Song Help Request Transposing help: software or circle

Couldn't find a good site for transposing so tried to do it on a wheel. Found a song in 2 different keys and wanted to transpose to a third. When I transposed they we're idéntical. Here are the versions of the song and my transposition into key of F.
Ab Eb Fm Db
Bb F GM Eb

BOTH transposed out to
F C Dm Bb

If I transposed to key of C they both turned into
C G Am F

Is the correct or am I just not getting it?

In C would be CGAmF

merlin666 said:

In C would be CGAmF

Click to expand...

Oops somehow I looked at paper wrong. That's what I'd come up with. Should it be this in Key of C and Key of F using example beginning Bb?
My next issue will be getting my fingers to go smoothly between Dm and Bb. Yeah I know they're close shapes but still kind of new and awkward

F is a common key for singing so practicing getting in and out of Bb is worth the effort. I prefer to play it with index finger barred on first fret and then an A shape. So main task to move to Dm or F is in the index finger to move from one note to whole bar. Just practice that without rest of notes for the chords.

merlin666 said:

F is a common key for singing so practicing getting in and out of Bb is worth the effort. I prefer to play it with index finger barred on first fret and then an A shape. So main task to move to Dm or F is in the index finger to move from one note to whole bar. Just practice that without rest of chords.

Click to expand...

Strumming isn't as hard for me as picking it for some reason. I'm using a Travis pick going 4231. I'll get it

captain-janeway said:

Couldn't find a good site for transposing so tried to do it on a wheel. Found a song in 2 different keys and wanted to transpose to a third. When I transposed they we're idéntical. Here are the versions of the song and my transposition into key of F.
Ab Eb Fm Db
Bb F GM Eb

BOTH transposed out to
F C Dm Bb

If I transposed to key of C they both turned into
C G Am F

Is the correct or am I just not getting it?

Click to expand...

Well, yeah... You were transposing from the key of X to the key of F; regardless of where you start, F is where you should end up.

Ab Eb Fm Db up 1/2 step is A E F#m D, down 1/2 step is G D Em C.

When I have a song that is anywhere from 2 to 5 chords, I play around transposing until I get a key my voice will work with (and that varies day-to-day, so I practice in LOTS of different keys!).

I also started playing in song circles with professional (and professional-caliber) musicians, and started to figure out how to transpose on the fly... they all seem to use capos, and I don't. That means I need to figure it our, and in a hurry.

I complained that they all used capos - it just wasn't natural. Of course, that fell flat, and they got sharp with me for being out of step...

I use a capo on my guitar if there are funny chords in a key that are too difficult for me like Eb or Bb. On uke I have not bothered with capo as it is already tight without and I am not willing to give up neck real estate. Good thing is that most chords can be done with little effort on first four frets.

ksiegel said:

I complained that they all used capos - it just wasn't natural. Of course, that fell flat, and they got sharp with me for being out of step...

Click to expand...

That did not go unnoticed

I feel your pain on the capo thing. Those guitar players are such “cheaters.” When they hand me the music sheets for the next Sunday’s songs at church and I see the dreaded Capo 1,2, or 3 at the top, I cringe. But, I just head home and use the circle or transposition websites and see what happens. Most of the time it’s fine, but on occasion I’ll find that the capo is actually easier. Finding a key that I can sing a song in comfortably or semi-comfortably is an ongoing battle.

I've worked out an arrangement with ukutabs.com to post the chord charts for all of the new videos that I create. One of the things that I love about ukutabs.com is that it FREELY transposes with a click.

It might be worth seeing if your song is already on ukutabs.com and then transposing that way.

Here's a transposing wheel you can build yourself:
www.ianchadwick.com/essays/ukulele/chord%20wheel.pdf

Here's what I teach my "Intermediate" students RE: Basic Transposing:

Write out the 7 or 12 notes of a scale: [it may be A to G, then B to A - OR -
begin with the Key you find you're using the most [perhaps C to B or F to E
or G to F].

Then directly below that first line (example: C, D, E, F, G, A, B) write the 'scale'
of the key you want to transpose to, let's say to the key of F. So directly below
the 'C' scale you will write (F, G, A, B, C, D, E) making sure they line up directly
below each corresponding letter.
C, D, E, F, G, A, B (original key)
F, G, A, B, C, D, E (new key)

Transpose by using F whenever you find C, then Bb wherever you see F, and C
wherever you find a G.

Now if you find, in the key of C [the original key] a 7th or minor chord, then just
add that to the corresponding key of F letter so that a G7 in the key/scale of C
becomes a C7 in the key of F.

I hope that makes sense. And you can do this with each and every key from A to G#
[a total of 12 keys I believe] because each letter, in alphabetical order, corresponds with
the letters above and below it.

Anyway, give it a try and see if it works for you

Please feel free to email me at [ rohiguchi@gmail.com ] if you have any questions

keep uke'in' and stay safe by keeping your distance... and washing your hands often.

"I complained that they all used capos - it just wasn't natural. Of course, that fell flat, and they got sharp with me for being out of step..."

I missed it accidental-ly.

-Wigs

Thanks everyone.