I'm going to buy a C Lyons clarinet.
I am new to the instrument, so can I play sheet music for a Bb clarinet, or must I transpose it to the key of C.?Confused about clarinet sheet music.?
A C clarinet sounds different than a Bb clarinet, and transposes differently. A Bb Clarinet transposes the same way as a trumpet, which is a whole step up. If you're getting a C clarinet, it does not transpose at all, like flutes and oboes. If you want to play music that's written for Bb clarinet and you want it to sound in the same key, then you'll have to transpose it down a whole step from what's written in the Bb Clarinet sheet music.
Example:
If a flute plays an A, you must play a Bb on a Bb clarinet, or an A on a C clarinet for them to sound the same.
If a C is written on your Bb Clarinet sheet music, on the C clarinet it's played as a Bb.
Hope I helped.Confused about clarinet sheet music.?
Don't buy a C clarinet. The vast majority of clarinet music is written for a B flat clarinet. The B flat is the standard instrument that most people learn on, the C clarinet is really only useful for very small children whose hands aren't big enough to play the bigger B flat instrument.
You can play normal (B flat) music on a C clarinet, but you'll have to transpose it if you want to play with other instruments. Every note that you see will have to be transposed a tone down. Not only that, but some pieces will be virtually impossible to play. The clarinet is easy to play in certain keys and a nightmare to play in others. Music written in the key of A flat major is quite easy to play, but if you have to transpose it, it will be in F sharp (or G flat) major, which is really, really difficult.
You must transpose it to the key of C.
To do that, you just lower the notes on a Bb clarinet by 2 semitones.
So here is conversion chart. Bb notes are on the left and C is on the right.
E = D
F = Eb
F# = E
G = F
G# = F#
A = G
A# = G#
B = A
C = A#
C# = B
D = C
D# = C#
Welcome to the Music Theory course. 46 Lessons introducing you to the most important concepts of music theory.
Lesson 1 - Staffs, Clefs and Ledger Lines
Lesson 2 - Note Duration
Lesson 3 - Measures and Time Signature
Lesson 4 - Rest Duration
Lesson 5 - Dots and Ties
Lesson 6 - Simple and Compound Meter
Lesson 7 - Odd Meter
Lesson 8 - Steps and Accidentals
Lesson 9 - The Major Scale
Lesson 10 - The Minor Scales
Lesson 11 - Introduction to Major Chords
Lesson 12 - An Introduction to Minor Chords
Lesson 13 - Scale Degrees
Lesson 14 - Key Signatures
Lesson 15 - An Introduction to Major Scales
Lesson 16 - Key Signature Calculation
Lesson 17 - Generic Intervals
Lesson 18 - Specific Intervals
Lesson 19 - Introduction Staff and Clefs
Lesson 20 - Writing Intervals
Lesson 21 - Interval Inversion
Lesson 22 - Introduction to Chords
Lesson 23 - Triad Inversion
Lesson 24 - Diatonic Triads
Lesson 25 - Roman Numeral Analysis
Lesson 26 - Voicing Chords
Lesson 27 - Analysis #1
Lesson 28 - Seventh Chords
Lesson 29 - Diatonic Seventh Chords
Lesson 30 - Seventh Chord Inversion
Lesson 31 - Composing with Minor Scales
Lesson 32 - Nonharmonic Tones
Lesson 33 - Phrases and Cadences
Lesson 34 - Circle Progressions
Lesson 35 - Common Chord Progressions
Lesson 36 - Triads in First Inversion
Lesson 37 - Triads in Second Inversion
Lesson 38 - Analysis #2
Lesson 39 - Building Neapolitan Chords
Lesson 40 - Using Neapolitan Chords
Lesson 41 - Analysis #3
Lesson 42 - Instrument Ranges
Lesson 43 - Introduction to the pentatonic scale
Lesson 44 - Introduction to Modes
Lesson 45 - Degrees of the scale
Lesson 46 - Introduction to Triads
If the Bb clarinet was playing c major, the C clarinet would sound the same if it plays Bb major.
You put the notes a tone lower and must look for sharps or flats in the key signiture. The key goes down one...
So... Bb Clarinet = E major
C clarinet= D major
Bb Clarinet= G major
C clarinet= F major
ect
Hope this helps
xxx
No, you can play sheet music for a Bb clarinet I believe :]
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