So how do you translate piano music to the clarinet? In order to transpose music written for a C instrument such as the piano, to the standard B-flat clarinet, you need to re-write the part a major second up. Then for the convenience of the clarinet player, add the equivalent of two sharps to the original key signature from the piano part.
If your clarinet is a A clarinet or E-flat clarinet, you can get info on transposing for those instruments in my article, How is a Clarinet Transposed?
Reworking the key signature after you’ve transposed the piano part for the clarinet
Use the below chart to add a new key signature to the clarinet part you’ve transposed from the piano. This is not necessary to translate piano music to the clarinet, but it is a convenience for the player.
| Original Piano Part’s Key | New B-flat Clarinet Part’s Key |
|---|---|
| C major (no sharps) | D major (two sharps) |
| C sharp major (seven sharps) | E flat major (two flats) |
| D major (two sharps) | E major (four sharps) |
| D sharp major (5 sharps, 2 double sharps) | F major (one flat) |
| E major (four sharps) | G flat major (6 flats) or F sharp major (6 sharps) |
| F major (one flat) | G major (one sharp) |
| F sharp major (6 sharps) | A flat major (four flats) |
| G major (one sharp) | A major (three sharps) |
| G sharp major | B flat major |
| A major | B major |
| A sharp major | C major |
| B major | D flat major |
Example of transposing a C instrument part to a B flat instrument part
I’m working on some music for clarinet and piano, and here’s what the start of the tune looks like, were it to be notated for a C instrument:
But obviously I want the clarinet part to be transposed so the player has the correct notes to play. So every note has to be pushed up a major second (or two half-steps). Also because the original part has two flats, I want to add the equivalent of two sharps, which in this case is just subtracting out the two flats. Here’s what the transposed part looks like:
Piano melodies may not always sound good on the clarinet
Keep in mind, when transposing piano music to the clarinet, that piano melodies built from long sustaining notes, that work because they naturally decay over time, may not sound as good on the clarinet.
However, lyrical melodies with respectively more musical information per measure will tend to work well on the clarinet.
Different approaches for different numbers of clarinets
How you approach turning piano music into clarinet music depends on how many clarinet players will be participating in the new version of the piece you’re interested in.
one clarinet
If you just want to play along with a piano player on their melodic lines, then of course you’re likely to use those lines for your transposition.
two clarinets
If you’re just a couple of clarinet players wanting to play something you found in a piano format, then likely you’ll use one player for the melody, and the second player may choose to do the piano’s left hand arpeggios. Or in slow passages where harmony is being emphasized you’ll likely want to emphasize 3rd and 6th intervals for your harmonic selections; not the entire piece, just enough to keep it pleasant.
Indeed you don’t even need to transpose the parts unless doing so makes what you want to play easier. In this Beethoven tune, the first clarinetist would just play the melody. The second clarinetist would play the left hand parts, but I would probably just play a low A, low E, and low A again for the first arpeggio, then play a low E, low B, and low G# for the second arpeggio (i.e. some variance from the original part to have it make sense for the clarinet). You might even hold the last notes of the arpeggios out for the full measure to simulate the sustain pedal effect.
three clarinets
You can do a lot with 3 clarinets. Here you can have full triads with regard to harmony. You can have one player performing implied harmony with arpeggios, while the other players play a melody and a counter melody, or maybe even a bass line. You can have two players playing long notes in harmony with a 3rd playing a melody. Or those two could even both be playing arpeggios. And that’s just a tip of the iceberg concerning the different textures you can create.
What does clarinet in B flat mean?
The ‘clarinet in B flat’ means that it is a transposing instrument. It’s notes are transposed a major second upward in order for music written for it to fit on a musical staff in the best possible way. On most B flat clarinets, the lowest note in their rage is a concert D, or E when transposed to the instruments’ native notation. This means that in such clarinet notation, the lowest note can be drawn on the staff using only 3 ledger lines below such. And because most clarinet parts don’t have notes that venture past 3 ledgers lines above the staff either, this transposition ultimately makes sense, with regard to efficiency of space in multi-lined musical notation, where you don’t want one staff’s information encroaching onto that of the staff above or below it.
Next Up
If you’re a clarinetist that’s wanting to play along with a pianist, check out some of my dedicated works for clarinet and piano by clicking here. I have tunes just for those two instruments, or ones where a third player, like a cello, or a flute, are added to the ensemble. Or check out the entire feazelle catalog chamber music library for even more chamber options utilizing a clarinet, such as my clarinet quintet (clarinet + string quartet).