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 Need help with transposition
Author: Igloo Bob 
Date:   2004-08-27 00:38

I'm currently trying to learn the French Horn on my own, and while I'm doing decently with range and moving up and down the scale chromatically, thanks to a fingering chart a a lot of reading on how the Horn works, I'm still having a lot of trouble on knowing exactly which note I'm playing (as any fingering can be used to play several notes). What I'd like then, is to be able to play a note on my Bass Clarinet, and be able to transpose that to French Horn and match that tone (which also seems easy, I'm able to hear a tone and match it almost instantly on the horn, I just won't know what note it is >_>). I believe this would help me a lot, as I have no access to a private teacher with horn-playing ability until school starts up in a couple of weeks.

So I know that the transposition for Bass is up a major 9th, but I have no clue what that means in terms of transposing to the horn (which is an F instrument, I believe). Any information on transposing between the two, then, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.



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 Re: Need help with transposition
Author: MikeyBoy 
Date:   2004-08-27 00:57

Ok, if u play the C below the staff on your bass clar, that is the F in the first space for french horn. If u play low G on the bass that would be the same as the C below the staff for French Horn. I hope u have a great time, i know it'll be hard for ya b/c i still have trouble b/c i play it. Just remember not to get too worked up over it. Just be calm

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 Re: Need help with transposition
Author: Katrina 
Date:   2004-08-27 03:01

I think you mean the F that is 3 leger lines below the treble clef staff to match the c with one leger line below the treble staff on Bass. The bass clarinet will sound one octave plus one Major second lower, the horn in F will sound one fifth lower.

In other words, play the third space C on Bass Clarinet (actually the Bb just below the treble staff) and you will have the same note as the F horn playing an F on the first space.

Mikey's transpositions are generally fine, but don't take the octave into account.

Katrina

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 Re: Need help with transposition
Author: Igloo Bob 
Date:   2004-08-27 03:44

Awesome, thanks much to you both.



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 Re: Need help with transposition
Author: William 
Date:   2004-08-27 15:03

Just play the written horn note a perfect fifth higher on your bass clarinet to sound the correct horn pitch.

Ex: horn written C5 sounds concert F4. Play G5 (5th above the written horn note) on your bass clarinet to also sound concert F4 (and the horn pitch)

To transpose between instruments of different keys, simply play the interval between the instrument you are playing and the instruments music you are reading. Ex: Eb sax playing Bb trumpet music. The interval from Eb to Bb is a fifth, so play each (Bb) trumpet note up a fifth on your (Eb) sax. This is a common practice for hornists that must learn to read music in serveral different keys.

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 Re: Need help with transposition
Author: wist 
Date:   2004-08-27 19:16

I think an electronic tuner could be of great help : on most models, you just have to play your note, an the device instantly displays which note you have played by its name (eg: C, or F#, or Bb..), and even wether it was on tune or slightly sharp or flat.

Most of them will also generate any not you need to fine tune any instrument.

Have a nice time playing the clarinet, the horn , and.... you name it.

Christopher.

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 Re: Need help with transposition
Author: Igloo Bob 
Date:   2004-08-28 04:43

Thanks also to William and wist. I don't have an electronic tuner at the moment, though I planned on having one by now. Things don't always go according to play, I suppose.

William, do you play Horn? You seem to have a good amount of knowledge about the instrument. If so, I have a question for you (or anyone else who plays Horn): How often do you find yourself reading Bass Clef? I have an older book (published ~50 years ago) written by Farkas, and a lot of his stuff is written in bass clef, which I've yet to learn.



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 Re: Need help with transposition
Author: William 
Date:   2004-08-28 15:18

Iggy, horn was my "minor" instrument in music school. I took a year of private lessons and played "jury" finals, but never encountered bass cleff. Since bass cleff is always written in terms of "concert" pitch, I think the transposition would be to play each note up a fifth. Ex--bass cleff G would transpose to horn D (to sound the concert G). Hornists encounter bass cleff when the written treble notes would require too many ledger lines to be easily readable. And some bass clarinet parts get into bass as well for the same reason--too many *$## ledger lines to read.

Bass cleff for horns?? For the lower parts--22nd and 4th--it frequently happens and that may be one reason for some hornists to specialize in playing those parts only. However, most hornists--out of necessity--are masters of transposition and would laugh at us clarinetists complaining about having to transpose an A or C part on our Bb instruments. Then again, they don't have to deal with reeds--do they??

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 Re: Need help with transposition
Author: David Peacham 
Date:   2004-08-28 19:11

I was also a horn player in my teens, though at a pretty low standard.

The thing to know about bass clef horn parts is that there are two different notations. In the "new" notation, the instrument sounds a perfect fifth lower than written, just as it does in treble clef.

In the "old" notation, however, the instrument sounds a perfect fourth higher than written. This is completely crazy because you still end up with lots of ledger lines. If you don't believe me, do a Google on:

horn bass "old notation"

-----------

If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.

To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.


Post Edited (2004-08-28 19:13)

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