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 B♭ 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 B♭ 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.
