To add some confusion, some instruments are named by the tuning of their fundamental (B-flat trombone, B-flat french horn), but players commonly read from parts written in different transpositions, for example C (trombone) or F (French Horn)
On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 3:30 PM, <dem...@suffolk.lib.ny.us> wrote: > On Fri, Apr 3, 2009, "Anthony W. Youngman" > <lilyp...@thewolery.demon.co.uk> said: > >> Sorry, reading this was painful > > agreed. > >> 1.64 concert pitch > > Ensembles must agree on a temperament and a pitch standard if they are to > be tuned agreeably. Equal temperament is usual for the full orchestra > with winds, piano, and strings which plays repertoire in a full range of > keys. The pitch of the A above middle C is the conventional reference > point. > > A=440 Hz has been the practice for many orchestras over the past several > decades, but in recent years some are creeping sharper, even to A=445; on > the theory that it is good to have the violins sound brighter, tho it > leaves the woodwind section rather challenged, as it is difficult (and > expensive) to adjust some winds sharper. Other reference pitches have > been used historically, and sometimes different places had variant > practices. Many ensembles specializing in music from historical periods > will employ other reference pitches, and may also employ non-equal > temperaments. > > >> 1.311 transposing instrument > > Some instruments play in a range which is awkward to transcribe useing the > common G and F clefs, too many ledger lines is challanging to read. > Octave-transposing clefs provide one solution to this problem. > > Some instruments are used in different sizes to accomodate play in > particular ranges; the playing techniques are often close enough that > skill on one carries over to the others, and so some members of the > orchestra will play a variety of instruments which differ in size and > fundamental pitch. The challenge of reading for each of several > instruments is eased when the parts are written transposed. As an > example, the Soprano C clarinet is the reference for the family. Music for > it is written a sounding pitch. Music for the lower-pitched Bb clarinet > is written transposed upward by a second, the player reads the same as for > a 'C' instrument, it plays a second lower than the written pitch. This > practice is a great convenience for the orchestral player, but does make > for confusion to anyone ignorant of the practice, perhaps while reading > the orchestral score. > > -- > Dana Emery > > > > > _______________________________________________ > lilypond-devel mailing list > lilypond-devel@gnu.org > http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-devel > -- Han-Wen Nienhuys - han...@xs4all.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~hanwen _______________________________________________ lilypond-devel mailing list lilypond-devel@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/lilypond-devel
