Best method for transposing sheet music

  • Thread starter Thread starter chris-from-ky
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C

chris-from-ky

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Hi,
I am a guitarist that is working with a pianist for performance, not recording, and I wonder how I can get sheet music in one key transposed to another key on paper. The pianist is using a digital piano with the ability to transpose the notes while playing the key that's written but, I'd rather just get the right sheet music and forget about using that utility. What advice can you offer to me in this situation? I appreciate your help.

Chris
 
Is it original sheet music? I.E. something you created in scoring software?

If not, I don't think its possible to scan in written music, and ask sequencer to transpose it.

You could ask the pianist to play the song (either in the original key, or transposed within the piano) and record the MIDI data into a sequencer, and then print out the sheet music.
 
There are programs (Like Finale), which will scan sheet music, but unless you plan on doing a lot of score work, I would hardly justify a purchase of that scope. Why don't you do it the old fashioned way, and simply rewrite the new sheet music yourself note-for-note, or better yet get your pianist to do it.
 
Since you are the guitarist, not the pianist, it might make sense to see how the pianist wants to do the transposition. The pianist might be able to transpose at sight, or with a little work. Also, the pianist may be perfectly comfortable just hitting the transpose button on the keyboard. If that is the case, why does it matter whether the music is transposed at the keyboard or on the sheet music? It will sound the same.

It just seems unnecessary to go to all that extra trouble to transpose the sheet music when an easy solution is available.

Bottom line, if you want to transpose the sheet music on paper you will either have to scan it or enter the music again by hand in a notation program. Scanning is not necessarily as easy at it might seem it should be. You can spend as much time tweaking the scan as you can just entering it all over again from scratch.
 
You could transpose, and that would be the easy way. But I agree learning the song is the best way. Remember Steinway D's don't have a transpose button. You never know when you might get an impromptu chance to perform on one and it would pay to know how to play your song, the way you intend it to be heard.
 
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