Advice Required: Satb Score-reading Training Options

[mrbouffant]

I appreciate this is not on the ABRSM syllabuses but I wonder if anyone can point me in the right direction to find training materials to help me conquer what I perceive as a rather difficult part of another board's syllabus.

Specifically, it is SATB open-score sight reading where the SAT parts are written in their specific C clefs (Soprano Clef, Alto Clef, Tenor Clef). In the exam you have to perform the score at sight.. and it scares the ###### out of me !!

Can any wise souls in this forum suggest a source of materials or techniques which will help me get some confidence with this? I've never had to read these clefs before in performance so it is a big challenge!

Any ideas appreciated. Muchly thx :)

[DomRUK]

I guess it'll be practice, practice, practice!

Of course, identify which is the C line for each clef, and log that in your memory by practice.

Make sure the bass clef is seen securely and guess others from it and confirm using the score.

Use a notation program to write out one or two known hymns in this format, reading first each line separately, then bass and soprano, then bass and soprano guessing what's between, then alto and bass, then tenor and bass.

Learning ther viola and trombone will help (little joke).

A google search might turn up some reading material. The search: SATB "C clefs" score - just turned up a few possibilities.

Don't underestimate the helpfulness of simply learning a hymn tune written out in this format, and then read the notes intensely (even though you've memorized it from a normal copy) so that your eyes get used to seeing the notes AND THE INTERVALS in this format.

There's a few thoughts - not done tricky score reading since the degree....

[chocolatedog]

Bach's Die Kunst Der Fuge (The Art of Fugue) has all the clefs in open score (at least the OUP edition does. Couldn't tell you if it's still in print or not though.)

[dacapo]

Bach's Die Kunst Der Fuge (The Art of Fugue) has all the clefs in open score (at least the OUP edition does. Couldn't tell you if it's still in print or not though.)

Perhaps before you tackle that you could look for an edition of the Bach chorales using the C clefs. They are very varied harmonically and usually have interesting inner parts unlike many "ordinary" hymn tunes. In any clefs they would also be excellent for transposition practice.

Enjoy!

[maggiemay]

I 've just remembered a book I've had for years, so don't know if it is still available -

It's called Harmony and Counterpoint with the Masters, by Paul Steinitz, pub Novello.

It's not a sight-reading or score reading book primarily as you will gather from the title, but has a fair number of examples using various C clefs which could be useful for practice.

If it's available to borrow it would be worth looking at; probably not to buy, since not all the examples use C clefs.

[elidatrading]

Sounds like a nightmare to me - and I play viola!

Liz

[maggiemay]

Just discovered another I'd forgotten I had.

The Riemenschneider edition of the Bach Schubler chorale preludes makes some use of C clefs. Again, it may be expensive to buy unless you wanted it longer term - but if you could borrow a copy it might be useful.
Published by Oliver Ditson co, Pennsylvania.

[SuzyMac]

Having had huge difficulty getting to grips with tenor clef playing cello, the only way I could get used to reading at speed at sight was to transpose lots of songs I could already play into tenor clef and play them using the unfamilar notation.
Time consuming but worth it. If you have SATB pieces (if not there are some in the theory workbooks, grades 4 and 5) then you could try that...
Good luck!

[Yammy]

As someone has pointed out, there are editions of Bach chorales with the use of C clefs in the three upper voices. Also, I highly recommend C.S. Lang's Score Reading Exercises, Book 2, which contains many four-part exercises with alto and tenor clefs. Not quite what you are looking for, but I personally find that the tenor clef is the hardest to learn. If you can nail the score excerpts in the Lang book, you should have no problem reading three C clefs at the same time.