Key of the Euphonium - B-flat or C?

[davewerden]

Key of the Euphonium - B-flat or C?

If you re-read the posts above, it may help you.

Bass clef is concert pitch for euphonium; treble clef is B-flat pitch. So the note you see on the 2nd space is a concert C, which is like your brass-band-notation D just below the treble clef staff. That, of course, is fingered 1-3.

You might find it convenient to look at a bass clef note and think of it 2 lines (or spaces) lower. That would show you where it is written in treble clef. So 2 spaces below that bass clef C would put it just below the staff.

[kevin67]

Key of the Euphonium - B-flat or C?

I must chime in as a Bass Clef player (and yes I can play Hymnals, Baritone TC, Tenor and Alto Clef).

Many Bass Clef folk do not understand this key thing. We just play whats written. I still dont understand why. But remember to have patience. When we say a Bb, we mean a Bb (concert). We figure we call our Euphoniums, Trombones and Tubas Bb instruments because the physics of the horn are built on a fundimental Bb (Pedal Bb). Thats why all your Bb concerts are open.

We realy dont understand why you say C, when you mean Bb. We just nod our heads and agree with you. We are just happy we dont have that problem.

By the way, Bb & F & CC Tubas all play the same music in bass clef. They just learn different fingerings for the horn they choose to pick up.

[KateBlue]

I have really enjoyed reading this old thread this afternoon. I think I understand. My question is this. I have a ten year old son who has played the Baritone for the last two years, and is loving it. What would be the obvious and easiest next instrument for him to move to and try next, apart from the Euphonium. He reads Bass clef. Look forward to your answers. Kate

[Asianeuph]

Trombone- He could play in a jazz band or orchestra without to much of a mouthpiece difference.
Tuba- He could play in orchestra and any other ensembles, not much of a fingering difference, but massive mouthpiece
Trumpet- More travel friendly than a tuba, euph, or t-bone, he can learn to read in treble so that he can read treble and bass when he plays the euph

[davewerden]

Can you tell us if you mean "move"? In other words, is this a question about an instrument he could choose instead, but which would leverage his existing skills? Or are you seeking a good "double" for him, where he would play either/both continuously?

[superted]

I think euphoniums parts should be scored in Treble Clef in Bb, or a combination of clefs in C. Sticking to BC in C when there are over 5 ledger lines in the "bread and butter" register just lacks logic.

Wessex sells a C / Bb rotary valve baritone that comes with 2 tuning slides.

Historically they made clarinets in Bb to play music in flat keys and A to play music in sharp keys because intonation was (still is? Haha) terrible and it was their way of getting close.

In the early 1900s it was common for cornets to be pitched in A. I assume for the same reason.

I guess at some stage, intonation got better so they only needed 1. They chose Bb and that's what we have now.

[TheJH]

I'm with superted on his first opinion, a few weeks ago I got a folder with march pieces from the band, of which most of them were bass clef. Needless to say, when I practiced them for a bit at first I played an A where I should had played a C. And a high E is already 3 ledger lines above the staff. That's just ridiculous. If you're playing second parts, that might be okay because they generally are lower, but first parts? No way they should be bass clef.
On the topic of Bb/C trumpets, my mom still has her old trumpet. Fun thing about that instrument is that you can take a bit off of the tuning slide, making it a C-trumpet instead of a Bb-trumpet.
But not only if you started out on trumpet you have the clef issue, I started out on baritone horn. Which is pretty much exclusively written in TC (I'm talking about true baritone parts here, not baritone-euphonium parts that also are written in BC). So I never have learned to read in BC when little, although I got a book in which the TC parts were along with the BC parts, I never was able to play the BC ones well. I know where the F on the BC is, but the rest is just... guessing and hoping I don't forget a few notes or lines inbetween.

[JoCologne]

Interesting thread, never read this before. Euphonium, trombone and tuba are good choices. And if you get sheets in other keys - sit and practise, learn to play from these.

I've some anecdotes for this:

1. As a natural cello player i read bass clef and tenor clef/alto clef. My first touch with brass music - don't laugh now - was conducting a fanfare orchestra (today we say brass band or brass choir), where my girl friend/later: wife played trumpet. I had to learn this transpose-issue quickly fro conducting - btw and had no problem. After getting my first baritone i played from both standard bass clef sheets and trumpet sheets/duets. So Bb flat is also not problem.

2. Yesterday my 17y old son told us that his [EDIT:]trombone teacher will give him some sheets in Bb next week. I gave hime instant some trumpet books for playing NOW ...

3. My wife as a trumpet player loves to play euphonium, more than trumpet which she plays in bigband exclusively. Although she is able to play from treble clef and she cannot name any note in bass clef, she wants ALWAYS bass clef. I confirm - she plays better from bass clef

[opus37]

I'm an Eb tuba player. I have started playing euphonium because my church group needed that voice (actually a trombone voice). I read euphonium in treble clef because the fingerings are close to the same to the Eb tuba written in bass clef. (I have to mentally think about key signatures and accidentals, but it works for me.) I tried reading base clef euphonium, but I'm not comfortable doing that. I just re-write any bass clef euphonium parts to transposed treble clef and I'm fine. As a side note, I also play french horn parts, in F, on my F tuba pretending I'm playing treble clef euphonium (or trumpet). I know the octave is off, but the voice in the arrangement is filled with the proper notes. It works for me and my groups.