Suggestions for switching from Treble Clef to Bass Clef

[PhilGo]

I'm looking for suggestions, hints, or tips on the best way to transition from reading Treble Clef to Bass Clef. I'm starting back after a 40 year layoff. Is it best to learn Bass Clef from the beginning or transpose Bass Clef to Treble Clef in my head? Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

[davewerden]

Welcome back to music and welcome to this forum!

In my case I learned by transposing down 2 lines or spaces and changing the key. But I think most teachers say to learn it as bass clef right off the bat (however, most of those I've heard say this were tuba players or trombone players who don't see a use for treble clef in the first place).

Ideally, whichever way you choose you'd want to end up being able to survive in either clef, even though one is usually stronger for most people.

Most published euphonium music today comes in bass and treble clefs, usually included at purchase. But euphonium players can benefit from studies/methods written for trumpet, so knowing treble is handy that way. Trumpet is the closest "other" instrument to euphonium for technical learning and abilities, so there is ample material. There are also many trumpet solos that are good for euphonium. But knowing bass clef, either as primary or secondary, opens the door to bassoon and trombone literature, among others.

Confusing, isn't it? The good news is that either way of learning has worked for many people over the years.

[franz]

I usually read euphonium parts in Treble Clef, while I read trombone parts in Bass Clef. When I have to play trombone with parts in treble clef I read them in tenor clef + 2b ( or -2 #)

[DaveBj]

Has anyone ever done a compilation of well-known, public-domain tunes with the melody in both clefs, so that the student can teach him/herself the new clef by having the old one to fall back on?

[ChristianeSparkle]

This may not be helpful in your case. But it can be a fun practice (at least I found it fun for me, as I was tasked to learn alto and tenor clefs)

https://imslp.org/wiki/Trombone_Scho...%2C_Vladislav)

I jumped to page 4 on the book (pg10 in the pdf) as I can't read any of it. But basically it starts off at 0 valves (or position 1 on the trombone), and hammers you with the different notes in that position on all 3 clefs, then slowly adding 1 new valve combination into the mix. It's just something to really flood you with those notes on different clefs until they are stuck in your brain. Haha

[PhilGo]

Thank you for your comments. (P.S...I really enjoy all of your videos!)

[JakeGuilbo]

Find something, anything, you already know how to play. If you need something, work something up in Treble Clef that you have a Bass Clef version. Then start playing the known piece in Bass Clef. That's how I learned BC and I had it down pretty well within a couple months.

[aroberts781]

I made the switch from treble clef to bass clef in between middle and high school. The BD in high school basically said "You play bass clef now" and I learned it. I did not learn by transposing from treble clef, I just learned the new notes and fingerings. I think other people's suggestion of reading simple music in bass clef that you already know in treble clef is a great suggestion. You will flub plenty of notes at first, but it probably won't take too long to get proficient if you are patient, start easy, and work your way up.

Maybe working out of the Bowman/Alessi version of Arban for euphonium and trombone would be useful for you. It pretty much has everything from the easiest stuff you will ever play to the hardest stuff you will ever play.

[PhilGo]

Find something, anything, you already know how to play. If you need something, work something up in Treble Clef that you have a Bass Clef version. Then start playing the known piece in Bass Clef. That's how I learned BC and I had it down pretty well within a couple months.

Thanks!

[franz]

I had my first musical lessons at the age of 7 at the music school of my village and alto horn as an instrument.Until the age of 40 my only interpretation was Treble Clef. In 1997 I decided to learn to play the trombone and the teacher forced me to learn it reading in Bass Clef. The study of the trombone implies at the same time the learning of tenor and contralto clefs. Knowing the treble clef the transport in contralto and tenor clefs becomes a child's play. I often enjoy transporting songs in different shades using the transport in all the clefs. I find useful to train the mind and keep the brain young. The method I use is the following:
Starting from treble clef:
a tone above: contralto clef +2#; a tone under: tenor clef +2b; two tones under: soprano clef +4b
Starting from bass clef:
a tone above: mezzo soprano clef +2#; two tones above: baritone clef+4#.
This, in practice, I need if I have to play the euphonium with parts written in bass clef, I read them in mezzo soprano clef (a tone above), if with trombone I find a part written in treble clef I read it in tenor clef (a tone under). If with euphonium , as it happened to me, I have to play a sheet of horn (F), I read it in baritone clef. At first glance it seems complicated but, once learned, it is quite easy and fun.

[jkircoff]

A "cheat sheet" method to read bass clef when coming from treble clef is to take two flats away from bass clef, and begin with reading what would be a G3 in treble clef as a C2 in treble clef, which is a Bb2 in bass clef.

[John Morgan]

I started on trumpet in 5th grade and of course, treble clef. In junior high, I switched to baritone (treble clef). When I entered high school, both baritone players (senior and junior, I was a freshman) played bass clef. I learned bass clef pronto the first year. I did mental gymnastics to learn it, and often had both the treble and bass clef parts to look at simultaneously. Eventually, I knew both clefs completely fluently, without having to think, "Okay, for this treble clef note, do this to get the same note in bass clef". I think it is very important for "serious" euphonium players to absolutely read both clefs fluently. Even for the amateur euphonium player who may play only in a community band, I think it is very useful to know both treble and bass. It is surprising how many times you may end up with one or the other clefs in your folder. Sometimes there might ONLY be bass clef. So if you are a "never bass clefer", you are out of luck. And if you only read bass clef, then you will be challenged if you want to play in a British Brass Band (treble clef only for euphonium).

Also, Dave is right about the trumpet and all of the literature for it. You don't see trumpet in bass clef. And the euphonium can play all of the trumpet literature, so learn treble clef.

Players will probably end up with a preferred clef if they have a choice. But I always play a little treble clef occasionally just to keep totally fluent. Some band parts have bass clef on one side, and treble on the other for euphonium. I will quite regularly switch those to stay totally fluent.

Trombone players who read bass and tenor clef will sometimes approach treble clef as if it were tenor clef with two added flats. I am probably the exception in that I approach treble clef on trombone (in a British Brass Band) as strictly treble clef (I don't think tenor clef and 2 extra flats). And I approach tenor clef on trombone as if it were treble clef with two less flats.

Alto clef is the only clef I have to really engage my brain on since I play it so infrequently. I have to think a lot on alto and I don't know it fluently like I do the others. I should probably practice that more, but most of us euphonium/trombone players will only see alto clef if they are playing the principal trombone part in a symphony.

[jkircoff]

Alto clef is the only clef I have to really engage my brain on since I play it so infrequently. I have to think a lot on alto and I don't know it fluently like I do the others. I should probably practice that more, but most of us euphonium/trombone players will only see alto clef if they are playing the principal trombone part in a symphony.

My daughter plays viola, meaning she reads alto clef. When I try to read her parts I have to spend more brain power transposing than actually playing, which ends up with myself making a lot of mistakes.

[highpitch]

Another vote for just learning it. Method book with fingerings.

Don't think about anything treble, it will just confuse you.

The nice thing is, you'll never forget how to read treble after bass, sort of like learning another language.

Dennis