Thank you all for the historical practices and experience on what you've used and seen.
To clarify, I do not have a problem in reading the Treble8 clef for tenors, I simply find it impractical. News flash: We all have to deal with reading multiple ledger lines (pianists, flutists, violinists). Don't complain about ledger lines; learn to read them and be comfortable! We don't have a staff that has 10 lines, only 5. Someone mentioned that the Treble8 clef for tenors much like a transposing instrument. Correct! In this sense, the tenors are reading treble clef notes but what's coming out of their throat is an octave lower, plus they have to think that way too. What sense does that make?! Some people have said the bass clef for tenors is not used because of ledger lines. Well, what fixes that? Scrupulous layout (in Finale, etc.), and stems in both directions. I'm also tired of seeing joined stems for tenor and bass parts (if the rhythm is the same). No matter who you are, it keeps each voice part on track if they can focus on notehead-stem-lyric for their own part. But, I could go on and on about practicality. There are several other notational concepts that I despise, but I'd keep you here until the apocalypse. It boils down to this - I just wish everything was standardized: just a two-stave hymnbook-style choral score with constant stems up (soprano & tenor) and stems down (alto and bass), with or without the piano part as a reduction (if its an a cappella work). If the parts are more polyrhythmic and need to be separated on their own individual staves, then it should be printed that way (with tenors printed in bass clef, of course). Think about it: Most tenor parts (of TODAY, not centuries ago), only go up to F4, G4, A4 at the most, so that's only three ledger lines, not seven. I think that's doable. Imagine if cars were made where some had standard the foot pedals, but then some other types of cars had the accelerator on the left, the clutch in the middle, and the brake on the right. Imagine the brain-crash you'd have in trying to drive that car. That's how I feel with the damn Treble8 clef. It's not a matter of "getting used to it" as someone had stated. I AM used to it, I just hate it. All male voice parts should be written in bass clef, no exception. This tells you the differentiation between female and male parts at first sight (and eventually, all "sights."). If the tenor part ventures high, and stays there for awhile, then publishers should be a little more cognizant in their layout in using the bass clef and ledger lines. They have ultimate control over that, and it's simply done (being a copyist and in-demand arranger for over 10 years). The fact is: I've taken a poll with all male vocalists and asked them what they would prefer to always see, and they prefer bass clef; they say that treble is confusing and it messes with their eye's ear. The same goes for adults. I think that where things are getting lost and mis-practiced are with publishers, which is why I don't go through publishers. Their editors wreak havoc on an original layout / work. It's a harsh truth, but it's the truth nonetheless. Patrick J. M. Sheehan Music Director, Instructor: Woodlawn Arts Academy P. S. Music <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
