There used to be an online tune database where you could transpose the tunes to any key (Redhawk?). It doesn’t seem to be there anymore, and I can’t find another. Anyone know of such a site? I’d want it to be able to print out sheet music too.
Are you thinking of this, Paul, for ABC? Or at least will it do what you want?
http://www.folkinfo.org/songs/abcconvert.php
Edit: D’oh!
Folkinfo has a mighty online ABC-converter with many, many options, including transposing and highres PDF-output. For the tunes themselves, I guess you know the usual ABC-sources…
Edit: D’oh!
Those will help, but the one I was thinking of was a tune database where you could search for a particular tune and once you found it could transpose up or down right in the same website.
I just use a pencil and a sheet of music paper. It works great!
Some people are great at sight-transposing: they can sightread full speed, transposing to any key whatever. I’m not one of those people! But due to the different fingering systems Highland pipes v Irish D whistle/flute/pipes I can do a couple transpositions fluently: either A or D can be my “six finger note” and either G or D can be my “three finger note”. For a while I was playing Northumbrian pipes where G is the “six finger note” which took some getting used to, and I’ve forgot how to sightread like that now.
In any case sight-transposing up or down a third or a fifth is pretty easy; it’s jumping from a space to a line or visa versa that gets me.