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Post by petite joueuse on May 26, 2006 10:53:33 GMT
Have had a mental block - need someone to clarify for me! Daughter is working her way through Grade 5 MTIP. On the "here is the start of a tune, please continue it" question, clearly you have to take into account the instrument you are writing for i.e. don't write an octave below middle C if you are writing for flute. That seems fair enough....but she was tackling a question yesterday for bassoon and the starting bars were in the treble clef. Now, as a beginner bassoonist I am very much in the bass clef, and I do aspire to the tenor clef, but TREBLE??? Surely not??? So...my query is...in such a question are you expected to choose an appropriate clef? Are you expected to transpose the opening bars? And what about a tranposing instrument - are the opening bars at concert pitch?? YUK! :-XHaving decided I might tackle Grade 7 theory this autumn, I now remember why I said "never again" after Grade 6!! memory fades with age!  |
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Post by Steve Hopwood on May 26, 2006 13:05:45 GMT
Have had a mental block - need someone to clarify for me! Daughter is working her way through Grade 5 MTIP. On the "here is the start of a tune, please continue it" question, clearly you have to take into account the instrument you are writing for i.e. don't write an octave below middle C if you are writing for flute. That seems fair enough....but she was tackling a question yesterday for bassoon and the starting bars were in the treble clef. Now, as a beginner bassoonist I am very much in the bass clef, and I do aspire to the tenor clef, but TREBLE??? Surely not??? So...my query is...in such a question are you expected to choose an appropriate clef? Are you expected to transpose the opening bars? And what about a tranposing instrument - are the opening bars at concert pitch?? Think of that bassoon opening to Rite of Spring - that goes pretty high. Being curious, I googled 'bassoon range'. According to a Wikipedia article, the basson as the astonishing range of the A two octaves below mid C to the Ab on the first leger line above the treble cleff. View the whole article en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassoon. Wow. I suppose the reason we do not realise it is so versatile is that we usually hear it playing bass in orchestra and woodwind ensembles. Steve  |
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Post by petite joueuse on May 26, 2006 13:10:18 GMT
Ah yes - the rite of Spring! One day.....
But Steve, the question was on Grade 5 theory (not Grade 99 Bassoon!).
I hope some real bassoonists will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of bassoon music really doesn't go into treble clef....so to write a whole piece in treble clef would need a superhuman bassoonist to play it...or a normal bassoonist who doesn't mind bursting a few arteries in the process!
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Post by Steve Hopwood on May 26, 2006 13:18:16 GMT
Ah yes - the rite of Spring! One day..... But Steve, the question was on Grade 5 theory (not Grade 99 Bassoon!). I hope some real bassoonists will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of bassoon music really doesn't go into treble clef....so to write a whole piece in treble clef would need a superhuman bassoonist to play it...or a normal bassoonist who doesn't mind bursting a few arteries in the process! I know, but neither does the question state, "Must be playable by a weak amateur player." If the melody starts in the treble, it is clearly ok to continue in the treble. Or your daughter could show off by going down into the bass (through the tenor ;D) and back again. After all, if she's got it, tell her to flaunt it ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Steve |
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Post by jod on May 26, 2006 13:39:47 GMT
Ah yes - the rite of Spring! One day..... But Steve, the question was on Grade 5 theory (not Grade 99 Bassoon!). I hope some real bassoonists will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of bassoon music really doesn't go into treble clef....so to write a whole piece in treble clef would need a superhuman bassoonist to play it...or a normal bassoonist who doesn't mind bursting a few arteries in the process! I know, but neither does the question state, "Must be playable by a weak amateur player." If the melody starts in the treble, it is clearly ok to continue in the treble. Or your daughter could show off by going down into the bass (through the tenor ;D) and back again. After all, if she's got it, tell her to flaunt it ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Steve Exactly. If a melody begins in one clef, it is perfectly acceptable to continue in that clef. But if she is happpy with the transition through tenor clef to bass clef, then go for it. Just make sure she knows the range of instruments. |
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