Re: confused about transposing

[J. Daniel Ashton]

chip wrote:
> I have a chart I have transcribed for tenor sax. Now I would like to
> transpose it to trombone, bass clef. I read the little bit in the manual
> about transposing on page 87 but am confused by the pics - the sample
> code shows
> \transpose c g'
> \transpose c f'

I was fighting this concept too.  What I concluded is that you should
say "\transpose [the notes I write as] c [to a typeset] bf".  Instead of
thinking of the instrument transposition, think of the relative keys.
If your original is in C major (for tenor sax) then your trombone part
will be in B-flat major.  ergo,
  \transpose c bf

Or make a rule to say the from and to instruments in the opposit order:
 In your case, I think you want to
  \transpose [to a] c [instrument from a] bf [instrument's part]

Developers, this is confusing to those of us who are transposing for (or
from) a non-C instrument (trumpet, clarinet, sax, etc.)  I want to say:
  \transpose c bf
and get a trumpet part from, say, a piano part.  I'm thinking "I have a
C part, I need B-flat part."  Buf it seems to need to be the other way
around.

If you're actually transposing to change the key of the piece, rather
than on behalf of an instrument, then the way you've made lilypond work
already makes sense.  I guess you want me to say "I have a part in the
key of C major, I need a part in the key of D major."  My confusion is
that the first note/key matches the instrument (C), but the second moves
in the opposite direction.  (D instead of B-flat.)

Could you add an additional keyword that works "right" for us
instrumental arrangers?  Perhaps \instr-trans  ?  I need to be able to
say "these are notes for a C instrument, please typeset them to be
played by a B-flat (or F or E-flat or A) instrument."  Chip needs to be
able to say "these are notes for a B-flat instrument, please typeset
them to be played by a C instrument."

Chip, in your case, try
  \transpose c bf         (if you're using english, or
  \transpose c bes         otherwise)

The part I'm working on tonight is a trombone part being transposed for
French Horn.  This also gives you an example of the \clef command that
you need (you'll need bass instead of treble).  It begins with these lines:


\version "2.1.15"
\include "english.ly"
\paper  {
  papersize = "letter"
}
#(set-global-staff-size 20)



\score {
  \notes
    \transpose f c' {
      \relative c' {
        \key df \major
        \clef treble
        \property Voice.autoBeamSettings \override
          #'(end * * * *) = #(ly:make-moment 1 4)



     af--\pp af-- af8( gf) af4-- | af8( gf) af af af( gf) af af |
     \time 1/4 gf( af) | \time 4/4


-- 
Daniel Ashton      PGP key available     http://Daniel.AshtonFam.org
mailto:address@hidden         http://ChamberMusicWeekend.org
mailto:address@hidden  ICQ# 9445142      http://ZephyrBrass.com