On 2002/10/12 06:05 PM or thereabouts, Michael Edwards <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> intoned:
> [John Blane:] > >> (although I am unclear as >> to why you would show a bass clef for this instrument). > > "The Technique of Orchestration" by Kent Wheeler Kennan, if I remember > correctly (it's not handy to check now) states that either the treble clef or > bass clef can be used for notating music for the bass clarinet. If the music > is > in treble clef, it is played a major 9th lower than the notated pitch, and, if > it is in bass clef, it is played a major 2nd lower. Considering the pitch > range > of the instrument, I would have thought the bass clef to be the better choice, > and the one I would prefer. > Is there a particular reason why the use of bass clef should be surprising? Yes, because it's completely nonstandard! Keenan's advice is woefully out of date -- the bass clef is no longer a viable option for bass clarinet parts. It's an anachronism, like "old style" horn transposition when in bass clef. As for why the treble clef is preferred, it is for same reason treble clef is used for the baritone sax -- so that clarinet (and alto sax) players can easily double on bass clarinet (and baritone sax) without having to learn new fingerings or get used to reading a different clef. - Darcy ------ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Boston, MA _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
