Transposition

 I first became aware of the magic of transposition at quite an early age, probably before I had learnt to properly read music. The idea that the same piece of music could be played using completely different notes (on the piano) was a revelation to me. Until then I think I must have assumed that there was one and only one way to play any particular tune.

For example I think it was my mother that taught me to play my first melody on the piano ... a little children's chorus called 'I am H-A-P-P-Y'.  (by the way its strange that it was Mum, if indeed it was, for she couldn't really play the piano ... I guess she had just been shown how to do this piece)

Now the strange thing about this, looking at the music, was that it only used 4 notes, and yet to play it in this key (F major) , needed the use of a black note. If I had been taught it in C major or G major it could have been played all on white notes, which to my mind would make it easier to teach a young child. But the way I though it had to be played was in the key of F (not that I knew the note names or anything like that at the time... I was probably about 5 or 6.

So the piece where I eventually discovered transposition was much more complex. Its a tune well loved of budding young piano players in those days which we knew as 'Chopsticks' (although it isn't the one that appears when you Google that name ... so I have no idea what the real name of this piece is!!)  I don't think it appeared in the piano primers, but rather seems to be passed around by demonstration from one child to another (those were the days when quite a lot of people had a piano).

Well I first learnt it like this .... note the strange way I twist my hand to play the Bb/E chord ... this was exactly as I first learnt it!

So my sisters and I had been playing this tune in this key for quite some time (incidentally I was very proud of the fact that we could play something using both hands, as it sounded so much more like proper piano music, 'than the one hand a time' music I was starting to learn in the piano primer at the time).

Then one day, we were visiting some children who lived across the road - I don't even recall their names, and one of them played this piece, recognisably the same piece, but almost entirely on the black notes! I was gobsmacked - didn't realise you could do that! So we switched to that key, as for this particular piece its much easier to play (from ear) on the black notes (with sheet music it would have been more difficult as there would be masses of sharps or flats to decipher). On the black notes we also learnt more of the piece .... so here again, from memory, is how it went...

So that is how I first discovered transposition. Interestingly I have no idea what key I was playing in for either of these demonstrations ... I could work it out of course, but I suppose that again illustrates my own particular musical skillset - I can play this music, by ear, that I learnt more than 50 years ago, without ever considering what key each rendition is in! I just know they are different keys.

By the way if anybody knows the name of this piece, I would be interested to find out!