Theory music

[potty64]

I wonder if anyone can tell me if the violin is a non-transposing instrument or not?! (grade 5 theory)

[hellywelly4]

wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposing_instrument

[Jumbo747]

I think non-transposing as the sound it produces is the same as what is written in the score: as opposed to something like a clarinet in Bflat(which is a transposing instrument) as it looks at a written C but Bflat comes out.

[MarkRae]

It isn't.

[potty64]

Just skipped to internet and discovered the violin is a NON-Transposable instrument. Thanks for yr help everyone!!

[Pears]

It is non-transposing, like most instruments. Some wind instruments, such as the clarinet and the trumpet play a different note to what it says in the music. These instruments come in different sizes, e.g. a B flat clarinet and an A clarinet. I quote from the Observer's Book of Music. "To simplify the technical difficulties ...the music is not written in the key in which it is intended to sound. The orchestral clarinet player has 2 instruments, B flat and A. When he sees the note C written in his music, he associates that note with certain fingering, which, when used on the B flat instrument, produces the note B flat, and on the A instrument produces the note A." In other words the B flat clarinet sounds a whole tone lower than what is written. The composer has to write the notes a tone higher than he actually wants. All I can say is, you probably get used to it!
A violin does not have pistons and valves, which is what causes the problem with clarinets, trumpets and French horns, so its music is written "at pitch".

[Pears]

The violin is not a transposing instrument. There are three groups of transposing instruments in common use, trumpets, clarinets and French horns. They are all easier to play in one key than another. When the player uses the fingering for C, the B flat clarinet plays B flat and the A clarinet plays A. The composer, when writing for a B flat clarinet has to allow for the fact that the instruments plays one tone (C minus B flat = 1 tone, or 2 semitones) lower than written. The A clarinet plays 3 semitones below what the music says (i.e. a minor 3rd), A being a minor 3rd below C.
Transposing instruments either have valves (to alter the length of the pipe that is sounding and therefore alter the note) or complicated machinery to open or shut holes in the bore. A violin has 4 strings, that are accessible at all points, so can be shortened by stopping with the finger to play the note required.