TransposingInstruments

A few notes to help me (and maybe others) to understand the range and transposing of the brass & saxes in the orchestra..

    - Richard, 22/04/09

Trumpet (Bb) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpet)
Nominal C (i.e. Bb) is with all valves open.
Written playing range F♯3 immediately below Middle C up to about three octaves higher
"Heard" range of the trumpet is from concert E3 (the E below middle C)

Cornet (Bb) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornet)
Written (and "heard") playing range and fingering same as trumpet

Alto Sax (Eb) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alto_saxophone)
Standard written range is B♭3 (immediately below Middle C) to F6
"Heard" range of the alto saxophone is from concert D♭3 (the D♭ below middle C to concert A♭5)

Table of Equivalent Pitch for the above instruments (showing bottom of their normal ranges too)
(C0 is the note at the bottom of the lowest audible octave ~16 Hz, with the octave number incrementing when the next higher C is reached. C4 = "middle C". Reference tuning is usually to A4 = 440 Hz, i.e. just above middle C):

Concert Pitch	Bb Transposing (written pitch)	Eb Transposing (written pitch)
C3	-	-
C#/Db3?	-	A#/Bb3?
D3	-	B3
D#/Eb3?	-	C4
E3	F#/Gb3?	C#/Db4?
F3	G3	D4
F#/Gb3?	G#/Ab3?	D#/Eb4?
G3	A3	E4
G#/Ab3?	A#/Bb3?	F4
A3	B3	F#/Gb4?
A#/Bb3?	C4	G4
B3	C#/Db4?	G#/Ab4?
C4 (middle C)	D4	A4
C#/Db4?	D#/Eb4?	A#/Bb4?
D4	E4	B4
D#/Eb4?	F4	C5
E4	F#/Gb4?	C#/Db5?
F4	G4	D5

A good list of instruments by transposition (and their actual pitch):
http://www.cmelody.com/?page_id=5