Brainlag PlusSome instruments sound higher or lower than written, the piccolo an octave higher, the double bass an octave lower; and each has a lowest note it can play.
Transposing instruments
Some instruments sound a different pitch from their written notes, so their parts sit on the stave without lots of ledger lines.
- Clarinet (in B flat or A), trumpet in B flat, horn in F, cor anglais: they sound lower than written (see the concert pitch lesson).
- Piccolo, xylophone and celesta sound an octave higher than written; the glockenspiel two octaves higher.
- Double bass sounds an octave lower than written (so does the contrabassoon).
Quick check
How does the piccolo sound compared with its written notes?
The rest of this lesson and its 4 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 4, free to read.
- 4 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards