"David H. Bailey" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > The trumpet transposition is so that a trumpet player doesn't have to > learn different fingerings for A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G trumpets -- one set > of fingerings works for all (with some adjustments for intonation, but > that happens even between different trumpets of the same pitch.)
At first, yes, but by college and pro level they are playing some D parts on A, G or Bb piccolo trumpet, some C parts (like the Bartok _Concerto for Orchestra_ Finale) on E trumpet, some F parts (Mahler Symphonies) on Bb, C or D trumpet, etc. They learn to read the part, then pick the best trumpet for the job. > If they were all written in concert pitch it would make trumpet playing > a lot more complicated. Like Richard Strauss said, (I paraphrase from memory - see his additions to the Berlioz Treatise on Instrumentation) 'just write the part you want to hear and the trumpet player will pick the instrument. ' > Same for saxes, clarinets, Oboe/English Horn, and all the transposing instruments. What you say is much more true for the woodwinds - they often don't like to transpose. Clarinet players usually learn to trade Bb and and A in a pinch. Bb Bass Clarinet players have to learn to read occasional parts in A. Sax players have to deal with occasional parts in F in French literature (Ravel's Bolero, for example). Ray Horton > Christopher BJ Smith wrote: > > > At 5:43 PM -0500 1/08/04, Dennis Bathory-Kitsz wrote: > > > >> > >> That's why I said this was a religious debate. There ultimately are no > >> compelling arguments on either side. > >> > > > > > > It's the same answer I give to my students when they ask why trumpets > > transpose. It's not because it's easier to read (like alto clef for > > violas, or a ninth for tenor saxophone, which puts their parts pretty > > much in the staff). It's not even (any more) because Bb trumpets sound > > better than C trumpets, which is the reason my orchestration teacher > > gave to me. It's because it's a common convention that everyone > > understands perfectly well (except for my students!) and one should have > > a good reason to go against convention. > > > > christopher > > _______________________________________________ > > Finale mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale > > > > . > > > > -- > David H. Bailey > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _______________________________________________ > Finale mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
