B♭ · A · E♭ · bass clarinet
Clarinet transposition
Concert pitch in, clarinet part out.
The B♭ clarinet sounds a major second lower than written. To play a part in concert pitch — for flute, violin, piano or voice — every note moves up a major second; A and E♭ clarinets move by their own interval. Below are the charts for every note and key. Or photograph the part and download it transposed for your clarinet.
Transpose for clarinetTool
Photograph the part, get it in B♭.
neumascan reads the printed part; under Transpose, “B♭ clarinet” writes it up a major second — key signature and accidentals included. A, E♭ and bass clarinet are in the list too. Then download a PDF to print, MusicXML or MIDI.
… or drop it here. JPEG, PNG, HEIC or PDF, up to 8 MB.
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Chart
Clarinet transposition chart.
Find the concert note, read the note to play. The bass clarinet in treble clef reads like the B♭ clarinet, an octave lower.
Concert pitch to clarinet: notes
| Concert pitch | B♭ clarinet, bass clarinet | E♭ clarinet |
|---|---|---|
| C | D | A |
| D♭ | E♭ | B♭ |
| D | E | B |
| E♭ | F | C |
| E | F♯ | C♯ |
| F | G | D |
| G♭ | A♭ | E♭ |
| G | A | E |
| A♭ | B♭ | F |
| A | B | F♯ |
| B♭ | C | G |
| B | C♯ | G♯ |
Concert pitch to clarinet: key signatures
| Concert pitch | B♭ clarinet | A clarinet | E♭ clarinet |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | D major (2♯) | E♭ major (3♭) | A major (3♯) |
| F major (1♭) | G major (1♯) | A♭ major (4♭) | D major (2♯) |
| B♭ major (2♭) | C major | D♭ major (5♭) | G major (1♯) |
| E♭ major (3♭) | F major (1♭) | G♭ major (6♭) | C major |
| G major (1♯) | A major (3♯) | B♭ major (2♭) | E major (4♯) |
| D major (2♯) | E major (4♯) | F major (1♭) | B major (5♯) |
| A major (3♯) | B major (5♯) | C major | F♯ major (6♯) |
Every other transposing instrument — saxophone, trumpet, horn and more — is in the transposition chart for all instruments.
Every clarinet
B♭, A, E♭ and bass clarinet transposition.
The name says which note sounds when a C is written: B♭, A or E♭. How far up or down — that is what the cards are for.
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B♭ clarinet
Sounds a major second lower than written. From concert pitch: up a major second, two more sharps — C major becomes D major.
Instrument “B♭ clarinet”
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A clarinet
Sounds a minor third lower. From concert pitch: up a minor third. An A clarinet part played on a B♭ clarinet moves down a minor second.
Instrument “A clarinet”
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E♭ clarinet
The small clarinet sounds a minor third higher than written. From concert pitch: down a minor third — C major becomes A major.
Instrument “E♭ clarinet”
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Bass clarinet in B♭
In treble clef it sounds a major ninth lower — like the B♭ clarinet, an octave lower. From concert pitch: up a major ninth.
Instrument “Bass clarinet (B♭)”
From flute, oboe or violin parts (concert pitch): up a major second for B♭ clarinet. A B♭ clarinet part becomes an alto sax part a perfect fifth up; the alto clarinet in E♭ reads like the baritone sax.
How it works
From any part to your clarinet part.
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Upload
Photo or PDF of the part — in concert pitch, or for another instrument.
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Transpose
Pick your clarinet from the list — “B♭ clarinet” writes it up a major second — or any interval, up or down.
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Download
PDF to print, MusicXML for MuseScore & co., or MIDI to listen.
Pricing
- Free 4 staves per piece, 1 piece a day, 5 a month
- Per page €1.99, free pages from 10 pages
- Packs 11 pages for €19.90, no subscription, never expire
Questions
Clarinet transposition, briefly.
How do I transpose for B♭ clarinet?
Move every note of the concert-pitch part up a major second and add two sharps to the key signature (or take away two flats): concert C major becomes D major. In neumascan, pick “B♭ clarinet” under Transpose.
How do I play an A clarinet part on a B♭ clarinet?
Move it down a minor second (a half step): a written C major for A clarinet becomes B major for B♭ clarinet. In neumascan, choose “minor second ↓”.
How do I transpose clarinet to concert pitch?
B♭ clarinet: down a major second. A clarinet: down a minor third. E♭ clarinet: up a minor third. neumascan has each of these intervals in the list.
How do I transpose flute music for clarinet?
Flute music is in concert pitch, so for B♭ clarinet it moves up a major second — the same as a part for piano, violin or voice. Very high flute passages may then lie above the clarinet’s comfortable range; play those an octave lower.
Can I print the transposed part?
Yes. neumascan gives you the transposed part as an A4 PDF — with the title and a note on what it was transposed for. No notation software needed; MusicXML opens in MuseScore, Sibelius, Dorico or Finale.