Transposition / B♭ clarinet
B♭ clarinet transposition
Clarinet transposition: written to concert pitch (with audio)
Written C on B♭ clarinet sounds B♭, a major second lower.
Written to concert pitch: every note
Tap ▶ to hear each note played on b♭ clarinet.
| Written note | Sounds (concert pitch) |
|---|---|
| C4 | B♭3 |
| C♯4 | B3 |
| D4 | C4 |
| D♯4 | C♯4 |
| E4 | D4 |
| F4 | E♭4 |
| F♯4 | E4 |
| G4 | F4 |
| G♯4 | F♯4 |
| A4 | G4 |
| A♯4 | G♯4 |
| B4 | A4 |
Key signatures: concert key to written key
If the band is playing in the concert key on the left, this is the key the b♭ clarinet part is written in.
| Concert key | B♭ clarinet written key |
|---|---|
| D♭ major (5 flats) | E♭ major (3 flats) |
| A♭ major (4 flats) | B♭ major (2 flats) |
| E♭ major (3 flats) | F major (1 flat) |
| B♭ major (2 flats) | C major (no ♯ or ♭) |
| F major (1 flat) | G major (1 sharp) |
| C major (no ♯ or ♭) | D major (2 sharps) |
| G major (1 sharp) | A major (3 sharps) |
| D major (2 sharps) | E major (4 sharps) |
| A major (3 sharps) | B major (5 sharps) |
| E major (4 sharps) | F♯ major (6 sharps) |
| B major (5 sharps) | C♯ major (7 sharps) |
Concert B♭ scale for b♭ clarinet
Written notes for B♭ clarinet, one octave ascending:
B♭ clarinet transposition notes
The standard clarinet is pitched in B♭. Every written note sounds a major second (a whole step) lower than it looks, so a clarinet part written in D major sounds in concert C major.
B♭ clarinet and B♭ trumpet transpose exactly the same way, same interval, same octave, which is why band arrangers can often hand the same written line to both instruments and have them sound in unison. If you already read trumpet parts, clarinet transposition is the same maths.
A useful shortcut: for the common concert B♭ major scale, clarinet plays plain C major, no sharps or flats. That is one of the reasons concert B♭ and E♭ are the traditional 'home' keys for school band music: they keep the B♭ instruments' parts in the simplest possible key.
B♭ clarinet: concert pitch is a major 2nd lower than written pitch (write a major 2nd higher than concert to go the other way).
Frequently asked
What is concert pitch on clarinet?
It is the pitch that actually sounds. B♭ clarinet is a transposing instrument: a written C sounds concert B♭, a whole step lower.
Is clarinet the same transposition as trumpet?
Yes. Standard B♭ clarinet and B♭ trumpet transpose by the same interval, a major second, in the same octave.
What is the concert B♭ scale for clarinet?
Written C major: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, with no sharps or flats.
Why do clarinet parts have more sharps than the flute part in the same piece?
Flute reads at concert pitch. Clarinet's written key is always two steps sharper (or two flats fewer) than the concert key, so a concert key with flats often becomes a clarinet key with sharps or fewer flats.
More
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