Transpose . . What is this?

[CowboyNQ]

Detuning is a different feature found on more expensive keyboards allowing you transpose in cents or hundredths of a note so that you can tune to your xylophone or trumpet or tuba or glockenspiel or whatever instrument or recording is a bitch to tune and out of concert tuning.

Gary is on the money here as usual.

The other thing "detune" is exceptionally useful for is for creating interesting synth sounds. If, for example, you're trying to create a synth lead patch and you want to "fatten it up" a bit, if you run two oscillators you can detune one or both of them to slightly different setttings. Because the notes are ever-so-slightly in conflict with each other, it creates interesting harmonic effects which if done correctly will make the tone of your sound warmer, thicker and generally more pleasing to the ear.

Of course if done incorrectly it just sounds like a horrible mess, the trick is to make the detuning almost imperceptible to the ear.

 

[Fred Coulter]

If you really want to get pedantic, changing the pitch of the keyboard to match the other instruments in the ensemble isn't detuning, either. There's nothing magical about 440. Many modern orchestras tune to some other standard. Detuning implies that your instrument is off from the other instruments in the ensemble.

Which can be a valid musical choice. (Honky tonk piano, for one.)

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Right, Fred-- I'd call it "tuning," not "detuning." But detuning proper can create some useful effects, as in detuning one oscillator from another on a synthesizer (which CowboyNQ already mentioned).

 

[Alchemy]

Look what I, of all people, started ) You're right Sea. I was just looking at it from an outsider view but you caught me anyway. I felt a bit uncomfortable adding "de" since in common english that would just be one way. I'll also admit at this point, right after my post, it did hit me: "oh wait, they aren't talking about instruments, they are talking about the scores" (for transpose)

 

[SeaGtGruff]

What can we say... Musicians gotta muse!

 

[Rayblewit]

Musicians gotta muse!

Haha . . I like that.

And Pianists gotta pee

 

[ptooner]

One use of the transpose button is when you are following a guitarist. If he slaps on a capo, you better transpose the same number of steps up that he capos. Then you can read his hands directly for the chord. If you don't you have to read his hand then do the mental transpose and then play it. I'm not always that good.

 

[JazzCat >^..^<]

Still the novice and discovering new things . . I have been playing around with the "transpose" buttons. It can make a great sounding tune sound even greater adding new dimensions.

What is happening here?
My kb gives me options to increase or decrease the pitch by 24 increments. 12+ and 12-. (Is pitch the right terminology?)
So if I go +1 I am not going up an octave am I? That makes no sense . . There can't be 24 octaves. So am changing to another key? If so how come I am still playing in the same key and playing the same chords and same notes? Yet the tune sounds higher.

Now I know this is all technical and you might say "just play the tune and if it sounds good, then that's a wrap!" However, I still would like to know what's going on. please!
Senior in the dark!

==========
I can't believe not ONE person answered you correctly!
One person had it ALMOST correct and then the subject went off on a wild tangent!

You said: My kb gives me options to increase or decrease the pitch by 24 increments. 12+ and 12-.

Let me explain exactly what that means. there are twelve 1/2 steps or 1/2 tones in an octave. With each + or - on your transpose button you are moving the sound up or down one HALF STEP. NOT one step! and NOT a full octave!!! +12 would be one octave up. -12 is one octave down.

Now let's just talk about the key of C. If you told your keyboard to transpose +1 and you play a C note, the C you play it will sound like a C#. If you tell your keyboard transpose -1 and play a C, the C note you play will now sound like a B. So, if you can easily play a tune in the key of C, but you simply can't sing it in C you can use the transpose button on your keyboard so you can lower or raise the pitch of the sound coming out of the keyboard, and yet play in the key you are comfortable with.


Now to answer the details of your questions using the info I have given you in the above paragraph:

You said: ***So if I go +1 I am not going up an octave am I? That makes no sense . . There can't be 24 octaves***
ANSWER: Correct. The keyboard is NOT giving you a 24 octave transpose range. +1 equals one HALF step. They say 24 because it gives you 12 half steps down and 12 half steps up range of transposing. Or, one octave up (+12) and one octave down (-12)

You said: So am changing to another key?
Yes. The SOUND after you use transpose makes it SOUND like you are playing in a different key, but your fingers are playing in the key YOU want to play in. Lets say you have a guitar playing friend come over and you just want to jam. He wants to play in E but you only can play that song in C. You transpose so you can play in C but it sounds like the key of E.

I can clarify more if you write to me at:
Jazzcatt (at) g mail (and you know the rest)

 

[Rayblewit]

can't believe not ONE person answered you correctly!
One person had it ALMOST correct and then the subject went off on a wild tangent!

Hi JazzCat,
With respect, I believe my post was answered right from the start. The very first reply I got from Happyrat explained it to me as to the increments being half steps. Your explanation above reiterates it. However, I do appreciate your support and thank you kindly.

 

[CowboyNQ]

Hi JazzCat,
With respect, I believe my post was answered right from the start. The very first reply I got from Happyrat explained it to me as to the increments being half steps. Your explanation above reiterates it. However, I do appreciate your support and thank you kindly.

Ray, you are all class mate.

 

[John Garside]

A bit late in the day maybe, if so please forgive a newcomer.

An example, I find, always helps to clarify things.
I'm sure many here remember the Carpenters, if not for their music, maybe for Karen's incredible contralto voice.
For those who don't know the terms, an alto sings lower than a soprano (most women's and young boys voices), a contralto (contra-alto) even lower still.
If you take a look at their songbook you'll find that several songs start with an E in the BASS clef! E.g. 'Yesterday Once More' and 'We've Only Just Begun'.

Most women, who'd like to sing either of these songs, would find it impossible to go anywhere near this low.
The result is that most women sing it an octave higher and then find they can't reach the high notes.
Karen's E in the treble clef would result in an E way above the stave.
So what is necessary is to move all the notes of the song up into a range, somewhere in between, where they can sing it.

If, when learning to play the piano, we were good boys or girls and practised all of our scales and arpeggios until we were fluent, then this wouldn't be too much of a problem.
But ...
We've only just begun is in A major and we may need to transpose it up three or four semitones, to make it singable, maybe more.
Er ... ?
So instead, we press the transpose button '+' three or four times, maybe more, and all of a sudden we are playing in a different key, although still playing the same notes that are on the score sheet.
So Karen's low E now becomes a more manageable let's say A below middle C.
So we press E on the keyboard and the instrument sounds the A above, when we have transposed +5.
Bingo! Easy.

The pianist just has to learn how to do that the hard way. It becomes easier the more one practises.
A professional accompanist can do this without any trouble.
Back in the early sixties, my music teacher could do it without, it seemed, even having to think about it as he took the choir practice.
He could transpose any piece into any key on the spot. Mark you, he had been a student at the Royal College of Music.

 

[Rayblewit]

A bit late in the day maybe, if so please forgive a newcomer . . . .

That was very nicely written John.
You explained it admirably.
Welcome to the forum.

 

[Rayblewit]

Her vocal range was very broad indeed.

 

[John Garside]

Why, thank you kind sir.