Transposing
Transposing (or transposition) means changing the key of a piece of music. This can apply to a scale, a phrase, a short melody, or an entire song. The ability to transpose is an essential skill for all musicians to develop. The easiest method is to write out the notes of the key you are transposing to and from (say G to F), along with their degrees.
Next, write the scale degrees under the melody you want to transpose.
Key of G
Finally, find out what notes those degrees equate to in the key you want to transpose to. If it helps, write the new notes under the scale degrees of the original piece, before putting them on the new staff with the new key signature. You should now have the same melody at a different (in this case lower) pitch.
Key of F
Try this process yourself, transposing the above melody from the key of F to the key of G. Then transpose the same melody to the key of D. You should also try the same technique with other tunes you know. Eventually, you will be able to transpose in your head instantly, without the need for notated scale degrees. The more you practice, the easier it gets.
In Lesson 8 you learned the following song in the key of D major. Here is the same song transposed to the key of F major. Memorize it and then transpose it to G major.
Here is a famous melody by Johannes Brahms in the key of G major. Once you have learned it, try transposing it to F major.
The Natural Sign
This is a natural sign.
A natural sign cancels the effect of a sharp or flat for the rest of that bar, or until another sharp or flat sign occurs within that bar. Notice the alternation between F natural and F# in the next example.
The following 12 Bar Blues makes frequent use of sharp, flat and natural signs.
Here is a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach which uses both C sharp and C natural, and also F sharp and F natural. Take it slowly at first and only increase the tempo when you can play it all the way through without hesitating.
