Sight Transposing

[BarrySachs]

I need to learn to sight transpose tuba/bass parts to bass sax for a new band I have an opportunity to join. That means reading bass clef and going up a step, or pretending it’s treble clef and going up a fourth, same as you would if you were reading an alto part on tenor.

What approaches have worked for you? Personally I’m a little quicker doing it the first way. So I’m inclined to stick with that. But it’s very slow going for my nearly 60 y/o brain considering my bass clef reading isn’t very solid to begin with. Rewriting all the parts in my key would be ideal, but there are too many charts for that to be a realistic solution.

Phase two is transposing the chord symbols. Sounds easy enough, but with the added burden of improvising a good bass line at the same time, I’m slow at that as well.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Carl H.]

Writing out a chart or two longhand should get your help with your sight transposition. It's the repetition you need without the embarrassment of doing it in rehearsal.

It has worked for me when doing a new transposition. It becomes much easier and faster to just play the note instead of writing the dumb things out.

 

[Mike M]

Read it in Bass Clef, then up a major 2nd.
Part of my private lesson program for HS students planning to go to college as a music major is to transpose on-their-instrument (Bb clar/Tenor/Alto/Bari) from concert pitch and from bass clef.

The kids hate it but it's part of being a musician.
In your case:
Print a sheet of Bass clef music that isn't too "notey" (free cello sheet music is readily available on-line).

Pick one (only one) note on the page (let's say....top space G) and play it transposed (your A)
then
go down the page looking at all of the top-space-G's and play them as A's.
(Some students have color-coded them.)

Go back to the top of the page and pick a second note and do same thing
then
repeat the process with one-more note.

Then play all-three notes (transposed) down the page.

The above is enough for one day/practice session.

On subsequent days review the transposed notes you learned and add one or two.

Repeat the process for 5 sessions and you should have all the notes on the page pretty much set.

Copy/print another sheet and do the same thing although it will take you less time.

You will get it in no time.

Best of luck,
MM

 

[BarrySachs]

Thanks Mike. Been working on this a little every day for the past few weeks. I can make it through simple tuba parts now, whereas before I was too slow. Connection between note on page and fingering is becoming automatic without even thinking of the note name or going through the transposing step. Hopefully, it will be solid in a few more weeks. I think I'm on the right track.

 

[Mike M]

Thanks Mike. Been working on this a little every day for the past few weeks. I can make it through simple tuba parts now, whereas before I was too slow. Connection between note on page and fingering is becoming automatic without even thinking of the note name or going through the transposing step. Hopefully, it will be solid in a few more weeks. I think I'm on the right track.

Excellent, I knew that you'd catch on.
It takes a little getting used to but with time it will come along.
I personally feel that learning how to transpose-on-sight made my non-transposing sight reading better.