their fundamental. The pitch class is the note that sounds (disregarding the octave in which it sounds) when the instrument plays a notated C.

For example: when played on the B-flat clarinet, the note middle C sounds the B-flat one tone lower. If played on the A clarinet, the same written note sounds the A (one and half tones – a minor third – lower).

Not all transposing instruments include the pitch class in their name:

- Alto flute (in G)
- English horn (in F)
- Saxophones (in B-flat or E-flat)

#### See also

concert pitch.

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