On 10/29/2010 3:06 PM, Chuck Israels wrote:
Curious - why is the convention not to have key signatures in horn parts, when all other transposing instruments have them? What is the use of this convention?
Historically, trumpets, horns and timpani didn't have key signatures. This is back before valves on the horns and trumpets. Their music was all written in the key of C and they were told which key their instruments needed to be in, and it all worked out just fine.
The horns held out against the use of key signatures even when valves were added, but trumpets and other transposing instruments got them. I think it was because the horn players were the kings of the brass section in the orchestras before the advent of valves because they got the juicy melodic parts.
-- David H. Bailey [email protected] _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
