Andrew Stiller wrote: > >This is not good advice. First of all, the bass clarinet does indeed >use the bass clef in the traditional notation practices of many >Central and Eastern European countries, most prominently including >Germany and Austria. In that notation, the instrument sounds only a >major second below the notated pitch *in both clefs.*
I have no doubt that Andrew is correct, but one must be careful about specifying the intended audience. Very analogous is the use of tenor clef for trombone, cello, and bassoon parts. Certainly any player with competent conservatory training will learn to read it fluently, but generally high school students or adults without conservatory training will not, band (as opposed to orchestral) players will not, and jazz players will not. It's the engraver's job to be aware of who will be playing the music and notating it with that in mind. Complicating the question is that fact that while in theory all members of the clarinet family are notated alike, in practice, in American concert bands, the EEb contra clarinets and BBb contra clarinets generally read off tuba parts when there is no specific part for them, and so there is no transposition of a 2nd involved. Same is true for bass sax. But then American tuba players would freak when presented with British Brass Band parts notated transposing in treble clef! John John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
