New answers tagged clefs
1
UK tradition brass band euphonium players expect treble-clef parts that treat the instrument as a Bb transposing instrument. So a written treble clef middle C is performed as an open note (no valves) and sounds a concert Bb a ninth below middle C.
The advantage as far as writing higher-sounding parts is that instead of writing a bass-clef Bb, which is ...
1
If you had to, you could use an octave or double octave clef, like the second one displayed here:
The '15' indicates that symbol is to be read as 2 octaves away (a single octave is represented by an '8'); the direction of which is identified by the position of the number.
The second symbol here with the 15 below the treble clef would be analogous to a ...
9
It is common for piano staff to change clefs. There can be passages with both hands playing G clef or passages with both hands playing F clef. You really need to read both clefs, and getting familiar with C clef is a good idea too.
Can the bass clef be transformed to the treble clef in piano music?
How can you do this with printed music without re-...
12
Can the bass clef be transformed to the treble clef in piano music?
Yes but please don't.
It seems like it would be much easier to read.
No. You will be making Middle C be a line in one staff and a space in the other. Bass cleff continues directly from treble with middle C being the one ledger line between them.
Is there a compelling reason not to do ...
7
If you really want to learn to read bass clef, do the opposite of what you are suggesting. Rewrite the treble clef parts in the bass clef, and learn by total immersion. Any music notation software can do this easily.
But spending time playing only the left hand parts of pieces will probably work just as well. Choose pieces where the left hand has plenty of ...
7
Since generally speaking the bass clef is played with l.h. and treble with r.h., and the hands are different, it makes sense that music for piano is written using both clefs. I imagine nearly all piano players would understand and appreciate that.
However, if you wanted to transcribe the bass clef notes so they sat in a treble clef, you could do that. A lot ...
6
Actually the bass clef seamlessly fits below the violin clef, which means, you will recognize a cross-system scale easily.
If you are prepared to write all your scores yourself, this may be an option, but fairly few will be able to play from that.
The bass clef is not that difficult, and it is worth the effort to learn it.
2
There is a lot of speculation in other answers, but this question actually has a very specific and exact historical answer, at least regarding the F and C clefs. To summarize, the basic answer is that Guido of Arezzo decided to use F and C as anchor notes in the early to mid 11th century, mostly to indicate that these notes had a semitone below them. The G ...
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