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For playing treble clef on a Bb I find using the Arbans trumpet book to work well.

Cowboy BOB wrote:Howdy all i was wondering if anyone could point me in the directon of some Book's that i could use to practice playing an octave down(like trombone music or something) and some beginner books so i can learn to play tenor and treble cleff.

As stated, the Bordogni/Rochut books are excellent for the octave-down reading, and truthfully, just about anything you pick up written in treble cleff would be usuable and helpful for learning that clef. (I strongly second the suggestion for using Arban, as it also is idiomatic for brass instruments.)

For tenor (and alto) clefs, check out the Blazevich clef studies book (edited by Hunsberger). That will get you familiar with the various clefs, and -- again -- these are written in a way that sit very well for brass. (So you can also apply all the other "good habits" you are developing while working on these as well.) They are also progessively arranged.

ya i was having the same problem. I really really really wanna learn Treble clef for euphonium (and later on tenor and alto) but i just couldtn seem to teach myself by going to some music..........finding the name..............one note down..........a whole octave up. Its way too slow lol. You think i might as well just get a book?

BigDonEuph20 wrote:if you are looking to start learning tenor clef at a beginning level I would suggest getting Reginald Fink's book Introducing the Tenor clef. It starts out really simple and progresses in difficulty. It is a really good book to begin learning the tenor clef. Once you can read tenor clef you and read Treble clef as if it were tenor clef and add 2 flats to the key signature of what you are reading.

your sentenced kina messed me up there but are you saying that if i learn to read tenor i will be able to read treble just as easy? is it a waste of time learning treble, then tenor.

For treble clef go get something fun. I learned treble clef by getting a book of 180 (or something) Christmas tunes. The book had the melody as the top line. Instead of looking for tuba music at the music store you can check out all sorts of things - many in concert key with the melody in treble clef. Individual sheet music tunes are great too - they usually have the melody on top and the accomp ont he bottom. Often they have the guitar chords so you can start a band with the tuba as the lead instrument. Oh well, you get the idea.
Good luck, Phil

Introductory Studies in Tenor and Alto Clef by Brad Edwards the byline is "Before Blazhevich"

publiashed by Ensemble Publications
PO Box 32
ithaca NY 14851-0032

www.enspub.com

It is a very systematic method for learning to read the tenor and alto clefs. The books starts off with just a few notes and every lesson adds one or two more. Very good and not technically difficult as some other methods are, so you can concentrate on learning to read the clef and not have to worry about how to play the darned lick.

ken k

Why buy any books? Just get
1) some easy beginner (trumpet) tunes from one of the many free score sites like 8notes.com, sibeliusmusic.com and at least a dozen more,
2) a fingering chart for trumpet, alto/tenor horn, euphonium or in fact any other treble clef reading brass instrument except french horn from one of the many sites for these instruments.
3) for the other clefs, just find any simple song in the apropriate clef on aforementioned sites,

Then go for it.

That how I got started on transposing as well. I decided to switch to french horn from baritone. They gave me an instrument and said "we think it's in E flat". The first rehearsal after a few bars the condutor said "Sorry, it seems you got a horn in F after all. Take everything down a tone and add two flats" He then continued conducting and I simply did what he asked.

Yes that cleared things up a lot and is exactly what i wanted to hear, thanks alot. My question to you is why is my band director saying treble is so easy (of course cuz most people know it) but on the other hand she says learning tenor was a BI....*CH! in university. Has she been taking drugs? lol


EDIT: ooops Treble switched to tenor

Hey let's not overthink this. KISS (keep it simple stupid). Go to the music store - almost any one will do. Buy a book of tunes that you know the melodies to (either with or without piano acc.). Start playing the melody lines. The melody will be in concert key and you will get the practice of playing treble clef and making your instrument sing. Neither one of these things is bad. As tuba players we need to practice playing the melody more and I'm not sure that the Bordoni exercises etc. quite fill the bill although they are very much worth playing.
Good luck, Phil

To add to the confusion: there are 2 different ways to read treble clef, and people in this thread are talking about, and mixing, both.
(actually there's a lot more than 2 ways, but for BBb there are 2 relevant and useful ones)

The 1st one is transposing, or brass band notation. Notated C below the staff is the open second harmonic no matter what your instrument happens to be. For a BBb it will be sounding Bb below the staff in bass clef. Most brass instruments read this way.

The 2nd one is reading concert pitch, allowing you to grab any treble clef score and play with someone else without having to transcribe/transpose anything. In normal circumstances you'll be playing everything 1 tone higher than when you read it the 1st way.


The transposing way is basically the same as reading tenor clef, the only difference is what accidentals you have to read.