How to Transpose for F and G Instruments
This guide covers two downward-transposing instrument groups: F instruments (French horn and English horn, which sound a perfect fifth lower than written) and the G instrument group (alto flute, which sounds a perfect fourth lower than written). When a French horn or English horn player reads a written C, the concert pitch that sounds is F — a perfect fifth (7 semitones) lower. When an alto flute player reads a written C, the concert pitch that sounds is G — a perfect fourth (5 semitones) lower. Both groups require writing the part higher than concert pitch, but by different intervals.
The Transposition Rule
- Instrument Key
- F and G Instruments
- Interval
- Perfect 5th (7 semitones)
- Direction
- Written is a Perfect 5th (7 semitones) above concert pitch
Concert Pitch to Written Pitch
To convert concert pitch to written pitch for F instruments: go UP a perfect fifth (7 semitones). Add 1 sharp to the key signature (or remove 1 flat). Concert C major goes to written G major (1 sharp). Concert F major goes to written C major (no accidentals). Concert Bb major goes to written F major (1 flat).
Written Pitch to Concert Pitch
To convert written pitch to concert pitch for F instruments: go DOWN a perfect fifth (7 semitones). Remove 1 sharp from the key signature (or add 1 flat). Written G major goes to concert C major. Written C major goes to concert F major. Written F major goes to concert Bb major.
Worked Key Examples
Concert: C major — Written: G major (1 sharp)
Concert C major (no accidentals). F instrument player reads G major (1 sharp: F#). Written G4 (392 Hz) sounds as concert C4 (261.63 Hz) — a perfect fifth lower. Written C5 sounds concert F4. The French horn player sees G major on the page; the conductor hears C major.
Concert: F major — Written: C major (no accidentals)
Concert F major (1 flat). F instrument player reads C major (no accidentals). This is the most comfortable key for French horn — no accidentals in the written part. Written C4 sounds concert F3 (174.61 Hz). This is why the French horn sounds so natural in F major — the instrument is built in F.
Concert: D major — Written: A major (3 sharps)
Concert D major (2 sharps). F instrument player reads A major (3 sharps: F#, C#, G#). Add 1 sharp to go from 2 sharps to 3 sharps. Written A4 (440 Hz) sounds concert D4 (293.66 Hz). Brahms and other composers frequently wrote horn parts in 3-sharp (A major written) for pieces in concert D major.
Tips and Common Mistakes
Quick tip: For F instruments (French horn, English horn), the written key always has 1 more sharp (or 1 fewer flat) than the concert key. For the alto flute (G instrument), the written key always has 1 fewer flat (or 1 more sharp) than the concert key — the same direction as F instruments but a different interval. The perfect fifth (F instruments) and perfect fourth (alto flute) are both subdominant-direction transpositions on the circle of fifths. The French horn part in bass clef uses a different transposition convention (concert pitch, not transposed) in some older scores — always check the score edition.
Use the circle of fifths to visualize key signature relationships. Each step clockwise on the circle adds one sharp; each step counter-clockwise adds one flat. F and G Instruments transposition moves 1 step clockwise (adds 1 sharp) on the circle.
Instruments in This Group
Transpose with Precision — Get Tunable.
Tunable's chromatic tuner shows exact Hz values in real time. Use Tunable to verify your transposition by comparing written and concert pitch frequencies for all 3 F and G Instruments.
