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 C to G), along with their Scale degrees.
C Major Scale
G Major Scale
Next, write the scale degrees under the melody you want to transpose.
Key of C
Finally, find those degrees (and therefore the notes) 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 higher) pitch.
Key of G
Now try this process yourself. Transpose the previous melody from the key of G to the key of F. Then transpose the same melody to every other key (see Lesson 20 for a list of sharps or flats in each key). You should also try the same technique with other melodies you know. Eventually, you will be able to transpose in your head instantly, without the need for notated scale degrees.
In the previous lesson, you learned this song in the key of D major. This version is in the key of G major. Try transposing other melodies from earlier in the book. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
