Saxophones will not transpose to keys properly

• Nov 26, 2020 - 23:01

I am writing a piece in the key of G# minor (B major). Alto saxophone and baritone saxophone are tuned to Eb, and therefore should display the key signature of D major/B minor, but instead are displaying the key signature Ab major/F minor. The soprano saxophone is a Bb instrument, and should be displaying C# major/A# minor, but instead is displaying Db major/Bb minor. This means that when I copy lines from other instruments onto soprano, alto, or baritone sax, the notes have an unreasonable and unnecessary amount of accidentals. Only the tenor saxophone transposes properly.


Comments

An Eb instrument plays 3 semitones higher than concert pitch so you should write it 3 semitones lower giving F minor/Ab major?
A Bb instrument plays 2 semitones lower than concert pitch so you should write it 2 semitones higher giving Bb minor/Db major (or C# major)?

If you attach your score it might be easier to work out what is going on.

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