Klarinet Archive - Posting 000469.txt from 2003/05

From: "Resurgere Jones" <resurgereweb@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Transposition
Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 14:58:48 -0400

As a sometime bari sax player, I know this trick, but have rarely had
occasion to use it, as all my bari work has been in dance band, never
concert band. But it is a cool life-saver when handed a treble clef bass
part.

As a budding bass clarinetist, I am learning bass clef (many orchestra parts
are written in Bb, which is the "home key" of the BC, but written in bass
clef). So the mental gyration I can't help going through is move up to the
next space or line, i.e. "E" is really "G" and "F" is really "A". Now bring
it all down an octave, i.e. the bottom line G is LH123/RH123, not open.

Now, all you pianist/clarinetists who grew up with both clefs, I realize
that this is not a transposition, but learning a new clef. And I'll have to
quit thinking D! No! F! Eb! No! Gb! if I want to get any speed up. As I
practice it a few minutes most days, I find that the fingers are finding the
right keys more naturally without the mental gyrations.

After I get comfortable with that, I'll have to learn to lower everything a
half-step on those rare occasions when the part is written as an "A" BC
part. By the time I get all this figured out, I'll probably move up in the
section and not need to know.

Of course, this gets us into the area of the venial sin of transposing a
part, which is what I was trolling for in the first place. :-) Assuming
money were no object, are "A" Bass Clarinets even SOLD? I was pretty proud
of myself for learning to play "C" parts on my "Bb," but am I going to hell
for this?

>From: "Rebecca Brennan" <rjbrennan1221@-----.com>
>Reply-To: klarinet@-----.org
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: Re: [kl] Transposition
>Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 02:37:25 +0000
>
>Yes, lets talk transposition.
>
>I know of several alto clarinetists, alto saxophonists, bari saxophonists,
>and other people who play instruments pitched in the key of Eb that
>actually write out the parts that they transpose from the bass cleff
>without ever noticing they are copying the page exactly as it is with the
>exception of the key signature and a few accidentals. Add three sharps and
>pretend it is a treble cleff and you're all ready to go! I know a sax
>player who wrote out a zillion page cello score like this for a musical.
>
>Now if you don't know, you know.
>
>-Rebecca
>
>>Well, I have broken my own rule to never get dragged into a reed
>>discussion because I thought I could bring some small light of reason into
>>a young person's life, and I have paid dearly. Well, this crap's starting
>>to die down, anyone want to talk transposition for a bit?
>>
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