Supplementary Instructions
The transposer is a general purpose learning tool for
students of music as well as for those who are self-taught
and/or play an instrument just for pleasure. It also
serves the professional by saving valuable time when
performing tedious transposing tasks by keeping key
relationships in view at all times.
The transposer is comprised of:
- 2 octaves of the chromatic scale printed on a fixed circular
outer dial.
- 2 Octaves of the chromatic scales printed on the small rotatable
inner
dials.
- A middle dial, serving as a tone pointer or index, contains
the digits 1-7 (diatonic scale pointers) and 5 asterisks (*) designating
the intermediate semitones.
Manipulation of the two rotatable dials with respect to the fixed
dial and each other allows the user to perform many musical tasks
with simplicity and facilitates understanding of musical concepts.
Following are just a few of the capabilities of the transposer.
Most music teachers will undoubtedly find new and unusual ways to
use this device with their students as it is truly a universal music
teaching tool.
Some uses of the transposer
- Determining the notes in a particular scale…
| Example: |
Find the notes in the "A" scale.
|
| Step 1. |
Set either Present Key "1" index located on
middle dial to keynote on outer dial. This is the first
note of the scale.
|
| Step 2. |
The remaining notes of the scale (read on the outer dial)
are opposite indices 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 on the middle dial
ending on 1 again. |
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- Finding the notes in a particular chord…
| Example: |
Find the notes in a "C Dim."
|
| Step 1. |
Refer to Some Popular Chord Structures at the bottom of
transposer and locate the structure for the chord (i.e.,
1, b3, b5, bb7 in this case).
|
| NOTE: |
This means that the chord is comprised of the 1st, flatted
3rd, flatted 5th and double flatted 7th notes of the "C"
scale.
|
| Step 2. |
Set either Present Key index (i.e., "1" with
arrows) under the desired chord root located on the outer
fixed dial (i.e., "C" in this case).
|
| NOTE: |
This is the first note of the chord.
|
| Step 3. |
Read the remaining notes as:
Eb (the note just to the left of "E"
which is the third note of the "C" scale flatted
once),
Gb (the note just to the left of "G"
which is the fifth note of the "C" scale flatted
once) and
Bbb (the second note to the left of
"B" [also called "A"] which is the seventh
note of the "C" scale flatted twice).
|
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- Transposing from one key to another…
| Example: |
Transpose from the key of "A" to the key
of "F".
|
| Step 1. |
Set Present Key arrow on middle dial to the keynote "A"
on the outer dial.
|
| Step 2. |
Place the Final Key ("F" in this case) on the
inner dial under arrow.
|
| Step 3. |
Read the corresponding notes or chord roots (depends on
what you wish them to represent) from the outer and inner
dials opposite their respective indices 1 through 7 and
half tones indicated by asterisks.
|
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- Finding an unknown key knowing only one corresponding
note (or chord) within the known key (Present Key) and
within the unknown key (Final Key)…
| Example: |
The present key is "D". The note "G"
in the present key corresponds to the note "B"
in the unknown key. What is the unknown key?
|
| Step 1. |
Set Present Key arrow on the middle dial to the keynote
"D" on the outer dial.
|
| Step 2. |
Align the "B" on the inner dial with the "G"
on the outer dial (i.e., opposite index 4 in this case).
|
| Step 3. |
Read the unknown key of "F#" under the Final
Key arrow.
|
| NOTE: |
"F#" is selected over "Gb" as the
key because the "B" note is natural. Refer to
the Composite Key Signatures.
|
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- Determine CAPO positioning on the guitar…
| Example: |
You can only play a tune in the key of "C"
and you are asked to play it in "Eb". Determine
the CAPO position and the chords/notes to play.
|
| Step 1. |
Set Present Key arrow on middle dial to the keynote "C"
on the outer dial.
|
| Step 2. |
Starting with the first ½ tone clockwise from "C",
count the number of ½ tones up to and including "Eb".
