As a B♭ trumpet player, I’m comfortable transposing at sight and playing parts for other instruments in different keys and clefs.

But working back the other way, quickly telling a student which notes they should be playing from trumpet to their instrument… well, that takes a little more mental processing time. And I might get it wrong! So I’ve adapted my Transposition Matrix to align with the instruments in my school music program.

This is not a theory lesson, but a brief video demonstration that aims to demystify the world of transposing instruments for you. All of the notes played sound identical, but are written differently depending on the instrument.

Find the note you want in the chromatic scale for your instrument, and see how that same note appears written for the other instruments.

If you think this tool might help your students or other tutors, please send them the link.

Download and Print: Transposition Matrix – Amadeus Tutor Edition.