 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-09-11 19:26
It's weird... as I sat my first day in orchestra, looking blankly at my music written in bass clef, I started to wonder why I couldn't read it for bass clarinet. I could read bass clef, I've just never played it on the clarinet. I've dabbled on it with a friend on piano music in the past, but never anything serious. Why hadn't I played bass clef on clarinet?
First of all, I've never had a bass clarinet lesson in my life. I'm sure that even if I did, I might not have even read bass clef. I guess that depends on the teacher.
But my main concern was when the piece switched to bass clarinet in A. I have never had to transpose from A to Bb! Now that should have been something I should have been taught in lessons, shouldn't it? I don't think I would be able to play the music while transposing on the fly. Maybe the lessons I have been getting were more concerned with wind ensemble playing and not orchestral? Wouldn't you think that a music major would have been taught this kind of stuff?
I'm so confused. heh.
Oh, and btw, I am doing really well with reading bass clef for clarinet now. There's a slip once in a while, but It's going great. Once in a while, I start reading treble as bass. haha.
--CG
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sarah
Date: 2004-09-11 23:49
I believe that is called German Notation. It took me a couple rehearsals to get used to, but it isn't too bad. What did mess me up a little was switching back to bass clarinet in treble cleff.
Transposing to play an A part on a Bb isn't too bad, just lower everything by a half step. Depending on the key signature, it shouldn't be too hard. From what I have read, bass clarinet's in A are quite rare. If you try transposing at sight, and it really isn't working out, you could always rewrite that section with a notation program.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kevin
Date: 2004-09-11 23:57
I've once had to read straight from a french horn in F part and on at least two occassions read straight from a bassoon part. Can you imagining playing music for an F Horn on a B-blat clarinet? The horn was located in the treble, and the bassoon in bass but actually switched to alto two or tree times.
Well, as for your piece, you can't really do anything than just really familiarizing yourself as much as possible with the bass clef. For the transposition, just imagine there is a flat in front of every note.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-09-12 01:44
CG,
Learning all to do all these transpositions on the fly is a really important skill that will really pay off if you work shows, play various gigs, and play in your orchestra. And being able to read the bass clef in concert key and then being able to transpose for the Bb (up a step and change teh key) is one of the most important.
Your music theory and keyboard lessons will really pay dividends now.
HRL
PS If you play contra in a wind symphony and need to play an old arrangement, you my get a bari sax and/or tuba part to work with and actually be able to arrange a little part for yourself (again your theory classes will really pay off here. This is what is best known as value-added education.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: allencole
Date: 2004-09-12 09:21
I'm a little confused about the German notation. Is that bass clef music transposed for a B-flat bass? I can remember having a bass clef piece in college (Death and Transfiguration, maybe?) but don't remember what I did.
I must echo the benefits of learning to play the bass clarinet from concert key bass clef parts. It really opens up a world of opportunities. And the tenor clef transposition will be a very pleasant surprise!
Allen Cole
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Sarah
Date: 2004-09-12 17:46
The piece I played in German notation was transposed for Bb Bass.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-09-12 17:48
The music I am playing (Symphonic Dances) is written in bass clef for Bb bass clarinet, then goes into bass clarinet in A. I was told I was lucky that it all wasn't written in C. hehe.
When I played contralto in HS, I transposed from the tuba and bassoons parts. But that was easy cuz I just read it as treble clef (with the extra sharps, of course).
--CG
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
