GRADE 3 THEORY COURSE

LESSON 12
Transposition

At Grade 3 level, transposition is a matter of placing the original and transposed scales side by side and
taking the scale degrees of one across into the other.

Here is a melody in C major:

j
& 4 Ϫ
4
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
Let’s transpose it up into E major.

Firstly, place the scales of C major and E major side by side, note for note.

C E
D F#
E G#
F A
G B
A C#
B D#
j
& 4 Ϫ
4
œ œ œ
C E
œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
The first note of the melody is E. If we find this note in the first scale and see which note corresponds to it
in the second scale we see that the first note of the transposed melody will be G#.

#### 4
™j
& 4 œ 4™ œ œ œ œ
& 4 œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
Now do the same with G. In the scale of E major, this note is B.

#### 4
4 4 œ ™ j œœJ
& 4 œ™ œ
& œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
The third note is C. In E major, this note is E.

#### 4
4 œ ™ œJ
œ
&

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 & 4 Ϫ
4
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
If we continue like this we will end up with:

#### 4
4 œ ™ œJ
œ œ œ œ œ ˙
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙

Make sure to check each note against the original to see that you have transposed the notes in the right
direction up or down. Also, that you have followed the instruction to transpose UP.

Now let’s transpose a melody in a minor key.

Here is a melody in E minor:

œ œ™
#6 j œ™ œ
& 8 œ ™ #œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ™
œ œ œ œ œ œ j

Let’s transpose it down into C minor.

E C
F# D
G Eb
A F
B G
C Ab
D# B
E C
#6 j Ϫ Ϫ
8 œ ™ corresponds
œ œ™
E& œ œ
toœC in C minor. D# corresponds to B œ
œ etc.œ œ œ
œ œ j
in E minor
#œ œ œ
If we continue like this we will end up with:

œ œ™
b 6 j œ™ œ œ œ œ
&b b 8 ™ œ œ j ™
œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
Note that the raised seventh degree needs to be checked, especially with a key signature. Because of the
key signature of three flats, B will need to be B§. And again, check that you have transposed the notes in
the right direction up or down.

You can also check the transposed melody intervalically against the untransposed one. From C to E
is a major third; therefore every note in the transposed melody should be a major third lower than
the original. It might not be possible to check every note (for example B to D# is beyond the scope of
this syllabus) but checking that every note is a third down can be very useful if there are a lot of wide
intervals in the original melody.

In Grade 3 Theory we need to be able to transpose accidentals that may be a part of the melody. This is
in addition to the sharpened leading note in minor scales. These accidentals are not part of the original
scale and have been added in.

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Let’s have a look at this melody in G minor.

œ #œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ
#œ nœ œ œ ™
bb6 œ œ œ œ
& 8 œ œ J œ
2

There are some wide leaps that we will need to be careful about when we transpose the melody. Are
there any notes present that are not found in the key of G minor? There are two: C# and E natural.

œ #œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ
œ œ #œ nœ œ œ ™
b6
&b 8 œ œ œ œ œ
J
2

Say we were to transpose this melody down into the key of E minor.

We start by placing the two scales side by side, as we have before.

G E
A F#
Bb G
C A
D B
Eb C
F# D#
œ #œ œ ™ œE
œ œ #œ nœ œ œ ™
b6 œ œ
G
œ œ œ
&b 8 œ œ œ J
By following the method of taking the note from the original scale across into the new one, the first five
2
notes transpose like this:

#6
& 8œ œ œ œ œ
J
The first note in bar 2, Eb, will become C in the transposition.

How do we transpose the C#?

œ #œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ
œ œ #œ nœ œ œ ™
b6
&b 8 œ œ œ œ œ
C# is only a semitone away from C, so we go to C, then read across into the new scale to find that C
J
transposes to A. Then we just add the semitone to both notes: so – C# transposes to A#.
2
The first two bars are thus:

#6
& 8œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ ™
J
2

Do you notice anything interesting about bar 3?

G minor normally contains F#; in this bar we have an F.

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 œ #œ œ ™
We handle this in the same way. We treat it as an F# and go across into the new scale; F# becomes D# in
œ œ œ œ
#œ nœ œ œ ™
b6 œ œ œ œ œ
the new key. Now, we take a semitone off both notes because the original note was F§. So – F§ transposes
b
& 8
to D.
œ J œ
2
Here are the first three bars:

#6
& 8œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ
J œ œ
2

œ #œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ
nœ toœaddœa™
b6 œ œ œ œ œ
Now the last bar. You’ll notice that it contains an E§, which is not normally found in a G minor scale.
b
& 8 œ œ
The closest we have is Eb in theJ scale of G minor; this note transposes as C. Now, we
#œneed
2
semitone to both notes to make the original note E§. So – E§ transposes to C#:

#6 œ #œ œ ™ œ œ œ œ
& 8œ œ œ œ œ
J œ œ #œ # œ œ œ ™
2

So far we have seen a sharp note transpose as a sharp, and a natural as a natural. In this case a natural has
transposed as a sharp. Never assume that a flat transposes as a flat, nor a sharp as a sharp. Always use the
method shown here and be especially careful when transposing from a flat key to a sharp key and vice
versa. Check all the accidentals thoroughly.

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