Technical Library KEYBOARDS III: Fast transposing method Entire Contents Copyright ©2010 CBH

Here is the quick method, which works on many good instruments with a little practice. It’s not for the fainthearted, and be wary that some instruments (especially those with small endscrews at the bottom of their jacks) may be inclined to jam no matter how fluent the transposition is seemingly accomplished.

THE FAST TRANSPOSING METHOD IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL INSTRUMENTS: RELY ON THE OPINION OF YOUR MAKER OR TECHNICIAN.

If you want to try the fast method, just follow these simple steps. Once you get used to it, all will be over in less than a minute or two:

• Check to see if there are any keyboard holddown screws you must remove. Not all instruments use these. Most are accessed from the bottom of the instrument, although for some you must actually find the screws by lifting a few keys around the top or bottom notes.
• Turn all choirs on to help the jacks hang from their dampers.
• Some instruments do not have a housing cut in the side of the keyframe to clear the bottom note’s jacks in a transposed position. If this is the case, you may have to lift the jacks for the bottom note, and keep them in a safe place.
• Pull out the right hand key end block transposing piece. Some instruments require you to remove the nameboard batten to enable you to access the transposing piece.
• In a smooth but firm motion, push on the lower manual key end blocks to slide the keyboards to the right until they stop against the cheek. The upper manual sits on the lower manual frame and will move with it. Do not push the upper manual keyend blocks, because they do not always have the opportunity of as firm an attachment as the lower. Some instruments have access points to the keyframe through the bottom: If your instrument has these, use them instead of the keyend blocks to grasp your keyboard.
• Slip the transposing piece into the vacant space at the left.
• Replace the keyboard holddown screws and the nameboard if you had to remove these parts.
• Sometimes the 4´ jacks—especially in the treble where there may be no dampers—may want to drop between the keys if there is any hesitancy in the transposition process, and jam them. Check by playing all the notes—if necessary, just briefly lift the jacks if they happen to have caught on the key end cloth, and be sure to reinstall the jackrail properly.

		Transposition Carey Beebe demonstrating how to transpose the keyboard from A392 to A415 to A440.
		Transposition II Carey Beebe demonstrating how to transpose a double-keyboard harpsichord from A392 to A415 to A440 and back again.

	Technical Library overview
	Harpsichords Australia Home Page