How to Make a Transposing Wheel
Transposition is a tough concept for those who haven’t done much of it. Learning music as it’s written often poses enough of a challenge! But learning to transpose, either “statically” before you begin to play or “on the fly”, can really take your musicianship up a notch. Let’s take one step at a time.
This article from our friends at CathysChords shows how to make a transposition wheel. Transposition is a handy skill for guitarists, as you’ll often want to play music in a key that differs from what is written on the music you have (for orchestral players, please see Transposing for Trumpet: A Handy Reference). Whether the chords are particularly nasty as written or the singer just needs to take it down a step or two, transposition can be used to carry the day. It’s a simple skill once you get your head around it, and the wheel can help getting started even easier.
The basic idea is that when you see a chord or key (for guitar) that you want to change to a more suitable one, you can just “dial it in”. Line up the original chord on the wheel with the one you want to use instead, and then use the matching chords instead of those written on the music. To try it, grab a pencil and a piece of music that you’ve always avoided playing due to the ugly chords and give it a try. Dial in the first chord, lining it up with an easier-to-play one (maybe A or C). Write in the “new” chord by the original one on the music, and then repeat for each subsequent one…maybe for a line or two. Then try playing it. Magic!
Have a transposing story to tell? Drop us a line! We’d love to hear from you.
Keep playing,
Mark
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