Learning euphonium in treble vs. bass clef
I am a tuba player, and now my son this school year became old enough to start a band instrument. His fifth-grade band teacher only wanted to provide the options of flute, clarinet or trumpet for his students. When my son told him he wanted to play lower brass, the teacher offered to let him play euphonium. (He's the only student doing this.) Excellent, I thought, since I have a euphonium at home already and I understand how to play it.
But I just got thrown for a loop. We are two months into the school year, and I've just figured out that he's teaching my son to play euphonium based on treble clef music. I understand the reason he's doing this... He can talk to the trumpet students and my son in the same "language." But I am worried that this will really mess him up when he moves onward toward high school band and suddenly is expected to read bass clef music.
My questions for the really smart folks on this forum:
1. Is this a big deal? My first glance at the comparitive treble and bass notes tells me it would certainly confuse me if I were trying to switch from the way I learned in bass clef to what he's learning now in treble clef. Does anyone have any experience with this transition, either as a student or as a teacher?
2. I am assuming that the teacher has no inclination to try to teach him in bass clef, so what should I do? Try to introduce bass clef to my son on the side, or just leave it alone? Would it be better for him to play trumpet from the beginning rather than learn euphonium and then have to cross his wires to relearn reading the music?
Thanks to anyone who can provide help with this!
Greg (KKY 1991)