John, where do I find Bandchat? Am I correct in thinking this is a Band Directors chatlist? Regards, Keith in OZ ----- Original Message ----- From: John Howell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 3:04 AM Subject: [Finale] Eb contra-alto clarinet notation
> I passed the question on to the Bandchat list, asking what directors found > actually printed in scores and parts. The following replies are > instructive. > > ******************* > > >A question has been raised on the Finale List regarding whether to notate > >an Eb contra-alto clarinet part in bass clef at concert pitch, or in treble > >clef as an Eb transposing instrument. > > > >My questions here are, how are the parts notated in published works for > >band or wind ensemble, and at the high school level do Eb contra players > >spend most of their time reading from tuba parts? > > When Eb Contra-Alto Clarinet parts are available with the score, they have > always been (from my experience) published in transposed treble clef. Players > only use tuba parts when they are not available. > > You might think that the parts are rare, given the relative rarity of the > instrument. However, > I had treble clef transposed Eb contra-alto clarinet parts for almost every > work I > performed last year. > > Andy > > ********************* > > << My questions here are, how are the parts notated in published works for > band or wind ensemble, and at the high school level do Eb contra players > spend most of their time reading from tuba parts? >> > > As the low-reed doubler in one of the military bands in DC, I had for a while > the distinction of probably being the highest paid contra-alto clarinet > player in the world. All the parts published for the contra-alto I saw were > in treble clef, treating it just like a bari sax. From doing clinics with > high school players, if there were no contra parts, I usually saw them with > bari sax parts rather than tuba parts. A few high school players were able > to personally adapt tuba parts, but I wonder whether some band directors were > even aware this was a possibility. > > *********************** > > The few band scores I have seen which have had contra-alto and contra-bass > clarinets included have them written in treble clef, transposed just like > their octave-higher name-sakes. But of course the sounding pitches are an > extra octave lower. > > > David H. Bailey > > ********************** > > Regarding the scoring of the Eb Contra-Alto it would typically by seen in > the score and on the parts in treble clef. Much, but not all, of the use of > instruments being pitched in various keys is to allow a player to switch > readily, say from clarinet to bass clarinet to contra, without having to > learn new fingerings and to keep the notes on the staff (predominantly). > > If one is working on a score, however, he/she might want to work with the > contra parts in bass clef to maintain a solid perspective of where one is in > the tonal range. I know Finale will allow you to work in concert pitch and > then transpose "at the touch of a button". I am not sure that it would > transfer a bass clef part to treble, however. > > As far as using bari sax or tuba parts as substitutes in actual practice > when a part does not exist, I have done both. Often the decision is > dictated by the instrumentation and strength of other parts. Strong tubas > and weak bari sax or the other way around? Teaching a student to read Eb > parts from a bass clef tuba part is a very simple task. They only need to > be warned and reminded from time to time about the key signature and > occasional displacement(?) of the octave. > > Mention was made of a Finale chat line? How do I get involved in that? I > have some real questions. > > David Seiberling > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > ************************ > > Back to me. Could someone contact David and give him the subscription > information? Since everything got screwed up in the changeover to Mailman, > I don't trust myself to have accurate information. Thanks! > > John > > > > > > John & Susie Howell > Virginia Tech Department of Music > Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240 > Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 > (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) > http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html > > > _______________________________________________ > Finale mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale > _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
