Sheet Music Transposer

This sheet music transposer opens MusicXML and MIDI files, moves the whole score to any key (key signature, notes, accidentals and chord symbols), and lets you play, print or save the result.

Open a MusicXML or MIDI file.musicxml, .mxl, .xml or .mid. Drop it here or choose it. The file stays on your device.

How to use it

  1. Open your file. MusicXML (.musicxml, .mxl or .xml) from a notation app, or a MIDI file (.mid). Or press "Try the sample".
  2. Choose the new key. Press + or − to move one semitone at a time, or pick the key by name (for example D♭ rather than C♯).
  3. Check it. The score is redrawn in the new key. Press Play to hear it.
  4. Save or print. Save the transposed score as MusicXML (to open in any notation app) or MIDI, or print it and choose "Save as PDF" for a PDF copy.

Transposing PDF sheet music, scans and photos

A PDF or photo of sheet music is a picture: the notes have to be read from it before anything can transpose them. This tool doesn't guess notes from pictures, because mistakes would be easy to miss. Instead:

  • If the score came from a notation program (MuseScore Studio, Finale and others), open it there and export it as MusicXML.
  • If you only have paper, a scan or a PDF, use an optical music recognition (OMR) program to turn it into MusicXML. Audiveris is an open-source one (get it only from its official GitHub page). Check the result against the original before you transpose it.
  • For a short piece, transpose it by hand with the method below, or type the chords into the chord transposer if you only need the chords.

How to transpose sheet music by hand

  1. Find the interval. Count the semitones from the old key to the new one: C major to D major is up 2 semitones (a major 2nd).
  2. Write the new key signature. D major has two sharps: F♯ and C♯.
  3. Move every note by the same interval, the same number of letter names each time: C → D, E → F♯, G → A. Notes covered by the new key signature need no extra sign.
  4. Move the accidentals too. An accidental keeps its job: an F♯ that was a raised note in C becomes a G♯ in D, so it still needs a sharp.
  5. Move the chord symbols above the staff by the same interval: G7 becomes A7.
  6. Check the range. If the part is now too high or low for the instrument or voice, move it an octave.

The tool follows the same steps, and spells the new key with the fewest sharps or flats unless you choose otherwise.

What gets transposed

Part of the scoreWhat happens
Key signaturesChanged to the new key, including key changes in the middle of the piece.
NotesMoved by the interval and spelled for the new key (for example E♯ in B major, not F).
AccidentalsWorked out again bar by bar from the new key signature.
Chord symbolsMoved with the notes (root and bass note).
Transposing instrumentsEach part keeps its own written key; everything moves by the same interval.
Drums (MIDI)Left as they are.

Tips

Keep the key easy to read

Up 1 semitone from C gives D♭ major (5 flats) rather than C♯ major (7 sharps). If you need the other name, pick it in "New key".

Parts for other instruments

To write a concert-pitch part for a B♭, E♭ or F instrument, see the guide to transposing instruments for the interval to use.

Frequently asked questions

Can I transpose a PDF of sheet music?

Not directly: a PDF is a picture of the notes, so no program can change the key without first reading the notes from the picture. If you have the original file from a notation app, export it as MusicXML and open that here. For a scan or a PDF, an optical music recognition program such as Audiveris can turn the picture into MusicXML; check the result, then transpose it here.

How do I transpose sheet music?

Open the MusicXML or MIDI file, then press + or − (one semitone each) or choose the new key. The tool rewrites the key signature, every note, the accidentals and the chord symbols. Play it to check, then save it as MusicXML or MIDI, or print it.

What is MusicXML?

A file format for sheet music that notation programs use to exchange scores. Programs such as MuseScore Studio and Finale can save a score as MusicXML (.musicxml, or .mxl when compressed).

Does it transpose the chord symbols too?

Yes. Chord symbols written above the staff move by the same interval as the notes, so they stay correct in the new key. For a song sheet with only chords and lyrics, use the chord transposer instead.

How do I transpose music for a B♭ trumpet or clarinet?

Move the concert-pitch part up 2 semitones (a major 2nd): concert C major becomes D major. For an E♭ alto saxophone, move it up 9 semitones (a major 6th). The instrument transposer lists every instrument.

Is my file uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is read and transposed in your browser and never sent to a server.

Why does a MIDI file show a piano roll instead of notation?

A MIDI file stores which notes play and when, not how they are written on the staff. The tool shows the notes as a piano roll, plays them, and saves the transposed MIDI file. To get printed notation, open the MIDI file in a notation app and save it as MusicXML.

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