How to Change Musical Keys on a Piano
Figure out how far you're going., Know what the key signature of the new key is., Play the music as written, except play everything the number of semitones higher or lower., Include the sharps or flats in the NEW key signature., Choose the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Figure out how far you're going.
For example, if you're going from D to G, that's a perfect fourth, or four notes up, counting the D, the G, and all the notes in between.
If you don't know about harmonic intervals, count the semitones, eg:
A to Bb is one semitone, A to B is two semitones, D to G is five semitones. -
Step 2: Know what the key signature of the new key is.
For example, D has F# and C#.
G just has F#.
Ab has Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db.
Also, make sure you know how to write the new key, and which order to add in the sharps and flats. (See Work Out Which Key You're In). , Continuing with the same example, when you see a D, play a G.
If you see an E, play an A, and so on. , For example, if you see a C in the original music (which is actually a C#, but that isn't important right now), you're going to play an F, because that's a fourth higher than C.
But you're in G now, which has an F# in the key signature.
So you play an F# instead.
In this example, both the original note and the new note are both sharped.
This will not always be the case.
A natural note may become sharp or flat or natural, depending on the new key.
This won't matter if you have translated everything up or down the same number of semitones. , For example, if your original song (in D) has a Bb, that's a half-step down from its normal pitch (n to b =
-1).
The note B in the old key corresponds to the note E in the new key.
In the new key (G) E is normally natural, so you must drop it a half-step, to Eb. , You're transposing it to E, which has F#, C#, G#, and D#.
You see a D# in the written score.
You say to yourself, " D is normally flatted in this key, but here it's sharpened.
That means it's been raised two semitones, or one tone.
D in the old key corresponds to A in the new key.
A minor doesn't have any sharps or flats associated with it, so to raise it a whole-step up from A natural, play Ax, which is equivalent to B." Don't worry; it's not usually going to be this difficult in real life. , For example, if the original music goes from C to D (a modulation of one tone), and you're transposing such that it starts in Eb, the music after the key change must be in a key a tone higher than Eb, which is of course F. -
Step 3: Play the music as written
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Step 4: except play everything the number of semitones higher or lower.
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Step 5: Include the sharps or flats in the NEW key signature.
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Step 6: Choose the corresponding accidental for the new key.
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Step 7: Playing a song written in Ab
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Step 8: which has Bb
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Step 9: and Db.
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Step 10: If there's a key change in the song itself
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Step 11: you have to make sure to transpose the music after the key change correctly.
Detailed Guide
For example, if you're going from D to G, that's a perfect fourth, or four notes up, counting the D, the G, and all the notes in between.
If you don't know about harmonic intervals, count the semitones, eg:
A to Bb is one semitone, A to B is two semitones, D to G is five semitones.
For example, D has F# and C#.
G just has F#.
Ab has Bb, Eb, Ab, and Db.
Also, make sure you know how to write the new key, and which order to add in the sharps and flats. (See Work Out Which Key You're In). , Continuing with the same example, when you see a D, play a G.
If you see an E, play an A, and so on. , For example, if you see a C in the original music (which is actually a C#, but that isn't important right now), you're going to play an F, because that's a fourth higher than C.
But you're in G now, which has an F# in the key signature.
So you play an F# instead.
In this example, both the original note and the new note are both sharped.
This will not always be the case.
A natural note may become sharp or flat or natural, depending on the new key.
This won't matter if you have translated everything up or down the same number of semitones. , For example, if your original song (in D) has a Bb, that's a half-step down from its normal pitch (n to b =
-1).
The note B in the old key corresponds to the note E in the new key.
In the new key (G) E is normally natural, so you must drop it a half-step, to Eb. , You're transposing it to E, which has F#, C#, G#, and D#.
You see a D# in the written score.
You say to yourself, " D is normally flatted in this key, but here it's sharpened.
That means it's been raised two semitones, or one tone.
D in the old key corresponds to A in the new key.
A minor doesn't have any sharps or flats associated with it, so to raise it a whole-step up from A natural, play Ax, which is equivalent to B." Don't worry; it's not usually going to be this difficult in real life. , For example, if the original music goes from C to D (a modulation of one tone), and you're transposing such that it starts in Eb, the music after the key change must be in a key a tone higher than Eb, which is of course F.
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