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This isn't exactly tuba related, but it is music related. My highschool is doing a musical, and we have no violin players, but my band director asked me to transpose the violin music so it can be read by an alto sax player, what would be the best way to approach transposing this? And does anybody know of an online program I can use for free to transpose this music?

1. Get a music software program such as Musescore. Musescore is free and fully adequate for your purposes.

2. Create a new document with two instruments: violin and alto sax.

3. Key in the the violin part from your sheet music.

4. Copy and paste the violin part into the sax part.

5. Check to see that the part doesn't go too high for the sax, and if so take it down an octave where necessary.

6. Extract the sax part and print.

Unfortunately there is no program at this point that can simply scan sheet music and accurately produce a digital file. Although it takes time to key in a part manually, it is still easier than correcting all the mistakes introduced by a digital scan.

Hup

OCR music notation software is available but not free:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_music_recognition" target="_blank

Transpose up a major 6th, add three sharps, and adjust accidentals accordingly, hoping the violin part doesn't get above the staff. If that happens, jump down an octave as necessary, avoiding awkward register changes. Alto sax? Really? Doesn't the band have any flute players or even an oboe player that could read the part as-is, both being concert-notation instruments the same as violin?

There's nothing wrong at all with using pencil and paper and copying the part. A violin part may go higher than the sax can play. When you make the part sometimes you are forced to make some judgements about when to jump an octave to keep the thing sounding authentic and also attractive. I arrange for excellent players and learned to give them a break from playing a lot at the extremes of range. The longer the piece the greater the benefit. Better to hear their best, strongest sound than to hear their chops get tired.

Edit: after working this out on paper you will think buying Sibelius or Finale was totally worth it.