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Re: Brass in school etc.

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Brass in school etc.
From: Ian Phillipps <ian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 15:30:40 +0100
In-reply-to: <37F1EBFE.EA5374D5@cwcom.net>; from "Steve Anker" on 29 Sep 1999 at 11:37:50
Priority: low
References: <199909280920_MC2-86AE-2878@compuserve.com> <37F1EBFE.EA5374D5@cwcom.net>
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Wed, 29 Sep 1999 at 11:37:50 +0100, Steve Anker wrote:
> JohnMabon wrote:

> > One problem that I have recently encountered in the Scottish Borders is
> > that all trombonists are taught to play in bass clef, which means that th
> > ey

> Is it about time we started moving to ALL trombone (and for that matter
> Euph,
> Baritone and Bass {Tuba}) parts in bass clef ?

No, it isn't.

"Top C" on a euph/bariton/tenor trom requires 4 leger lines above the
stave, and the 1st parts would have have lots of leger lines all the
time. 
Low C (concert) on a BBb bass requires 9 (!!) leger lines below
it, with pedal notes (are they used?) more than that.

The original use of staff notation, re-discovered in the brass band, is
to provide staffs for each voice which require a minimum of leger lines
either side - I.e. the bass sang from a bass clef, the tenor from a
tenor clef, etc. For voices - especially for the diatonic music written
under this convention - this isn't a problem. For valved brass band
instruments it has the advantage of making the symbol->valve-combination
mapping more or less constant across the band.

> It's not that hard to transpose the parts using a music publishing
> package in
> either direction.

Wind band sets often do come with two euph parts; perhaps all you're
saying is you'd like to see this for brass-band trombone parts too?
Certainly, the position of trombonists is a thankless one, with reading
required from Treble (transposing), Alto, Tenor and Bass clefs. But
changing the convention wouldn't cure that.

> p.s. I had to learn to read bass clef after playing from treble clef for
> 25
> yeras and I'm sure I would have learn't a lot quicker when I was
> younger!!

Ah.. I see. "I've had to suffer, why not everyone else" :-)

Ian

--

Follow-Ups:
- Re: Brass in school etc.
  - From: David Taylor
- Re: Brass in school etc.
  - From: David Taylor

References:
- Brass in school etc.
  - From: JohnMabon
- Re: Brass in school etc.
  - From: Steve Anker

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