Learning At concert pitch!!!

evolving_doors

Hi Folks,

Just wondering what is the general thinking on learning instruments in the 'real' key... Say I wanted to take up the Bb Clarinet, but instead of using a transposing score why couldn't I get music in concert pitch and play it at concert pitch?

pconn062

I'm not sure I fully understand what you mean, but if you play a clarinet in Bb part at concert pitch, it will obviously sound one tone higher than it's written. Not a problem (maybe if you're just playing on your own) but if you are performing with another musician it will cause serious issues obviously. What's the issue with just reading a transposed score?

evolving_doors

I suppose where I'm coming from is seeing a c written down and playing a C on a piano. Not.. seeing a G written down but actually playing an F (concert) on a clarinet.

Basically if I decided to learn the clarinet myself. I'd just practice my scales away (im playing C and hearing c).. and read and play a few tunes that are written for vocals at concert pitch.. if the vocal song is in G then I'm playing in G concert pitch..

I know I would be at a disadvantage when it comes to playing with proper clarinet sheet music, but what I'm wondering is why don't all clarinetists just make the switch to concert pitch?

Fluorescence

Armelodie wrote: »

I know I would be at a disadvantage when it comes to playing with proper clarinet sheet music, but what I'm wondering is why don't all clarinetists just make the switch to concert pitch?

Playing in different pitches is an advantage for many reasons. First off, if you're swapping between clarinets of different keys, you're still playing with the same fingering. All you have to do is transpose the music and away you go. If you were playing a bunch of clarinets at concert pitch, the notes would be in different places between the instruments. Makes them harder to keep track of.

Besides, it's not difficult to play an instrument that's not in C. If you see a G written down, you still play a G even though it sounds as an F. You're not sight-transposing (although that's a good exercise and one I recommend trying out).

Playing in the wrong key with other musicians is obviously a problem for reasons I don't need to elaborate on.

If you wanna play a clarinet at concert pitch without fiddling around with transposition etc, buy a C clarinet

evolving_doors

Ok gotcha. C clarinet sounds like a good option for my brain:pac:

Doshea3

Good luck finding a C clarinet--they went out of fashion in the 18th century! It's largely a case of fashion with these instruments, and in fact most of the peculiar 'standard' instruments we have nowadays have come down to us really by accident rather than by design. B-flat clarinets are much more common these days, whereas in previous times A clarinets and indeed E-flat clarinets were more common. Some are written in different keys for ease of switching between two similar instruments (take also the example of the oboe and cor anglais) and others for more complex historical reasons (such as horns).

In centuries past transposition was a skill that was much more standard and widespread amongst musicians, and so there are examples of organs being pitched a fourth or fifth away from the other instruments, with the player expected to transpose to fit with everyone else.

The only instruments that are not written as transposing that I can think of are recorders: some are in F and some in C, meaning you need to learn the second set of fingerings, which is a sort of continuous transposition exercise.

evolving_doors

Cheers.... I think I'm spoiled by the piano as I can 'see' all the keys in front of me.