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I'm playing a brass band concert on Saturday, and I'm on the Eb part. I had a quick question about the transposing aspect of the music. As I understand it, to play the Eb parts, I add 3 flats and replace the treble clef with a bass clef. For example, if there are 2 sharps in the treble key, the bass key is F, (one flat.)
Is this transposition correct? I'm new to the whole transposed brass band parts thing, so I thought I'd ask some people who might have dealt with this before.
Thanks!
Aaron Hynds

If the Eb tuba part is written in treble clef, key of C major, then this is equivalent to bass clef, key of Eb. (Treble clef, C major, is the "natural" key for the instrument -- i.e. Eb.)

So, to use the standard, "oh-so-easy" transposition, you add 3 flats to the treble clef Eb tuba part, and pretent it's bass clef.

Your understanding is correct.

The reverse also works. IF you are accustomed to reading the transposed, treble clef part, and all you have available is the non-transposed bass clef part (and you have an Eb tuba), then you add 3 sharps (remove 3 flats) from the bass clef part and pretend it is in treble clef.

Enjoy,

How does one transpose from the brass band BBb part?
Thanks, Dean

Right, that'll work, but watch out for accidentals.

In other words, if you see a Gb, you'll play it as an A-natural. If you see an F-natural, you'll play it as an A-flat.

Trumpet fingerings, basically.

Greg wrote:

Dean E wrote:How does one transpose from the brass band BBb part?
Thanks, Dean

Impossible.

Well, no, not if you're accustomed to playing tenor clef. The written C below the staff corresponds to the Bb below the staff in BC--or the Bb just below staff in tenor clef. Just add two flats to the Bb TC key signature:

Thanks for the advice. I have been watching out for accidentals in preparing the music. I think I've just gotten the hang of it.
I'm playing on my CC tuba, hence the transposition to bass clef. Time to get my high B-flats into shape!
Thanks again,
Aaron

tubafatness wrote:Thanks for the advice. I have been watching out for accidentals in preparing the music. I think I've just gotten the hang of it.
I'm playing on my CC tuba, hence the transposition to bass clef. Time to get my high B-flats into shape!

There's the matter of timbre. If you have an F, you'd probably be better off with that rather than a CC.

Chuck(G) wrote:

tubafatness wrote:Thanks for the advice. I have been watching out for accidentals in preparing the music. I think I've just gotten the hang of it.
I'm playing on my CC tuba, hence the transposition to bass clef. Time to get my high B-flats into shape!

There's the matter of timbre. If you have an F, you'd probably be better off with that rather than a CC.

All I've got is the CC, so it'll have to do. I wouldn't mind an Eb, though...

Check out eBay for some inexpensive antique eefers.

tubalawlisa wrote:If you're playing CC, for the brass band BB-flat part, read it down a whole step. That's been my life the past 14 years or so. It does help to be a horn player on the side! I should mention, however, that it would still be read in treble, only a step lower...

Lisa, you're assuming two things here--the first is that the poster can easily transpose a whole step on the fly; the second is that he reads treble clef notation. Neither seems to be common in the tuba community.

Some tuba players have trombone skills on the side and quite possibly read tenor clef, which is why I brought that issue up.

My assumption was that if the original poster knew enough to transpose on the fly, the question wouldn't have been asked.

Does this make sense?

Tell me where C is and what note it is in concert pitch and I can play it easily on my C tuba... in any clef.













I won't promise you how good it will be!

Chuck(G) wrote:

tubalawlisa wrote:If you're playing CC, for the brass band BB-flat part, read it down a whole step. That's been my life the past 14 years or so. It does help to be a horn player on the side! I should mention, however, that it would still be read in treble, only a step lower...

Lisa, you're assuming two things here--the first is that the poster can easily transpose a whole step on the fly; the second is that he reads treble clef notation. Neither seems to be common in the tuba community.

Some tuba players have trombone skills on the side and quite possibly read tenor clef, which is why I brought that issue up.

My assumption was that if the original poster knew enough to transpose on the fly, the question wouldn't have been asked.

Does this make sense?

I can read and transpose from the treble clef, and often do. I learned treble clef way before I learned bass clef. I often, (well, sometimes,) read out of trumpet books, since they have some material not readily available for tubas. The reason I'm asking about the Eb transposition is that, with CC tuba fingerings, I thought it would be a tad easier to read as if in bass clef. If it were the BBb parts, I would just knuckle down and play off of treble. But the Eb can be a little confusing at times, when in treble clef, (especially with the CC tuba!)
Thanks again for the advice!
Aaron