It's a hard thing to admit as a musician when I first started to play piano "I TRANSPOSED'' ( Cue scary music) but one thing that I found fascinating it's a real common thing when you are just learning how to play piano. You may have transposed for the following reasons:
1. Wanted to impress the other musicians with the chords that you know in a different key
2. Didn't know all 12 Keys ( We all have been there so don't feel bad I was too :) )
3. Afraid to branch out into learning all the chords and songs but you could only play in one key
Whatever, the reasons are it's normal however many musicians get stuck in this approach and never grow from it. Haven't you ever noticed that when someone is playing in a key and they are playing something completely different one the keyboard.
The one question that is one every musician's mind is: Where do I Start?
Every musician will tell you the most common answer and that is ''just practice''. That may be correct but what exactly do you practice. In this post I am going to shed some light on this topic and answer some of the questions that you may have.
If your goal is to stop transposing here is a guide to get you started.
1. Learn the major scale in every key.
2. Memorize your intervals (ex. In the key of C, what is the 4th note ? Its F. What is the 5th note? Its G.)
3. Know all your major, minor, and suspended triads. Use this with step 2 to know the basic chords for each key. With this you can play basic in every key. Copy what you can do in one key and bring it over to every key. This will help you become alot more familiar in other keys.
4. My final tip is jam with other musicians. This will help to test you to see if you are ready in a live situation. Don't be afraid to ask for help from the other musicians you are working with.
Do you have any strategies of your own to help a musician stop transposing? Let us know what you think in the in comments section.