How to read the transposition chart
- Find your key. Each row is a key. The chords in that row are the seven chords that belong to the key, in order: I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°.
- Find your chords. Look up each chord of the song in its key's row and note its column (its step in the key).
- Move to the new key. Go up or down the same column to the row of the new key. That is the new chord. Every chord keeps its column, so the song keeps its sound.
- Or let the chart do it. Choose a From and a To key above: the two rows are highlighted and lined up for you, with the number of semitones between them.
Worked example: C – Am – F – G from C to E♭
In C major these chords are I, vi, IV and V. In the E♭ row, the same columns hold:
| Step | I | vi | IV | V |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | Am | F | G |
| E♭ major | E♭ | Cm | A♭ | B♭ |
C to E♭ is up 3 semitones, and each chord moved up the same 3 semitones. The chord types did not change: Am became Cm, still minor. Notice the flats: E♭ major has three flats in its key signature, so the chart writes A♭ and B♭, never G♯ or A♯.
Transposition chart for band instruments
Trumpets, clarinets, saxophones and horns read music written in a different key from piano and guitar (concert pitch). Find the concert key on the left to see the key each instrument reads.
| Concert key | B♭ instruments | E♭ instruments | F instruments | A clarinet | G alto flute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | D | A | G | E♭ | F |
| D♭ | E♭ | B♭ | A♭ | E | F♯ |
| D | E | B | A | F | G |
| E♭ | F | C | B♭ | F♯ | A♭ |
| E | F♯ | D♭ | B | G | A |
| F | G | D | C | A♭ | B♭ |
| F♯ | A♭ | E♭ | D♭ | A | B |
| G | A | E | D | B♭ | C |
| A♭ | B♭ | F | E♭ | B | D♭ |
| A | B | F♯ | E | C | D |
| B♭ | C | G | F | D♭ | E♭ |
| B | D♭ | A♭ | F♯ | D | E |
B♭ instruments: trumpet, clarinet, soprano and tenor sax. E♭ instruments: alto and baritone sax. F instruments: French horn, English horn. Keys are written with the simpler of two names (for example D♭ rather than C♯).
Tips for transposing with a chart
Count semitones to check yourself
The rows of the chart go up one semitone at a time. Count the rows between the two keys: that is how far every chord moves. If one chord doesn't move by the same amount, it is a mistake.
Chords outside the key
Songs often use a chord that isn't in the key's row, like D7 in C major or B♭ in C major. Move it by the same number of semitones as everything else: D7 in C becomes F7 in E♭, and B♭ becomes D♭.
Major or minor rows
A minor song uses the minor chart: an A minor song (Am, Dm, E) moved up 2 semitones becomes B minor (Bm, Em, F♯). The relative major and minor share their chords: C major and A minor use the same seven chords, starting from a different home chord.