There are three of them in this example. Therefore, the
CAPO position is "Capo 3". If you play as if you
are in the key of "C", you will sound as if you
are in the key of "Eb".
|
| Step 3. |
Transpose all notes/chords from the key of "Eb"
to the key of "C" using the method outlined in
3.
|
| CAUTION: |
Capo positions greater than 5 are not recommended as the
neck of the guitar widens and its useful length diminishes.
|
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- Using the Composite Key Signatures…
The composite Key Signatures were developed
as a short-hand method to illustrate the number of sharps
(#) or flats (b) contained in a particular key.
|
| Example: |
To determine the number of #'s in the signature for
the key of "A".
|
| Step 1. |
Locate the key of "A" on the left-most Composite
Key Signature (i.e., the one with all sharps).
|
| Step 2. |
Notice the "3" just below the "A"
contains three sharps (i.e., the ones to the left of and
including the one under the "3"). The sharps to
the right of "A" are not contained
in the signature.
|
| NOTE: |
In this example, the sharps in the key of "A"
are (from left to right) "F#", "C#"
and "G#".
|
| NOTE: |
The right-most Composite Key Signature for the keys which
contain flats is used in a similar fashion as described
above for sharps.
|
| NOTE: |
For reference, names of staff lines and spaces are indicated
in blue.
|
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- Determining the seven keys with sharps…
The keys will be generated from left to right
(using the "Circle of 5th's").
|
| Step 1. |
Set the Index Pointer "1" (with arrows) on the
WHITE middle dial to "C" on the RED outer dial.
|
| Step 2. |
Read the key of "G" (on the outer dial) opposite
Index Pointer "5".
|
| Step 3. |
Advance the Index Pointer "1" to the position
last occupied by Index Pointer "5" (i.e. to the
last key found). The next key will be found on the outer
dial opposite Index Pointer "5" again.
|
| Step 4. |
Repeat Step 3. until all seven keys containing sharps
have been found. See Using the Composite Key Signatures
in 6. of Supplementary Instructions Booklet.
|
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- Determining the seven keys with flats…
The keys will be generated from left to right
(using the "Circle of 4th's").
|
| Step 1. |
Set the Index Pointer "1" (with arrows) on the
WHITE middle dial to "C" on the RED outer dial.
|
| Step 2. |
Read the key of "G" (on the outer dial) opposite
Index Pointer "4".
|
| Step 3. |
Advance the Index Pointer "1" to the position
last occupied by Index Pointer "4" (i.e., to the
last key found). The next key will be found on the outer
dial opposite Index Pointer "4" again.
|
| Step 4. |
Repeat Step 3. until all seven keys containing flats have
been found. See Using the Composite Key Signatures in 6.
of Supplementary Instructions Booklet.
|
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- Determining the Principle Chords and Relative Minor
of any key…
The two major chords, the dominant 7th and
the relative minor will be determined as follows:
|
| Step 1. |
Set the Index Pointer "1" (with arrows) on the
WHITE middle dial to the desired key on the outer "Red"
dial.
|
| Step 2. |
Read the two Major Chords (on the outer "Red"
dial) opposite Index "1" and "4" on
White dial.
|
| Step 3. |
Read the dominant 7th (located on "Red" outer
dial) opposite Index "5" on White middle dial.
|
| Step 4. |
Read the relative minor (located on "Red" outer
dial) opposite Index "6".
|
| Example: |
The Principle Chords of the Key of "G" are
G, C, D7 and Em.
|
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- Determining the "Transposition" for non "C"
instruments such as the Bb trumpet, Eb sax etc.…
| Example A: |
Determining the transposition for a "Bb"
trumpet relative to a piano piece written in "G".
|
| Step 1. |
Place the Present Key arrow (on the middle dial) pointing
to the key in which the music is written ("G"
in this example) on the "Red" outer dial.
|
| Step 2. |
Move the "C" on the "Blue" inner dial
opposite the "Bb" on the "Red" outer
dial.
|
| Step 3. |
Read "A" on the "Blue" inner dial
opposite the Final Key arrow. This is the transposition
(i.e. up 2 from "G").
|
| Step 4. |
Read corresponding notes from the outer (Present Key dial)
and the inner (Final Key dial).
|
| Example B: |
Determining the transposition for a "Eb"
sax relative to a piano piece written in "F".
|
| Step 1. |
Place the Present Key arrow (on the middle dial) pointing
to the key in which the music is written ("F"
in this example) on the "Red" outer dial.
|
| Step 2. |
Move the "C" on the "Blue" inner dial
opposite the "Eb" on the "Red" outer
dial.
|
| Step 3. |
Read "D" on the "Blue" inner dial
opposite the Final Key arrow. This is the transposition
(i.e. down 3 from "F").
|
| Step 4. |
Read corresponding notes from the outer (Present Key dial)
and the inner (Final Key dial).
|
| NOTE: |
When using this tool, to avoid reading upside down, move
your eye half way around the circle and pick up the corresponding
point. Both halves of each dial are identical. RED = Outer
Dial, WHITE = Middle/Index Dial and BLUE = Inner
Dial.
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