Cornet in Bb

[Pammy]

My sister plays cornet which is in Bb. She has found some accompanying music to play along to. Music from stage shows etc.
I can't find any in D. If I purchase a whistle in Bb can I play along with her and/or her music accompaniment?

Will all holes covered sound as a Bb? and

will the music show a Bb?

I have other questions along these lines but I am sure you more knowledgeable people out there will probably answer them in posting in reply to this

Cheers

[MTGuru]

A C whistle corresponds to a concert Bb cornet. If you play cornet sheet music on a C whistle, using the normal D whistle fingerings, the two instruments will play the same pitches (but the whistle is an octave higher, of course). That will do the trick. Trust me. Just remember that you'll have to half-hole or cross-finger any F-naturals or accidentals.

Yes, there's more to it than that. But I've learned better than to try to explain transposition and transposing instruments in 25 words or less ...

[plunk111]

You can only play along with her if she is written in HER key of C (i.e. no sharps or flats) or F (1 flat). It's really confusing, but basically it would be MUCH easier to have her transpose to you. If you play on a C whistle with concert C music, she would be in the key of D (two sharps). This is all concert pitch and assumes you are playing the actual pitch of the notes written on the page.

Pat

P.S. My "main" instrument is trumpet, so I go through this a lot! This is why I bought a C trumpet for my church work!

[henryz]

MT's suggestion works fine - my youngest daughter & I sometimes play some tunes together, she on Bb clarinet, myself on C whistle.

[MTGuru]

You can only play along with her if she is written in HER key of C (i.e. no sharps or flats) or F (1 flat).

You're referring to the original Bb whistle suggestion, I guess.

This is all concert pitch and assumes you are playing the actual pitch of the notes written on the page.

Right. But I think most whistle players will treat a C whistle as a transposing instrument in Bb and indentify the notes according to their "normal" D whistle fingerings, not concert pitches. In which case, the Bb cornet (or clarinet, tenor sax, etc.) doesn't need to transpose.

Of course, this does work best if the cornet music is in one of the standard whistle keys - D, G, A, etc. Otherwise you need to either fudge the non-diatonic notes, or pick a whistle in a different key and transpose the dots. And when it comes to show tunes, chances are you need to do some finger twisting on a diatonic whistle in either case.

As I said, 25 words or less ...

[plunk111]

MT:

I think this is WAY to confusing to explain via email!!!

Pat

[Pammy]

So on a C whistle, does it play a C when you have all holes covered?

[Denny]

if all goes well

C XXX XXX
D XXX XXO
E XXX XOO
F XXX OOO
G XXO OOO
A XOO OOO
B OOO OOO

[MTGuru]

So on a C whistle, does it play a C when you have all holes covered?

if all goes well

Right ... Except you pretend that you're playing a D whistle, and you finger the written notes accordingly.

[Denny]

oh! I like pretending!

do we get to dress up?

[IDAwHOa]

oh! I like pretending!

do we get to dress up?

As long as you don't transpose dress.

[Denny]

Ya know I'm just a tease

[walrii]

But I've learned better than to try to explain transposition and transposing instruments in 25 words or less ...

The defense rests.

[crookedtune]

Keep whistles in all keys, and play by ear. (Nine words). Whoops, now eleven.....whoops again, better quit while I'm ahead.

(21 )

[MTGuru]

Keep whistles in all keys, and play by ear. (Nine words). Whoops, now eleven.....whoops again, better quit while I'm ahead.

(21 )

I bow to your masterful concision, CT!

Though some show tunes might be a bit challenging by ear, e.g. something like Rent.