 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: johnny
Date: 2002-11-11 20:10
I just went to the first meeting of my musical ministry at my church. I thought to myself “oh joy I’ve always wanted our church to have a concert band type of thing.” When I arrived it was made up of about five vocalists and the instrumentalists included a drummer who also played guitar, bass guitar, chello, baritone, a flutist who also played piano, and myself who plays B-flat clarinet as well as piano/keyboard so it was basical a contemporary group. The music that was selected included no instrumental parts except for piano and guitar. At the meeting we listened to the recording that had instrumental interludes. Now the task for me is to transpose. I’m not really familiar with transposition except for in our high school band where I simply transpose long tones and notes of most major scales. Now how do I transpose? Should I transpose the melodic line or the chords and just stick with outlining those chords or both. I could transpose by just my circle of fourths sheets and rewrite the whole thing. Please explain the basics. I just bought a beautiful r-13 and do not have the funds for an A clarinet. Does the circle of fourths apply to all chords such as major, minor, 7ths (etc.) If you could share any knowledge on transposition it would be helpful.
;) Happy Clarineting Johnny
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Author: johnny
Date: 2002-11-11 20:30
forgot to add one thing- I have a fairly new version of noteworthycomposer on my windows pc
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Author: Orpheus
Date: 2002-11-11 20:31
Rewrite all notes one half step down. That's it.
;<))
Or you can find some payd sources for this, where it can be made professionally. F.e. www.sk-music.com
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Author: Robert
Date: 2002-11-11 21:04
Orpheus wrote:
>>"Rewrite all notes one half step down."
This is incorrect. If you've been given parts for piano and guitar, these parts will be in C. To transpose these to play on a B-flat clarinet, you'll need to transpose everything a whole tone up (two half-steps). The C on your B-flat clarinet sounds B-flat on the piano. So if you want to play a concert C, you need to play D on the clarinet.
If you want to play the melody you should transpose the melody, if you want to improvise on the chords you should transpose the chords (everything a whole tone up). I don't know noteworthycomposer, but it may well have a transposition function.
I hope all this makes sense?!
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-11-11 21:05
The suggestion by Orpheus to lower everything by a half-step is for playing music written for an A Clarinet on a Bb instrument, perhaps the most common transposition requirement for a Bb Clarinetist. But if all of your music is written for piano and guitar, it is pitched in C. If you are using a Bb Clarinet, you are in Bb-pitch, which means you will need to finger everything one full step higher than the written music. So if the music shows a Bb, you play a C. I presume the guitar music is written in tablature (except for some single-string playing), so the piano music is where you will be reading.
To make it a bit easier when transposing from piano music to the Bb Clarinet, think of your need to add two sharps (or subtract two flats) from the key signature on the printed page. So if the piano is playing in the key of C, you will be playing your Bb Clarinet in the key of D, with two sharps. If the piano music is in F, with one flat, you will have one sharp and be playing in G. Every note you play must be fingered one full step higher than it is written.
Someone will have to decide which line of the piano part you will be playing. Which "line" means not which staff, as you will be playing from the treble staff. It meand rather: on the treble piano music, how far up the chords are the notes will you be using. The top line is usually the melody, and with the group you mentioned, you might be primarily a melody player. But for better balance with the other musicians, you may sometimes be playing a different line.
If you wish to use a computer program to help, first go over the music and extablish which lines you will be playing at which times. Enter the notes into the computer by scanning and select the ones you want to use, or enter through a midi keyboard or some other way. Then use the program to transpose the music, and print it out. I am not familiar with NoteWorthy Composer well enough to give any details on exactly how to do this, but I think it will transpose for you.
Those who become accustomed to sight-trasnsposing can do it with little difficulty. Easier, of course, would be to get a C-pitch clarinet and avoid transposition entirely. But you already have a fine instrument, and it would be a shame not to use it. Do well in your playing.
Regards,
John
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-11-12 03:34
Mark Pinner wrote:
>
> Surely the Holy Spirit will guide you.
I don't get the joke ...
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-11-12 04:36
Johnny, I guess by now you realize that an A clarinet would do you no good, it is a C clarinet you would need.
Most notation software does an excellent job of transposing, (usually with the arrow keys or by typing in a new key signature) the problem is getting the music into the program. Scanning involves correcting errors even if the music is well printed, and much music isnt well printed at all! (This is much like OCRing text.) Input from a MIDI compatable keyboard (or a microphone with some programs) requires the music to be played perfectly, or again corrections need to be made. It can be entered manually, but for me that is just as tedious as transposing onto manuscript paper. (I use the computer when someone else will be reading the music as my manuscript is as bad as my handwriting!)
For most Christians (and this thread involves playing in a church setting,) guidance by the Holy Spirit is not a joke, but a theological principal. I took Mark Pinner's post as an affirmation, but in that context I suspect it violates the "no religion" rule for this board, and perhaps so does this comment.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-11-12 12:11
Jim E. wrote:
> For most Christians (and this thread involves playing in a
> church setting,) guidance by the Holy Spirit is not a joke, but
> a theological principal. I took Mark Pinner's post as an
> affirmation, but in that context I suspect it violates the "no
> religion" rule for this board, and perhaps so does this
> comment.
I took it as a non-sequitur.
Religion is off-topic on this board.
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