1. Instrumentation and Transposition
AP Music Theory
Mr. Silvagni

2. Instrumentation
Instrumentation refers to which instruments are used in a piece of music
It also can refer to categorization of instruments
Musical range: not only how high/low they can play, but where they’re usually played in a group setting
Timbre: what kind of sound it makes

3. Instrumentation: Musical Range
Soprano instruments
Flute, recorder, violin, trumpet
Alto instruments
Alto saxophone, oboe, alto flute, viola, French horn
Tenor instruments
Trombone, clarinet, tenor saxophone
Baritone instruments
Bassoon, English horn, baritone saxophone, baritone horn, bass clarinet, cello
Bass instruments
Contrabassoon, bass saxophone, double bass, tuba

4. Instrumentation: Timbre
Strings
Violin, viola, cello, bass
Woodwinds
Flute, recorder, alto saxophone, oboe, alto flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone, bassoon, English horn, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, bass saxophone
Brass
Trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone horn, tuba
Percussion
Snare drum, bass drum, timpani, bells, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, chimes

5. Other instrumentation terms
Register – division of the range of an instrument or singing voice
Tessitura – general range of a composition (usually vocal) or of a particular voice of a composition

6. Transposition
Transposition – to sound a pitch different from the one written or to rewrite music from one key to another
Not all instruments sound the pitch they read…those that do are said to be instruments in C or concert pitch
The other common pitches for instruments to be in are Bb, F, and Eb (although others do exist)

7. Transposition Concert Pitch instruments (C instruments)
When C is played, C is heard
All strings, percussion, and keyboard instruments
Flute, recorder, oboe, bassoon
C Trumpet (orchestral trumpet), trombone, baritone horn, tuba

8. Transposition
Bb Instruments – sound a major 2nd below the written pitch
When C is played, Bb is heard
Bass clarinet, Bb clarinet, Bb trumpet, flugelhorn, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone

9. Transposition
Eb Instruments – sound a major 6th below the written pitch
When C is played, Eb is heard
Alto clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, Eb clarinet

10. Transposition
F Instruments – sound a perfect 5th below the written pitch
When C is played, F is heard
English Horn and French Horn
Octave displacements
Bells (15va)
Piccolo, Eb clarinet, Xylophone (8va)
Bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, double bass (8vb)

11. Transposition
If you are looking at the transposed part and you need to identify the concert pitch, then go down the appropriate interval to find concert pitch.
If you are looking at concert pitch, then go up the appropriate interval to correctly transpose.