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Music Summaries

Music Transposition Chart

Transpose musical notes from one key to another.
How to change a song from any
musical key, to any other key.



Pick the key you are changing from in the leftmost column. Then, read across to the column that represents the key you want to change to, where the corresponding notes are listed.

The chart below can be used to make all 132 possible musical transpositions (11 x 12). Two octaves are shown for inter-octave clarity.

Transpose music from Key to Key - 2 octaves shown
Piano
Keyboard
Half-
Steps
Full Notes

 Key of :
Piano Treble Clef Key
C
(piano)
Db
D
 Eb
E
(guitar)
 F
 Gb
 G
 Ab
 A
Bb
(brass)
 B
 first

 

second

 

 third
fourth

 

 fifth

 

 sixth

 

seventh
C
(tonic)
0
first
DO

C

 

D

 

E
F

 

G

 

A
Bb
B

 

 

C#/Db
1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

bbbbb 

D

 

2
second
RE
D

 

E

 

F#
G

 

A

 

B

 

C#

 ##

 

D#/Eb
3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

bbb 

E

 

4
third
MI
E

 

F#

 

G#
A

 

B

 

C#

 

D#

 ####

F
(sub-dom.)
5
fourth
FA
F

 

G

 

A
Bb

 

C

 

D

 

E

b 

 

F#/Gb
6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G
dominant
7
fifth
SO
G

 

A

 

B
C

 

D

 

E

 

F#

 #

 

G#/Ab
8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bbbb 

A

 

9
sixth
LA
A

 

B

 

C#
D

 

E

 

F#

 

G#

 ###

 

A#/Bb
10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bb 

B

 

11
seventh
TI
B

 

C#

 

D#
E

 

F#

 

G#

 

A#

 #####

C
(tonic)
12/0
8/1
DO
C

 

D

 

E
F

 

G

 

A

 

B

 

 

C#/Db
1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D

 

2
2
RE
D

 

E

 

F#
G

 

A

 

B

 

C#

 

D#/Eb
3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

E

 

4
3
MI
E

 

F#

 

G#
A

 

B

 

C#

 

D#

F
(sub-dom.)
5
4
FA
F

 

G

 

A
Bb

 

C

 

D

 

E

 

F#/Gb
6

 

 

Gb

 

 Ab

 

 Bb
B

 

Db

 

Eb

 

 F

G
dominant
7
5
SO
G

 

A

 

B
C

 

D

 

E

 

F#

 

G#/Ab
8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A

 

9
6
LA
A

 

B

 

C#
D

 

E

 

F#

 

G#

 

A#/Bb
10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B

 

11
7
TI
B

 

C#

 

D#
E

 

F#

 

G#

 

A#

C
 (tonic)
0
1
DO
C

 

D

 

E
F

 

G

 

A

 

B



Piano Keyboard - Two Octaves

Simplified Diagram: Transpose Music from Key to Key - 1 octave shown

Musical Note

C
Db
D
 Eb
E
 F
 Gb
 G
 Ab
 A
Bb
 B
C

Half Steps

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Full Notes

DO

-

RE

-

MI
FA

-

SO

-

LA

-

TI
DO

nth Note

first

-

second

-

third
fourth

-

fifth

-

sixth

-

seventh
eighth

Key of C
C

 

D

 

E
F

 

G

 

A

B
C

 

 C#/Db

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

c

 

Key of D
D

 

E

 

F#
G

 

A

 

B

c

C#
D

 

 D#/Eb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 c

  

 

 

Key of E
E

 

F#

 

G#
A

 

B

 c

C#

 

D#
E
Key of F
F

 

G

 

A
Bb

 

C

 

D

 

E
F

 

 F#/Gb

 

 

 

 

 

 c

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key of G
G

 

A

 

B
C

 

D

 

E

 

F#
G

 

 G#/Fb

 

 

 

 c

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key of A
A

 

B

 c

C#
D

 

E

 

F#

 

G#
A

 

 A#/Bb

 

 c

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key of B
B

 c

C#

 

D#
E

 

F#

 

G#

 

A#
B
Key of C
C

 

D

 

E
F

 

G

 

A

 

B
C

-


Example: If music in the Key of C indicates playing an E note, that note would be a B note in the key of G.

The blanks are left for the student to fill in - and to reduce clutter - and to show the pattern.
Keyboard instruments are based on the key of C, the guitar on the key of E (or F),
and brass instruments on the key of B flat.
Piano transposition summary table

Many thanks to Ron Cox for finding 2 errors in the above tables, replicated 3 times. Fixed.
Many thanks to Steve Graves for finding 2 more errors, replicated 3 times. Fixed.



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Vaughn's Summaries (One-Pagers)
©2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 Vaughn Aubuchon ... All Rights Reserved
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com
This Vaughns 1-Pagers Music Key Transposition Chart web page was updated on 2009-04-19.