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 Bassoon Transposing
Author: Kurt 
Date:   2000-03-06 01:57

Can anyone offer some helpful hints on transposing a piece for bassoon to bass cl.? A woman in the band I play in has a piece (Mozart) for 2 cl and bassoon. I said I take a crack at the bassoon part. I think it's in an odd (for me) cleft. An the key? Thanks.

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 RE: Bassoon Transposing
Author: Melanie 
Date:   2000-03-06 15:36

Kurt,

I recently had a few concerts where I was the designated bassoon and contrabassoon on bass and contrabass clarinets, respectively. I don't know any particular hints, but I'll offer the way I transposed the parts.

Bass clarinets transpose down a major 9th from the concert pitch. When reading bassoon music, wherever you see the Bb that is on the equivalent of the G line on treble clef, you should play C notated as middle C on bass. Open G should be played for the 4th line F on bass clef. I hope this makes sense! It's so much easier to explain with the actual music!

A good working knowledge of C transposition is also useful. You should add 2 sharps to the bassoon's key signature. Be wary of accidentals! For some particularly tricky passages, I cheated and wrote the transposed notes above the music!

Now, tenor clef is another story entirely. I believe you can read those passages as if they were treble clef and Bb. The tenor clef C is where the treble clef D is, so that works out nicely. I didn't have any tenor clef sections in my music, so I don't know how the octave transposition works. I'd imagine you would play the notes an octave below where they are written.

Enjoy putting the "bass" in bassoon!

Melanie

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 RE: Bassoon Transposing
Author: Ken Shaw 
Date:   2000-03-06 17:58

Kurt -

Another "cheat" -- borrow a contra-alto clarinet (in Eb) and just read treble clef.

Not as good for the soul, but a lot easier.

Ken Shaw

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 RE: Bassoon Transposing
Author: Hiroshi 
Date:   2000-03-07 03:20

If both parts can be transposed both ways,bassoon to bass clarinet and bass clarinet to bassoon,why the composer selected those instruments?

Bassoon has very wider range,nearly 2 octaves wider than clarinet species. This may mean that bass clarinet part may be transposed easily but that some of the bassoon part may not be transposed: too low for bass clarinets.
In such a case you may need to shift them to higher register or even arrange them.

Just FYI.

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 RE: Bassoon Transposing
Author: Kontragirl 
Date:   2000-03-08 00:35



Ken Shaw wrote:
-------------------------------
Kurt -

Another "cheat" -- borrow a contra-alto clarinet (in Eb) and just read treble clef.

Not as good for the soul, but a lot easier.

Ken Shaw


If you do that, next thing you know you'll have to sight transpose contrabass clarinet music! Argh!

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 RE: Bassoon Transposing
Author: Kurt 
Date:   2000-03-08 23:52

Thanks for all the advice. I don't think I can manage sight trasposition, but I'll sharpen a pencil and get to work as soon as I can. Wish me luck.

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 RE: Bassoon Transposing
Author: Don Berger 
Date:   2000-03-09 02:51

To me , its a double transposition, bass clef to treble, then C to Bb. As said above, I'd read it as if it were treble clef on contraalto clar or bari sax and add 3#'s to the signature, to avoid writing it out. Luck, Don

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