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<p>
<a name="Transpose"></a>
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Octave-checks.html#Octave-checks">Octave checks</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Changing-multiple-pitches.html#Changing-multiple-pitches">Changing multiple pitches</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="unnumberedsubsubsec">Transpose</h5>
<p><a name="index-transpose-93"></a><a name="index-transposing-94"></a><a name="index-transposition-95"></a><a name="index-transposition-of-pitches-96"></a><a name="index-transposition-of-notes-97"></a><a name="index-pitches_002c-transposition-of-98"></a><a name="index-notes_002c-transposition-of-99"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctranspose-100"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctranspose-101"></a>
<p>A music expression can be transposed with <code>\transpose</code>. The
syntax is
<pre class="example">\transpose <var>frompitch</var> <var>topitch</var> <var>musicexpr</var>
</pre>
<p class="noindent">This means that <var>musicexpr</var> is transposed by the interval
between the pitches <var>frompitch</var> and <var>topitch</var>: any note
with pitch <var>frompitch</var> is changed to <var>topitch</var> and any
other note is transposed by the same interval. Both pitches are
entered in absolute mode.
<p>Consider a piece written in the key of D-major. It can be
transposed up to E-major; note that the key signature is
automatically transposed as well.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\transpose d e {
\relative c' {
\key d \major
d4 fis a d
}
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../08/lily-202cfe8f.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../08/lily-202cfe8f.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-transposing-instruments-102"></a><a name="index-instruments_002c-transposing-103"></a>
If a part written in C (normal <var>concert pitch</var>) is to be
played on the A clarinet (for which an A is notated as a C and
thus sounds a minor third lower than notated), the appropriate
part will be produced with:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\transpose a c' {
\relative c' {
\key c \major
c4 d e g
}
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../c4/lily-a30d781d.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../c4/lily-a30d781d.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">Note that we specify <code>\key c \major</code><!-- /@w --> explicitly. If we
do not specify a key signature, the notes will be transposed but
no key signature will be printed.
<p><code>\transpose</code> distinguishes between enharmonic pitches: both
<code>\transpose c cis</code><!-- /@w --> or <code>\transpose c des</code><!-- /@w --> will
transpose up a semitone. The first version will print sharps and
the notes will remain on the same scale step, the second version
will print flats on the scale step above.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
music = \relative c' { c d e f }
\new Staff {
\transpose c cis { \music }
\transpose c des { \music }
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../93/lily-99a44b4c.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../93/lily-99a44b4c.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-transposing-instruments-104"></a><a name="index-instruments_002c-transposing-105"></a>
<code>\transpose</code> may also be used in a different way, to input
written notes for a transposing instrument. The previous examples
show how to enter pitches in C (or <var>concert pitch</var>) and
typeset them for a transposing instrument, but the opposite is
also possible if you for example have a set of instrumental parts
and want to print a conductor's score. For example, when entering
music for a B-flat trumpet that begins on a notated E (concert D),
one would write:
<pre class="example">musicInBflat = { e4 ... }
\transpose c bes, \musicInBflat
</pre>
<p class="noindent">To print this music in F (e.g., rearranging to a French horn) you
could wrap the existing music with another <code>\transpose</code>:
<pre class="example">musicInBflat = { e4 ... }
\transpose f c' { \transpose c bes, \musicInBflat }
</pre>
<p class="noindent">For more information about transposing instruments,
see <a href="Instrument-transpositions.html#Instrument-transpositions">Instrument transpositions</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Selected Snippets</h5>
<p><em>Transposing music with minimum accidentals</em>
<p>This example uses some Scheme code to enforce enharmonic
modifications for notes in order to have the minimum number of
accidentals. In this case, the following rules apply:
<ul>
<li>Double accidentals should be removed
<li>B sharp -> C
<li>E sharp -> F
<li>C flat -> B
<li>F flat -> E
</ul>
<p>In this manner, the most natural enharmonic notes are chosen.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
#(define (naturalize-pitch p)
(let* ((o (ly:pitch-octave p))
(a (* 4 (ly:pitch-alteration p)))
; alteration, a, in quarter tone steps, for historical reasons
(n (ly:pitch-notename p)))
(cond
((and (> a 1) (or (eq? n 6) (eq? n 2)))
(set! a (- a 2))
(set! n (+ n 1)))
((and (< a -1) (or (eq? n 0) (eq? n 3)))
(set! a (+ a 2))
(set! n (- n 1))))
(cond
((> a 2) (set! a (- a 4)) (set! n (+ n 1)))
((< a -2) (set! a (+ a 4)) (set! n (- n 1))))
(if (< n 0) (begin (set! o (- o 1)) (set! n (+ n 7))))
(if (> n 6) (begin (set! o (+ o 1)) (set! n (- n 7))))
(ly:make-pitch o n (/ a 4))))
#(define (naturalize music)
(let* ((es (ly:music-property music 'elements))
(e (ly:music-property music 'element))
(p (ly:music-property music 'pitch)))
(if (pair? es)
(ly:music-set-property!
music 'elements
(map (lambda (x) (naturalize x)) es)))
(if (ly:music? e)
(ly:music-set-property!
music 'element
(naturalize e)))
(if (ly:pitch? p)
(begin
(set! p (naturalize-pitch p))
(ly:music-set-property! music 'pitch p)))
music))
naturalizeMusic =
#(define-music-function (parser location m)
(ly:music?)
(naturalize m))
music = \relative c' { c4 d e g }
\score {
\new Staff {
\transpose c ais \music
\naturalizeMusic \transpose c ais \music
\transpose c deses \music
\naturalizeMusic \transpose c deses \music
}
\layout { }
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../c4/lily-abfae8cf.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../c4/lily-abfae8cf.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Instrument-transpositions.html#Instrument-transpositions">Instrument transpositions</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Pitches.html#Pitches">Pitches</a>.
<p>Internals Reference:
<a name="index-TransposedMusic-106"></a><a href="../lilypond-internals/TransposedMusic.html#TransposedMusic">TransposedMusic</a>.
<p><a name="index-g_t_005ctranspose-107"></a><a name="index-g_t_005ctranspose-108"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005cchordmode-109"></a><a name="index-g_t_005cchordmode-110"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005crelative-111"></a><a name="index-g_t_005crelative-112"></a>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>The relative conversion will not affect <code>\transpose</code>,
<code>\chordmode</code> or <code>\relative</code> sections in its argument.
To use relative mode within transposed music, an additional
<code>\relative</code> must be placed inside <code>\transpose</code>.
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Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" href="Octave-checks.html#Octave-checks">Octave checks</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Changing-multiple-pitches.html#Changing-multiple-pitches">Changing multiple pitches</a>
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