Dictionary of Music - Birding America

436 transposing instrumentssinger or a different instrument from the one thecomposer originally intended. Trained performersoften can transpose music at sight, a skill that is particularlyuseful for accompanists.transposing instruments Instruments for whichmusic is written at a different pitch or in a differentoctave from the sounds actually produced. By far thegreat majority of transposing instruments are windinstruments, which frequently are pitched in keysinvolving numerous accidentals (B-flat, E-flat, etc.),or which sound so high (piccolo) or so low (doublebassoon) that their music requires many ledger lines(lines above and below the normal staff). To make iteasier to read, therefore, the music for such instrumentsis written either in a simpler key, such as C(with no sharps or flats), or in an octave that can benotated on the staff with fewer ledger lines (substitutingmiddle C for high C, for example). On the B-flat clarinet, for instance, the easiest key to play isthe key of B-flat, but the music is written in a keymuch easier to read, the key of C major. Since C isone whole tone (a major second) higher than B-flat,each note of the music is written one whole tonehigher than the note sounded. If the note sounded isF, the written note will be G. The music for clarinetspitched in A and E-flat also is written in the key of Cmajor, one and one-half tones (a minor third) belowand above C respectively.The practice of transposing instruments—orrather, of transposing music for certain instruments—dates from the time when most wind instrumentscould sound only a fundamental note and its harmonics(overtones), and changing that fundamental to adifferent one involved changing the length of theinstrument, either by adding or taking away from itstubing, or by substituting a longer or shorter instrument.The practice has persisted, despite attempts bysome twentieth-century composers to do away withit. Today nearly all wind instruments not pitched inC are transposing instruments, except for the trombone(whose music, even for an instrument pitched inB-flat, is written as it sounds). The chief transposinginstruments of the orchestra are the English horn, thevarious clarinets and bass clarinets, the French horn,and the trumpet. Such band instruments as cornetsand saxophones are also transposing instruments. Inaddition, the music for piccolo and soprano recorderis written an octave lower than it sounds, and that fordouble bass and double bassoon is written an octavehigher than it sounds.transposing keyboard A keyboard that permitsplaying in different keys or tunings with the samefingering. Such keyboards were devised for harpsichordsin the sixteenth century for various purposes,such as to obtain accidentals not available with atuning in mean-tone TEMPERAMENT, or to accommodatea singer’s range. About 1800 a similar mechanismwas devised for a transposing piano. Somemodern harpsichords have a transposing keyboardthat permits shifting from modern pitch to baroquepitch, which was considerably lower.transpositionSee under TRANSPOSE.transverse flute An older name for the orchestralflute, which is side-blown, to distinguish it from therecorder, which is end-blown. (See under FLUTE.)traps A general term for the drums and other percussioninstruments (including rattles, whistles, andother devices for special effects) used in dancebands and jazz ensembles.trascinando (trä shē nän′dô) Italian. A directionto slow down gradually, or to perform at a draggingpace.trattenuto (trä te noo — ′tô) Italian. A direction tohold back in tempo, to slow down somewhat. Abbreviatedtratt.träumerisch (troi′mer ish) German.to perform in a dreamy manner.traurig (trou′riKH, trou′rik) German.to perform in a sad, mournful manner.Trautonium (trou tōn′yum).TRONIC INSTRUMENTS.A directionA directionSee under ELEC-tre, a (ä tre) Italian: “for three.” 1 An indicationthat a part is to be played by three instruments in uni-