What method do you use if the horn part doesn't have a key signature? On Mon, Nov 22, 2010 at 11:01 AM, <[email protected]> wrote:
> I must say, I transpose by solfège (scale degree.) If I see a horn part, > say for F horn with no key signature, I see a C then I know it's the first > scale degree of the key I'm in, or F. If I see a D#, then I know it's the > raised 2nd degree of the key I'm in, so G#. No transposition can throw me > this way! (if I get the octave correct!) > > While I read alto and tenor clefs almost as well as bass or treble, I have > so little experience with the other clefs that it would slow me down > immeasurably. I have nothing but respect for those among you who read them > easily! > > christopher > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: John Howell <[email protected]> > Date: Monday, November 22, 2010 1:17 pm > Subject: Re: {Spam} Re: [Finale] OT: historical use of C clefs for voice > parts > To: "David H. Bailey" <[email protected]>, > [email protected] > > > At 6:46 AM -0500 11/22/10, David H. Bailey wrote: > > > > > >What I meant by "in reverse" is that if I'm looking at a > > written F > > >in an F horn part, I can use the mezzo-soprano clef to get the > > >concert pitch note (Bb). But what if I'm looking at a > > concert pitch > > >score, how do I figure out what note the F horn should play, > > using > > >clefs? > > > > Ahhh. Thanks! That makes good sense. I guess > > my confusion was > > because I almost never look at a concert pitch score if I have a > > choice! > > > > >So I'm looking at a printed Bb but need to find a clef that > > will > > >show me that as an F. I guess the baritone clef would do > > the trick. > > > > To avoid confusion, let's assume that you mean concert Bb4, > > which > > should be notated as an F5 (5th line) for horn in F. (Or > > to be > > perfectly clear, should be notated on the top line, since part > > of the > > confusion is in ASSUMING note values for the lines and spaces, > > and > > those CHANGE with each alternate clef.) So no, baritone > > clef (F3 on > > the 3rd line) wouldn't work, since the 5th line would then be > > C4, not > > Bb3. The problem is that both notes are on lines, so you > > can't use > > any C clef (since F will be on a space). In > > fact I can't make my > > mind work that way, so I'm not sure it CAN be done with the > > available > > clefs. > > > > >But along with all this clef stuff, one needs to also remember > > the > > >"add 1 flat when going from F-horn to concert pitch" and > > "remove 1 > > >flat when going from concert pitch to F horn." That makes > > all the > > >various rules regarding the use of clefs pretty daunting to > > learn > > >and remember. > > > > LEARNING the system, and learning to THINK in the different > > clefs > > rather than having to stop and think and decode them, is indeed > > daunting. So is most everything in music, if you stop to > > think about > > it, until AFTER you've learned it. THEN, and only then, is > > it easy > > to work with. I'm about halfway there with the movable > > clefs, since > > I didn't learn them until grad school, and that's really much > > too > > late. > > > > > > > >I find it much easier to think of transposition in a more fixed > > >manner: F on an F horn equals Bb in concert pitch. > > Doesn't matter > > >which end of that statement I'm coming from, since the equality > > >works both ways. And it doesn't matter whether the Bb is > > because of > > >the key signature or because of an accidental, the equality > > still > > >applies. > > > > Yes, I think most of us think that way. But the clef > > system wasn't > > originated to make transposition easy. That's just a > > useful side > > effect. It was originated in order to keep most of the > > notes in > > Guido's system of chant notation within the staff, to make it > > easier > > for monks copying music with feathers!!! > > > > John > > > > > > -- > > John R. Howell, Assoc. Prof. of Music > > Virginia Tech Department of Music > > College of Liberal Arts & Human Sciences > > 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 > > > > "We never play anything the same way once." Shelly Manne's > > definitionof jazz musicians. > > _______________________________________________ > > Finale mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale > _______________________________________________ > Finale mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale > _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
