You only need to memorize the following clef sequence:
1. treble 2. alto 3. bass 4. mezzo-soprano 5. baritone 6. soprano 7. tenor
The two that are omitted are French violin clef (used a lot for flute music, not violin music, in the Baroque), with G on the 1st line, and sub-bass (used in Venetian vocal music of Gabrielli's time) with F on the 5th line.
Each step up this sequence is equivalent to a transposition by one step on the staff, two steps up the sequence is equivalent to transposition by a diatonic third, three steps a fourth, four steps a fifth etc.. The sequence loops back to the beginning, so that treble clef is one step above tenor and so on. Whether the interval of transposition is major, minor, augmented, or diminished is determined by the key signature applied. Octave transpositions are ad lib.
Exactly. And transposing this way is a godsend for singers with perfect pitch, because they sing the notes transposed as actual pitches.
Example: Given a piece in C in treble clef, to transpose it to D, read as if in alto clef and add two sharps.
Another example: Given a piece in f# minor in alto clef, to transpose it to a minor, read as if in mezzo soprano clef with no accidentals in the key signature.
Another example: Given a piece in Ab in soprano clef, transpose to D. Read as if in alto clef with a key signature of two sharps.
Exactly again. The quick and dirty way is to keep track of which line or space the note C is on, and find the equivalent in a clef that works.
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://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
