Re: transpose leadsheet (chords + melody)

[Tim McNamara]

On Mar 1, 2009, at 8:31 AM, Grammostola Rosea wrote:

> Hi,
>
> How do I transpose leadsheet? Chords and melody?

With the \transpose command where you've defined the melody and the  
harmony.  It works spectacularly well IMHO, really for me one of the  
biggest selling points of using LilyPond.  The command sets the tonal  
relationship between C notes played in concert pitch and on whatever  
instrument- for example, a Bb horn plays a concert D when a C is  
fingered on the instrument.  Therefore the syntax would be:

    \transpose c d

To transpose a song down a whole step, say from F major to Eb major,  
the syntax would be:

     \transpose c bes  (or however the language you are using  
signifies a Bb)

Here's an example for transposing a song for Bb horns (I use the the  
default -es and -is because I had done several songs before finding  
out about \include "english.ly" to be able to use -f and -s; I'll get  
around to changing eventually).  This song is usually done in C minor  
but many years ago I was given a transcription to F minor, which  
sounds much, much better on guitar than C minor.  I used LilyPond to  
provide a much nicer lead sheet than my hand-copied 25 year old  
sheet, and then was able to transpose for the horns in a matter of  
seconds.  Wonderful!



\version "2.12.2"

\paper {
    indent = 0.0
    ragged-last = ##t

}

\header {
  title = "Angel Eyes (Bb Horns)"
  composer = "Dennis/Brent"
  meter = "Ballad"
  copyright = ""
}

harmonies = \transpose c d \chordmode {

% 1
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 d2:m7.5-
g2:m7.5- c2:7

% 5
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 d2:m7.5-
des2:9 c2:7.9+
f2:m7 c2:aug7

% 9
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 d2:m7.5-
g2:m7.5- c2:7

% 13
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 d2:m7.5-
des2:9 c2:7.9+
f1:m7

% 17
ees2:m9 aes2:7
des2:maj7 bes2:aug7
ees2:m7 aes2:7
des2:maj7 ges2:7

% 21
d2:m7 g2:7
c2:maj7 f2:maj7
fis2:m7.5- b2:7.9-
g2:m7.5- c2:aug7

% 25
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 d2:m7.5-
g2:m7.5- c2:7

% 29
f2:m7 des2:9
f2:m7 d2:m7.5-
des2:9 c2:7.9+
f2:m7 c2:aug7

% 33
des2:9 c2:7.9+
f1:m7

}

melody = \transpose c d \relative c' {
\override Staff.TimeSignature #'style = #'()
\time 4/4
\clef treble
\key aes \major

% 1
\bar "|:"
\times 2/3 { r4 f4 c'4 } b4. bes8
aes4 aes8 f8 aes2
r8 f8 aes8 c8 \times 2/3 { g'4 ges4 f4 }
c1 \break

% 5
\times 2/3 { r4 f,4 c'4 } b4 bes4
\times 2/3 { aes4 aes4 f4 } aes4. f8
aes8 f8 aes8 f8 aes4 aes4
f2 r2 \break

% 9
\times 2/3 { r4 f4 c'4 } b4. bes8
aes4 aes8 f8 aes2
r8 f8 aes8 c8 \times 2/3 { g'4 ges4 f4 }
c1 \break

% 13
\times 2/3 { r4 f,4 c'4 } b4 bes4
\times 2/3 { aes4 aes4 f4 } aes4. f8
aes8 f8 aes8 f8 aes4 aes4
f2. f4 \break

% 17
\bar "||"
f'8 f8~ f2 f8 ees8
aes,4 aes2.
f'8 f4 f8 ees8 f4 ees8
aes,1 \break

% 21
d8 d4 d8 c8 d8 c4
bes8 g8~ g2 g8 a8
b4 b8 b8 b4 b4
c1  \break  \bar "||"

% 25
\times 2/3 { r4 f,4 c'4 } b4. bes8
aes4 aes8 f8 aes2
r8 f8 aes8 c8 \times 2/3 { g'4 ees4 f4 }
c1  \break

% 29
\times 2/3 { r4 f,4 c'4 } b4 bes4
\times 2/3 { aes4 aes4 f4 } aes4. f8
aes8 f8 aes8 f8 aes4 aes4
f1 \bar ":|" \break

% 33
aes8 f8 aes8 f8 aes4 aes4
f1 \bar "||"

}

\score {
  <<
    \new ChordNames {
     \set chordChanges = ##t
      \harmonies
    }

    \new Staff \melody
  >>


}