Simple Transposition
Moving a melody up or down so it starts on a different note while keeping its exact shape.
Explainer
Transposing means moving a whole melody up or down by the same interval, so it starts on a different note but keeps its exact shape.
Every note moves by the same distance. If the first note moves up a 2nd, every other note moves up a 2nd too.
Transposition doesn't change the tune's contour (its ups and downs) â only where it sits.
Worked examples
Example 1
Transposing up a 2nd
C-D-E becomes D-E-F⯠â same shape, one step higher.
Example 2
Transposing down a 3rd
E-F-G becomes C-D-E â three steps lower, same shape.
Example 3
Keeping the shape
If a melody leaps up then steps down, the transposed version leaps up then steps down by the very same amounts.