Transposition / Horn in F
Horn in F transposition
Horn transposition: written to concert pitch (with audio)
Written C on horn in F sounds F, a perfect fifth lower.
Written to concert pitch: every note
Tap ▶ to hear each note played on horn in f.
| Written note | Sounds (concert pitch) |
|---|---|
| C4 | F3 |
| C♯4 | F♯3 |
| D4 | G3 |
| D♯4 | G♯3 |
| E4 | A3 |
| F4 | B♭3 |
| F♯4 | B3 |
| G4 | C4 |
| G♯4 | C♯4 |
| A4 | D4 |
| A♯4 | D♯4 |
| B4 | E4 |
Key signatures: concert key to written key
If the band is playing in the concert key on the left, this is the key the horn in f part is written in.
| Concert key | Horn in F written key |
|---|---|
| D♭ major (5 flats) | A♭ major (4 flats) |
| A♭ major (4 flats) | E♭ major (3 flats) |
| E♭ major (3 flats) | B♭ major (2 flats) |
| B♭ major (2 flats) | F major (1 flat) |
| F major (1 flat) | C major (no ♯ or ♭) |
| C major (no ♯ or ♭) | G major (1 sharp) |
| G major (1 sharp) | D major (2 sharps) |
| D major (2 sharps) | A major (3 sharps) |
| A major (3 sharps) | E major (4 sharps) |
| E major (4 sharps) | B major (5 sharps) |
| B major (5 sharps) | F♯ major (6 sharps) |
Concert B♭ scale for horn in f
Written notes for Horn in F, one octave ascending:
Horn in F transposition notes
The modern horn is pitched in F. A written C sounds a perfect fifth lower, concert F. That is a plain interval to work out on paper, but horn parts have a reputation for being awkward because of how they have been notated historically, not because the transposition itself is unusual.
In a lot of older orchestral scores, horn parts were written with no key signature at all, using accidentals note by note, even though the instrument transposes just like any other. Modern editions and most band arrangements do use a proper key signature, but you may still run into older or reprinted parts that don't.
Bass clef is the one real trap. Many older horn parts use “old notation” in bass clef: the notes are written an octave lower than modern notation would put them, so a written note sounds a perfect fourth higher instead of a fifth lower. Modern editions use new notation (a fifth lower, as in treble clef) and often say so in a note. If a bass-clef passage sounds an octave off, this is why.
Horn in F: concert pitch is a perfect 5th lower than written pitch (write a perfect 5th higher than concert to go the other way).
Frequently asked
What is concert pitch on horn in F?
The actual sounding pitch. Horn in F is a transposing instrument: written C sounds concert F, a perfect fifth lower.
How do I read a concert pitch part on horn?
Move each note up a perfect fifth from concert pitch to get the written note. A concert F becomes a written C.
Are horn parts ever written in bass clef an octave lower?
In older music, often yes: “old notation” writes bass-clef horn notes an octave lower, so they sound a perfect fourth higher than written. Modern parts in bass clef usually sound a fifth lower, like treble clef. Check the edition's note, or listen: an octave out means old notation.
What is the concert B♭ scale on horn in F?
Written F major: F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E, F.
More
Skip the maths: photograph the part
ScoreLens reads a printed page and plays it back, at concert pitch or as written for horn in f.
Get ScoreLens · free to try