Transposition is when you move something from one key to another. This concept
is simple to use and grasp. The easiest way to transpose is to have a listing
of the notes of all the major scales in front of you (as shown in the chart
below). Let's say that you have a chord progression of C - F - G, and you want
to transpose it to the key of A from the key of C. You would go to the C major
scale in the chart (below) and see that C is the I degree, F is the IV degree,
and G is the V degree. Now you must go to the A major scale and see that the
I degree is A, the IV degree is D, and the V degree E. So what you would do
is play an A - D - E progression instead of a C - F - G progression.
Note: If the chord is a Cmaj7 then you would change it to an Amaj7.
The same applies for any other type of chord.
Major Scale Note & Degree Chart
| Scale |
I |
II / IX |
III |
IV / XI |
V |
VI / XIII |
VII |
I (octave) |
| A |
A |
B |
C♯ |
D |
E |
F♯ |
G♯ |
A |
| A♯ |
A♯ |
B♯ |
C♯♯ |
D♯ |
E♯ |
F♯♯ |
G♯♯ |
A♯ |
| B♭ |
B♭ |
C |
D |
E♭ |
F |
G |
A |
B♭ |
| B |
B |
C♯ |
D♯ |
E |
F♯ |
G♯ |
A♯ |
B |
| C |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
A |
B |
C |
| C♯ |
C♯ |
D♯ |
E♯ |
F♯ |
G♯ |
A♯ |
B♯ |
C♯ |
| D♭ |
D♭ |
E♭ |
F |
G♭ |
A♭ |
B♭ |
C |
D♭ |
| D |
D |
E |
F♯ |
G |
A |
B |
C♯ |
D |
| D♯ |
D♯ |
E♯ |
F♯♯ |
G♯ |
A♯ |
B♯ |
C♯♯ |
D♯ |
| E♭ |
E♭ |
F |
G |
A♭ |
B♭ |
C |
D |
E♭ |
| E |
E |
F♯ |
G♯ |
A |
B |
C♯ |
D♯ |
E |
| F |
F |
G |
A |
A♯ |
C |
D |
E |
F |
| F♯ |
F♯ |
G♯ |
A♯ |
B |
C♯ |
D♯ |
E♯ |
F♯ |
| G♭ |
G♭ |
A♭ |
B♭ |
C♭ |
D♭ |
E♭ |
F |
G♭ |
| G |
G |
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F♯ |
G |
| G♯ |
G♯ |
A♯ |
B♯ |
C♯ |
D♯ |
E♯ |
F♯♯ |
G♯ |
| A♭ |
A♭ |
B♭ |
C |
D♭ |
E♭ |
F |
G |
A♭ |