Table of Contents
What is a concert B flat on an alto sax?
Concert C is their D, Concert Ab is their Bb. Alto and baritone saxes, alto clarinet and most alto horns are Eb instruments: when they play a C it sounds like a Eb on the piano. So, if they want to play a concert Bb scale, they start on a G (they have to think up a six steps in the scale – or down a minor third).
What concert pitch is alto sax?
E♭
The alto saxophone, also referred to as the alto sax or simply the alto, is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846, it is pitched in E♭, smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano.
What are B flat instruments?
B flat instruments read music a whole tone higher than the piano, E flat instruments read music a major sixth higher, and F instruments read a fifth higher….Instruments & Transpositions.
| Key | Instruments |
|---|---|
| B flat | Clarinet, Clarinette basse/Bass Clarinet Soprano and Tenor Saxophones Trumpet, Cornet, Bugle/Flugelhorn |
What does concert B flat mean?
The phrase Concert B flat means the pitch or sound produced if you play a B flat on an instrument that is in the key of C, such as a piano or a guitar. A Concert C is the C on a piano or guitar. A Concert F is the F on a piano or guitar.
Why are some instruments in B flat?
This is because the clarinet is a transposing instrument. The music for transposing instruments is not written or read at concert pitch. The clarinet player, for example, seeing a C on the page, will play a note that sounds like a B flat. The clarinet is therefore called a B flat instrument.
Why is a saxophone in B flat?
The reason for this is due to concert pitched instruments like piano or guitar. If you were to play a middle C on a piano and then play a C on your sax you’ll get two different pitches. Thus when transposed you’ll get a concert B flat from a sop or tenor, and a concert E flat from an alto or baritone.
Why are instruments B flat?
IN orchestral (and other instrumental) music, the notation like “Clarinet in Bb” (or “Klarinette in B”) means that the instrument is a “transposing instrument.” When the clarinetist plays what his music shows as a “C.” the note comes out as a Bb.