Klarinet Archive - Posting 000236.txt from 1997/09

From: "Leo van Zantvoort" <leovz@-----.nl>
Subj: Re: Why only treble clef?
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 1997 08:26:19 -0400

Hello Mark,

[in half a nutshell] Yes, there is a historical nature in reeding treble clef over the whole range... At the
beginning there was one instrument, the chalumeau... it did not play the harmonics (no overblow?) later
the range expand...

There was even a time that they had a chalumeau for the lower parts (first harmonics) and a klarinet for
the higher notes (third harmonics)

Then they made a hole range of instruments in different pich, all played by the same player. To keep the
stress rate on an acceptable level in the wood section, (and the fact that the first orchestral klarinettist
where probably amateurs?) They get used to notate all the difference instruments in the same key
(transposing instruments)

On the other hand, a german basklarinettist has to read the bas clef! but than again, that instrument is
newcomer (historically spoken)

On the other, other hand, probably all klarinettist are lazy bastards... that's why...

Leo.

On Fri, 05 Sep 1997 19:54:01 -0400, Mark Charette wrote:

>considering the range of a clarinet, why is only the treble
>(G) clef generally used? Even though I'm a poor (read that
>as bad :) piano player, I learned to read a bass clef and
>I'm used to seeing 8va or 15va for notes above or below the
>staff. I find using multiple clefs and the octave markings
>much easier to read, *especially* reading manuscript.
>
>Is the use of a single clef historical in nature?

   
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