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All-Star Orchestra
Course: All-Star Orchestra > Unit 1
Lesson 2: Reading music- Lesson 1: Staff, names of notes, treble clef
- Lesson 2: Ledger lines and the octave
- Lesson 3: Bass clef, grand staff and the octave
- Lesson 4: Reading music in treble clef and the C Major scale
- Lesson 5: C Major scale in bass clef and reading in bass clef
- Lesson 6: Alto and tenor clefs.
- Lesson 7: Accidentals
- Lesson 8: Natural sign, more on accidentals and key signature
- Lesson 9: More on sharps and flats
- Lesson 10: Chromatic scales and the half step
- Glossary of musical terms
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Lesson 6: Alto and tenor clefs.
Want to join the conversation?
- If one is new to sight reading music, how would they tell apart the alto and tenor clefs?(11 votes)
- Both are categorized as c-clefs as their center of the clef is middle C. It is easy to distinguish both because alto clef is always centered in the middle line of the staff and tenor clef is centered on the second highest line of the staff.(16 votes)
- Besides the clefs the video mentioned, what others are there?(3 votes)
- There are 10 types of clefs:
The French violin clef
The Treble clef
The Soprano clef
The Mezzo-Soprano clef
The Alto clef
The Tenor clef
2 types of Baritone clef
The Bass clef
The Subbass clef
As you've probably learned, the most often used clefs are the treble clef, the bass clef, the alto clef, and the tenor clef.(7 votes)
- do pianos have these clefs or guitars ?(3 votes)
- Alto clef is used for violas and as far as I know no one else. Tenor clef is occasionally used by trombones and bassoons.(3 votes)
- Where do the symbols for all the clefs originate? They're very beautiful, but they must mean something, or come from somewhere? Part of ancient Italian script, maybe?(3 votes)
- This website gives good information on the history of the Treble Clef.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-evolution-of-the-treble-clef-87122373/(3 votes)
- How do you know the difference between the alto and the tenor clef?(3 votes)
- Why do only violas (and trombones) typically use the alto cliff? I feel like it could be useful for other instruments too.(4 votes)
- I see a Alto Clef is shaped like a "3". Is some reason for that? Does "Alto" mean 3?(2 votes)
- Nah, they used to just write a "C" but then they made it all fancy to the point where it kind of looks like a 3 now.(3 votes)
- At the place where write the name of the instrument, what does "Solo ve." mean?(2 votes)
- It most likely means "Solo Voice" for the Cello.(2 votes)
- Can you give me a guide to remembering the notes of the alto clef? I am trying to teach myself alto but I can't remember. are there any sayings like how for treble clef there is FACE for the spaces?(2 votes)
- Yes! Just remember that the middle of the alto clef points to middle "c". There is a saying that my viola section came up with that is: "girls be doin' fine" for the spaces going from bottom to top... Its not great but kind of funny and might help at least a little!(2 votes)
- Is there a clef for drums?(1 vote)
- Yes, there is. You can see it on Wikipedia here: https://goo.gl/0zYGkM
It looks like a bold equals symbol turned vertically on the staff.(1 vote)
Video transcript
- [Instructor] There are two more clefs that are commonly used, if not as much as the treble and bass clefs. They are the tenor and the alto clef. Let's first look at the alto clef. The primary use for this
clef now is for the viola. It is often referred to as the viola clef. Like all clefs, it was originally used for a particular range of the voice. The treble clef is for the treble voice. The alto clef is for the alto voice. The tenor clef for the tenor voice. The bass clef for the bass voice. There are other clefs that are
not used in modern notations corresponding to the other vocal ranges, such as soprano clef, mezzo-soprano clef, and baritone clef. The focal point of the alto clef is on the third line. The note on the third line is a middle C corresponding to the middle C in the treble clef and bass clef. These notes are all the same note, just notated on different clefs. The other instrument that will on occasion use the alto clef is the trombone. The tenor clef is also a C clef, and its focal point on middle C is on the fourth line. This clef is used for any bass instrument playing in its high range so that the use of many
ledger lines can be avoided. If you look at the first page of the score of the last movement of the
Beethoven Fifth Symphony, we see that the three trombones are notated in alto,
tenor, and bass clefs. And we can also see that the violas are notated in alto clef. I've mentioned that notating
with many ledger lines can be very difficult to read. That is why the cello, which is generally notated in bass clef, can be notated in tenor and treble clef if a passive is extended
with too many ledger lines from the bass clef. Let's look at the opening of
Sam Jones's Cello Concerto. The solo cello part begins in bass clef, and at the end of this little passage, it moves to treble clef. What we have are three A's, one on the bass clef,
which is on the top line, and then two in the treble clef. Let's listen to this passage. ("Concerto of Violoncello
and Orchestra" by Sam Jones) Now let's look at a passage
in the third movement of the Jones concerto
that uses the tenor clef. The last note of the second bar on F sharp uses two ledger
lines in the bass clef. The next bar begins with
exactly the same note, but this time, it's in tenor clef, eliminating the need for ledger lines. ("Concerto of Violoncello
and Orchestra" by Sam Jones)