The title says it all really. As some of you will know, during the summer I fell under the charm of the viola and really wanted to have a go!

I went into the music dept. at school today, and sitting in the corner is a viola, which other than being out of tune and in need of a decent set of strings would appear to be in good condition . Before I'd even asked the question, my music teacher piped up - 'Do you fancy teaching yourself to play?'. How could I say 'no'?!

The only thing is, I have no idea where to start with it. I played some scales, just major and minor, 2 octaves but now I don't know where to go with it. Can anyone reccommend an easily-accessible set of books which I could use to get to grips with the alto clef?

Now I'm just wondering what my parents are going to say when I go home with a violin case in one hand and a viola case in the other!

It may help in reading alto clef if you think of the middle line (Middle C) as being the missing line between the upper and lower staves of the grand stave.

For practice in note naming try note trainer - you can set it to do just alto clef.

Good luck, have fun with your new friend!

I started reading alto clef by pretending everything was in 3rd position (whilst keeping my hand in 1st ) - obviously this only works to a certain extent but it seems to help some people (it totally confuses others!) to get started.

Might be worth finding some simple pieces you already known written in alto clef to get started with.

I played the viola for a while at school and I found the most important thing was to familiarise myself with all the viola jokes so I wasn't taken by surprise and left fumbling without a witty response. Having a cool haircut is also important IMO. Alto clef can wait.

SFs third position in 1st position thing helps, also try to relate the key to the equivalent violin key (up perfect fifth so if you are in Bb major think F major scale fingering etc.) helped me to get the tones and semi-tones in the right place.

Yes, that's a good tip - key sig relation to fingers being the right place isn't as automatic for me on viola

Right, I've booked a haircut, and will contact someone funny about witty responses.

SueHM - the link looks to be really useful, thanks .

Sarah, I'll certainly try using 3rd pos. in 1st pos. even though my brain is a bit ' ' just thinking about it!

Thanks everyone ! Now to think of a name...

yes, if you find it doesn't help - ignore it - people seem to either go "oh yeah, that works!" or "what???!?!?!?!?!"

Have fun

What's the difference between the alto clef and Sanskrit?

Some conductors can read Sanskrit

Grats wossy, I bet you'll get on swimmingly! Most probably your parents will just ask you if you are playing violin or viola or both at the same time. I know mine would!

I saw Ms Claire ( i forgot her surname ) demonstrate the pieces she likes on soundjunction, and yes, she does have a fabulous and cool haircut.

Hmm.. third position on the violin and 1st in the viola. Ingenuis. I didn't think of it that way, but it's true. I tend to read alto clefs one step lower than treble to get the letter name right. Easier for me that way. I used to work out all the theory that way and I got quicker at transposing clefs like that.

i play viola as well as violin etc and i learnt viola clef by setting my mind to think that each note is one up.
e.g. b = c
f = g
etc, etc,..

get me? yeah? and thats how i practiced. i find the key signatures helpful too, so if its in f major, the flat is place in treble a, and i set my mind to think everytime i see that not i know its a b flat... its hard to explain over this mind.. buh like, just set your head to it, and practice..

we need more viola players.
and welcome to this fabulous world..=)

That's the method I've been using so far .
Thanks!

I'm seriously confusing myself though. When I'm reading the alto clef, I can relatively quickly know what the note is, but when I go to play it, I play it as I would on the violin ie I'd play a G as the 3rd finger on the 2nd string . I'll try again tomorrow when I'm a little more 'with it'.

Try Mary Cohen's Viola Quick Change book.

It gives you well known tunes (folk tunes etc) in both clefs and in a mixture of clefs.

I know it's really tempting to work out some kind of short cut 'code' for learning the clef, but honestly, try to learn it in its own right rather than the complicated '3rd position on the next string down taking away the number you first thought of...' These codes fall a bit flat when you're in an orchestral situation and you have to quickly find your place.

Have fun!

K.

I can sympathise - when I'm tired, I find I can tell you what the note is, or play it, but not both at the same time!


That looks interesting - could be very useful... (wonder if they have a wishlist function...)


I agree to an extent, but personally, I only needed the "code" (of 3rd position) when I first started or if I haven't played for a while. It got me going, and I have never sat down and learned the alto clef properly (though I'm aware that ideally I should) but have managed perfectly well in several orchestras and several chamber groups of different sizes, often having to change to treble and back again. And I still can't do knowing what the note is an playing it reliably at the same time so although, yes, it isn't an ideal way of doing it, it's perfectly possible to manage rather well despite it

I agree, just learn the clef cold.

Glad you have adopted a Viola and welcome to the Violas from an elderly returner. You will find yourself extremely popular and you only have to walk into an orchestra rehearsal with a Viola to be welcomed like an old friend, I even got clapped, pity I could no longer play. I am watching this thread with great interest especially with regard to reading alto clef as I have forgotten.

Good luck and enjoy your Viola


Angie

I agree with all that. Middle C is on the middle line of the stave. That's a good starting point.

A friend recommended two volumes by Berta Volmer when I started wanting to play the viola more seriously (after playing it for a few weeks just before I left school then regretfully having to give the instrument back). I'm not at home at the moment so can't check the title. I think I've got the spelling of her name right. They were published by Schotts in Germany and the text is in German only. The books are intended for people who already play violin and aren't complete upper-string-playing beginners. There are quite a lot of pupil/teacher duets, some for violin and viola and some for two violas.

I hope you will really enjoy playing the viola. I wishI had been introduced to it sooner as I much preferred it to the violin. I love the sound of the low register.

Yes, and the clef sign labels middle C in tenor clef also. After all, the C clefs (soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor) came before the G (treble and French violin) and F (baritone,* bass and sub-bass) clefs and deserve learning for themselves. Then, when you know all the note names, you can treat the upper three strings of the viola as the lower three of the violin. If you play piano, try realising string quartets from score: that's why I'm happier with alto clef than with tenor or the other less common ones.

* You might think that since the top line of baritone clef is middle C, it ought to be a C clef, and indeed that version of it also occurs occasionally, but F clefs were invented before 5-line staves, so the F baritone clef is a hangover from the days when the clef sign sat on the top line of four, none of which was a C.

I can't read Sanskrit

[quote name='SueHM' date='Aug 14 2007, 01:45 PM' post='570585']
It may help in reading alto clef if you think of the middle line (Middle C) as being the missing line between the upper and lower staves of the grand stave.

Just spotted this thread. This sounds really useful advice to me, which I shall try out. My own method is to look at a note, go down a minor 3rd and then play it as I would on the violin. eg - if the note looks like a top G in the treble clef, I pretend it's an E and play the top open string, which of course is an A. I'm sure learning the alto clef properly must be the best way, but I've never quite managed that and (though I don't recommend this method), it does work for me!