Know your key signatures. What key is the original piece in? How far do you need to transpose it? What will the new key be? Once you have figured out your new key, stick to it, even if it seems like a tricky one. Don’t jumble sharps and flats: a sequence of E, F sharp, G sharp up a tone is F sharp, G sharp, A sharp (NOT B flat).
Know your intervals. Visualise how far a note needs to move up or down the stave. Is the original note on a line or in a space? What about the new one? If transposing up or down a tone, a note in a space will move to a line and vice versa; if going up or down a third, you’ll just move to the next line or space.
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