(If some instruments are playing different octaves of B flat, those are different pitches but, they are all a B flat pitch. All instruments are playing a pitch of B flat. Still with me? All instruments are playing one note, the standard concert band tuning note, B flat. Some might be up an octave higher, some might be down an octave lower but everyone is playing a concert B flat. Still with me? One note of B flat in concert key.Įvery instrument plays the same note of B flat. Let's use one note, B flat, as that is the standard tuning note in concert or marching band. Let's make every pitch in concert key like a piano. Pitch changes are just changes in the length of the sound waves and it's not just individual notes - there are all the wave lengths in between too.įor our understanding here, let's eliminate all pitch between notes. Pitch is merely a word to describe various sound waves measured in Hertz (Hz). Forgive me, this is a little long but please read. On any Trombone, am I playing in the same key signature as the piano (instrument pitched in C playing concert pitch) or am I playing the same key signature as my fundamental with the other Bb and Eb instruments?Īh, I can see why you are confused. I have played music for 40 years but only in the treble clef and mainly transposing instruments, so my little brain just can’t get my head around this. I am going to dumb down the question for me because I have to be overthinking this. The other possibility is that the Trombone (pBone) is way out of tune, but out by a Perfect fourth is unlikely. Unless the position chart I have transposes the non transposing instrument to pitch as Bb and use the same key for notation as Trumpet, Clarinet or Tenor Sax. I now have absolutely no clue what key the instrument is playing in. When I used the tuner I have set for my Trumpet to transpose for a Bb pitch instrument, Position 1 gave me the C4 I was looking for. Using my trusty Trombone Slide Position Chart, I played what I though was going to be a C4 (or C3), still working out the range, using Position 1 and the tuner said I was playing an F. I used a tuner app on my phone and played a middle C (C4) on the piano so I knew the app was calibrated enough. Having said this, I have confused myself again. I have no idea if the Treble Clef bones, Soprano and Piccolo, play music notated for Trumpet and Piccolo Trumpet as Bb transposing instruments or are considered non-transposing because they are part of the Trombone Family and have the same key signature as a Flute. So, I thought, OK, if that is the case, Alto Trombone is supposed to be an Alto Clef instrument so it also plays in C with a fundamental of Eb. So even though a Tenor Trombone has a Fundamental of Bb, it plays a written A4 to get to 440hz, rather than the written B4. As I understood it, any instrument that plays in bass, tenor, alto clef or are pitched in C on the treble clef (eg flute, violin, oboe, piano etc) would play a written A4. So, in order to play a tuning note of Concert A4 at 440hz, on my Trumpet I would play a B4. One advertisement for a Piccolo Trombone actually says, pitched in Bb, same as Piccolo Trumpet. However, when I look at various websites or music store advertising, these Trombones are advertised as pitched in the key (Eb or Bb). My understanding is that even they are not bass clef instruments (Alto and Treble Clef), as part of the Trombone family, they are still pitched in Concert and the Eb, Bb and Bb respectively are just the fundamentals. Here is my confusion, courtesy of the accurate internet. In Bass Clef world, all the instruments are pitched in concert pitch, so a Bb Tenor Trombone is pitched differently to a Bb Trumpet because in the Trombone, Bb refers to the Fundamental not the key. I come from the treble clef world where the description of the instrument (eg Bb Trumpet) means the Trumpet is pitched in the key of Bb and is referred to as a transposing instrument. I have asked a similar question before, but now I’m confused, specifically around Alto, Soprano and Piccolo Trombones.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |