why do some instruments transpose instead of just calling the notes what they sound like at concert pitch?
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On a lot of woodwinds, you can play a low (written) C by placing all your fingers down (expect your LH pinky). Lift up the finger furthest away, you get a D. Lift up the next finger, you get an E, etc. Similar to a piano’s white keys, the natural notes are all laid out in a straightforward manner so you can easily learn to play a C major scale. This makes it really easy to switch between flute, and different saxophones because 3 fingers down is a G on both instruments – rather than that being a G on flute, F on tenor sax and Bb on alto sax.
Why don’t they just make a slightly smaller tenor/soprano sax that just plays a C with the C fingering? Well, they originally did as well, but the Bb and Eb saxophones became more popular.
I suppose it’s the same logic for brass instruments… Unless you learn a bass brass instrument where you just call the notes by the actual pitch.
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