So Low

[ThomasDodd]

Some for tromones. They should use the 8va marking a lot more, instead of all those ledger lines.

Trombones have a ready-made solution. It's called "tenor clef".

But how often do you find parts written in those other clefs? Hell most college musicians (not music majors) don't even know about them. I found out about them about a year ago, when looking at some publishing tools. I've been playing music for 290 years, and have never seen those clefs.

But, Hey. Get the music published in those clefs, and I'll learn to read them:)

Tuba could use them to, just written an octave higher than actual, like bass guitar parts tend to be(I think that's right).

[Chuck(G)]

But how often do you find parts written in those other clefs? Hell most college musicians (not music majors) don't even know about them. I found out about them about a year ago, when looking at some publishing tools. I've been playing music for 290 years, and have never seen those clefs.

Tom, you're a lot older than I thought you were! Were you personally acquainted with Johann Sebastian Bach?


Tenor clef trombone parts in my own experience aren't that uncommon. I see it a lot in quintet music in places where the trombone stays above the F staff for protracted periods. Some European composers seem to take tenor as the "normal" clef and resort to bass only when the trombone plays in its lower range.

A good excuse for a trombonist to learn tenor clef is that reading Bb treble clef for brass band is a snap--just add a flat and play as if tenor.

[ThomasDodd]

But how often do you find parts written in those other clefs? Hell most college musicians (not music majors) don't even know about them. I found out about them about a year ago, when looking at some publishing tools. I've been playing music for 290 years, and have never seen those clefs.

Tom, you're a lot older than I thought you were! Were you personally acquainted with Johann Sebastian Bach?

Doohh!!! ignore that 9.

Tenor clef trombone parts in my own experience aren't that uncommon. I see it a lot in quintet music in places where the trombone stays above the F staff for protracted periods. Some European composers seem to take tenor as the "normal" clef and resort to bass only when the trombone plays in its lower range.

Never seen those parts. Always an arangement, by someone else, and it in bass clef.

A good excuse for a trombonist to learn tenor clef is that reading Bb treble clef for brass band is a snap--just add a flat and play as if tenor.

Kind of like the trick for sax parts? I don't remember the sign changes, but you play D (4th line) as an F.

[corbasse]

...... Not sure about (french) horn parts since it's normally 2 horns with a shared mouthpiece and bell (one in F and one in Bb, the thumb switches them). But I don't think it's written in concert pitch either.

Nowadays french horn parts are written in F, wether you play a horn in F or Bb. Band parts are often written in Eb.
Classical orchestra parts are in C, B, Bb, A, Ab, G, F#, F, E, Eb, D, Db, C, B or Bb (the last three an octave down)

[ThomasDodd]

...... Not sure about (french) horn parts since it's normally 2 horns with a shared mouthpiece and bell (one in F and one in Bb, the thumb switches them). But I don't think it's written in concert pitch either.

Nowadays french horn parts are written in F, wether you play a horn in F or Bb. Band parts are often written in Eb.

By band parts, do you mean brass band parts? (as opposed to the horn parts in an arangement for "band", ie. no strings)

So if I you are playing on a Bb horn, you have to transpose yourself? Same for the other keys?

What a mess. Might as well still be playing valveless instruments in different keys w/wo a few spare crooks:)

[Mark]

But how often do you find parts written in those other clefs?

The guys sitting to my right in the Symphony, including the bass trombone, regularly have parts with tenor clef.

[corbasse]

By band parts, do you mean brass band parts? (as opposed to the horn parts in an arangement for "band", ie. no strings)

So if I you are playing on a Bb horn, you have to transpose yourself? Same for the other keys?

What a mess. Might as well still be playing valveless instruments in different keys w/wo a few spare crooks:)

-By band parts I mean "without strings". At least here in Europe most band music has horn parts in Eb and F, but older arrangements only have Eb parts so every horn player learns to transpose in Eb very early in his/her career.

-Similar to U.S. players switching Eb/BBb/F/CC tuba, you learn a second set of fingerings. Mixing F/Bb fingerings is done according to taste, preference and local custom.

-That's what I used to do for a living