© 2005 John McGann
As a curious musician (in both senses of the word), I enjoy a variety of musical styles, including classical. The below information is common knowledge in the conservatory world of classical education, but as a 'street educated' roots musician who went to Berklee and dealt with concert pitch scores, the world of clef reading seemed both arcane and foreboding. How in the world can someone look at an orchestral score, with instruments in concert, Bb, Eb, A, F etc. and keep it all straight?
If you are unaware, most wind and brass instruments are transposing; that is, for them to sound the pitch C, they read a Bb, Eb, A, F, G or other note. This is partly due to the fact that when you learn to finger notes on one family of instruments, they will apply to all members of that family. A C is the same fingering on all the Bb and Eb saxophones, for example. Further information is readily available in any good orchestration or arranging text.
Do you need 4 years at Hogwarts? Is it possible for the 'self-taught' to ever get in the door?
Sure! By using the concept of the "imaginary clef" which I will expound upon later, and keeping track of accidentals, it is possible and indeed fairly common for conducting students to sit down and play at the piano from a transposed score. It doesn't happen overnight, and one must be predisposed toward developing the skills for reading notation (i.e. long hours of practicing reading), and have a baseline of experience in dealing with both treble and bass clefs, which I am assuming for our purposes.
The "C Clefs" are used to indicate where middle C is on the staff. These clefs were once used for vocal music (and you can still find editions of Bach's chorales and the Art of the Fugue using the soprano, alto and tenor clefs as well as treble and bass). The most common is the alto clef, which is used for notating viola music, found in every string section. Treble clef is used for higher register, but the lowest note on the instrument is C below middle C, the space below the 4th ledger line in treble clef. To avoid the many ledger lines needed in treble clef, the alto clef is used.
1) We know the alto clef indicates that middle C is now the middle line of the 5 line staff- line 3 (we number them bottom to top, so the bottom line is line 1).
2) The revelation for me was that the top two lines above the middle line are now THE BOTTOM TWO LINES OF TREBLE CLEF- indicating the notes E and G on the 4th and 5th lines. They sound in the same octave as written.
3) The two lines below middle C are the top two lines of the BASS CLEF. So, line 1 is F and line 2 is A.
4) Alto clef is the union of the bass clef's top 2 lines, plus the middle C leger line shared by both clefs, plus the bottom two lines of treble clef.
This means that you visualize the middle of the 'grand staff' used by the piano.
A few hours of practicing reading the clef, and you are on your way. I'm capoing my octave mandolin at the 5th fret and reading viola parts. This technique of "dealing as is" is much better than trying to transpose up a 2nd and imagine treble clef and transpose down an octave. That's a sloppy 'kludge'. It's best to "see" the notes in the original range. If you can read treble and bass clef, you will see the alto clef as a synthesis of both–and the notes read and sound in the proper register.
Open strings C G D A
Guitarists- remember that you are used to reading everything an octave higher than it sounds to be played on the guitar- guitar "sounds an octave lower than written" on the treble clef; the range of actual pitch spans both clefs as the viola does, but goes a minor 6th lower than the viola.
If you were to stop here (with practice), you would at least have the ability to read string quartet scores. Alto clef can also be used to read parts in D (trumpets/clarinets). Imagine alto clef and add 2 sharps.
The other clefs work the same way:
• Tenor clef puts middle C on the 4th line. It is used for upper register cello and trombone parts, and for transposing Bb parts. Transposed sax, trumpet and clarinet parts are "easy"- just remember the octave transposition, and get out the Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins transcription books! Remember to add 2 flats to the key signature.
• For Eb alto saxophone, baritone sax, and other Eb instruments, you can imagine bass clef and add 3 flats, and use the proper octave transposition. Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods...
• Mezzo-soprano clef puts middle C on the 2nd line, and is handy for French Horn in F and English Horn transposition. Add one sharp.
• Soprano clef works for instruments in A (trumpet, clarinet). Add three sharps.
• Baritone clef is used for alto flute parts. Add one sharp.
This is how conductors can take a transposed orchestral score and "see" it all in concert pitch, and sit at the piano and play from the score- standard procedure for conducting students. The wider the interval, the more difficult it is to transpose by interval, so clef reading does facilitate this task.
BOOKS
"Manuel Pratique" Dandelot (Eschig/ distributed in USA by Hal Leonard)
Text is in French. Methodically lays out the various clefs with "points of reference" being C and G (solfege used as 'do' and 'sol'). A good source for information and exercises in all clefs.
"Preparatory Exercises in Score Reading" Morris/Ferguson (Oxford University Press)
Starts with two staves, then three, then four, in the various clefs. Progresses from alto clef combined with bass and treble to various 3 and 4 parts scores. Focuses on Bb (tenor clef), A (Soprano) and alto clefs, while suggesting that for F instruments, you transpose by interval, rather than applying mezzo-soprano clef. 99% of the book is multi stave exercises reading various clefs simultaneously. I'd start with the Dandelot book first.
"Music For Score Reading" Melcher/Warch (Prentice-Hall)
Out of print and sells for over $100, but your library network may have it. Great source for understanding how to use the clefs for transposition.
"The Study of Orchestration" Samuel Adler (Norton) A great resource that is available with multiple CDs demonstrating characteristic sounds, instrumental blends, etc.
Try a Google search for "clefs", "transpositions" etc.
