Musical questions and answers thread

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  • Richard Barrett

    Originally posted by mercia View Post
    a) - does a viola part ever go high enough to need the use of a treble clef ?

    b) - when composers compose for transposing instruments do they write as the player would expect to see their part, or let some copyist or the printer/publisher do that for them ?

    [I can hum the tune in #251 but I don't know what it's called]
    (a) Yes. (Cello parts do too, and sometimes even double-bass parts.)
    (b) Most composers these days write their scores at sounding pitch and let the computer do the transposing for the parts. I'm not among them though. While composing I like to have in front of me what the player will be seeing. It makes score-reading a bit more difficult but reading my scores is quite difficult anyway!

    Comment

    • MrGongGong
      Full Member
      • Nov 2010
      • 18357

      Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
      If clefs interest you, identify the tune. You have 15 seconds…



      That's an easy one


      (though she appears to be playing it in a different key!)

      Comment

      • Serial_Apologist
        Full Member
        • Dec 2010
        • 37595

        Originally posted by Richard Barrett View Post
        (a) Yes. (Cello parts do too, and sometimes even double-bass parts.)
        (b) Most composers these days write their scores at sounding pitch and let the computer do the transposing for the parts. I'm not among them though. While composing I like to have in front of me what the player will be seeing. It makes score-reading a bit more difficult but reading my scores is quite difficult anyway!

        Comment

        • Serial_Apologist
          Full Member
          • Dec 2010
          • 37595

          Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
          That's an easy one


          (though she appears to be playing it in a different key!)

          Comment

          • Eine Alpensinfonie
            Host
            • Nov 2010
            • 20570

            Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
            That's an easy one


            (though she appears to be playing it in a different key!)
            Yes indeed, though, as you say, she's playing in G.

            Comment

            • MrGongGong
              Full Member
              • Nov 2010
              • 18357

              Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
              I have sometimes wondered whether people might find the whole thing a lot easier if they firstly learnt to play and sing, THEN learned notation?
              (theres a bit in The Cognitive Psychology of Music about this)
              So that people didn't think that somehow the treble (or Bass) clef was somehow "home" and everything else was "odd".
              If we learnt that it was a flexible system (like Sol Fa or Sargam) from the start other clefs would come easily rather than us having to struggle. Even though I have spent many years with them and transposition (as a lapsed hornplayer !) I still have to think hard, though I could work your tune out on the hoof fairly quickly.

              Comment

              • ahinton
                Full Member
                • Nov 2010
                • 16122

                Originally posted by Richard Barrett View Post
                Most composers these days write their scores at sounding pitch and let the computer do the transposing for the parts. I'm not among them though. While composing I like to have in front of me what the player will be seeing. It makes score-reading a bit more difficult but reading my scores is quite difficult anyway!
                I'm an "in C" composer myself; I applaud your courage in not being one and the reasons why you've chosen not to be!

                Comment

                • Eine Alpensinfonie
                  Host
                  • Nov 2010
                  • 20570

                  Originally posted by MrGongGong View Post
                  I have sometimes wondered whether people might find the whole thing a lot easier if they firstly learnt to play and sing, THEN learned notation? .
                  This works for some, but can result in pupils saying, "I can only play it if I know how it goes." In other words, "I can't be bothered to work out the rhythm from the notation."

                  Comment

                  • Serial_Apologist
                    Full Member
                    • Dec 2010
                    • 37595

                    Originally posted by ahinton View Post
                    I'm an "in C" composer myself; I applaud your courage in not being one and the reasons why you've chosen not to be!
                    Accidentally on purpose then, so to speak...

                    Comment

                    • ahinton
                      Full Member
                      • Nov 2010
                      • 16122

                      Originally posted by Serial_Apologist View Post
                      Accidentally on purpose then, so to speak...
                      !!!

                      Maybe put it down to laziness on my part and an obvious lack of the same on Richard's...

                      Comment

                      • MrGongGong
                        Full Member
                        • Nov 2010
                        • 18357

                        Originally posted by Eine Alpensinfonie View Post
                        This works for some, but can result in pupils saying, "I can only play it if I know how it goes." In other words, "I can't be bothered to work out the rhythm from the notation."
                        Indeed
                        It all depends on what the music is you are learning.
                        Some of the non-western musics that I studied as a student would look unfeasibly complex on a page BUT be easy to hear.
                        I oscillate between doing scores "in C" and transposing ones, it usually depends on WHO is going to direct it which I choose.

                        Comment

                        • mercia
                          Full Member
                          • Nov 2010
                          • 8920

                          so what was that French tune called ? I can't hear what the young lady is saying

                          Comment

                          • Eine Alpensinfonie
                            Host
                            • Nov 2010
                            • 20570

                            Au Clair de la Lune

                            Comment

                            • mercia
                              Full Member
                              • Nov 2010
                              • 8920

                              merci bien

                              Comment

                              • Bryn
                                Banned
                                • Mar 2007
                                • 24688

                                Originally posted by Richard Barrett View Post
                                ... reading my scores is quite difficult anyway!
                                Unlike writing them, which is child's play, eh?

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