Hey, I'm just working on my GCSE composition at the moment. I've written it for a tenor and a girl who will probably be soprano but how high can a tenor realistically sing? If I'd written it too high could I find a younger boy and call it voice?

Any help appreciated
Luv ya
xxx

I suppose it'd depend on their falsetto range of the individual tenor...? Maybe you could find one in school and ask him to sing.

QUOTE

how high can a tenor realistically sing?

it depends on the tenor of course! but I guess they want to see that you have some idea of a typical range. G above middle C would be reasonable, possibly A. An operatic tenor might go higher.

Maggie.

Thanks. I had a feeling it might be about there. Do you still write it in treble clef though?

You can write it in either.... but if you are using the trebel cle, don't forget the little 8 thingy on the tail of the clef. Anyone know what that's called?

Tenor clef methinks

No it's not... I think it's called the sub-octave treble or something like that

Thanks Cheeble. It's certainly not a tenor clef! Sub-octave treble sounds very impressive....

Are you sure??? Is there such a thing as tenor clef then?

Clef Web page

Well I'm sort of right, it's "Vocal Tenor Clef"

So... this web page... what's a double treble clef when it's at home?

my thoughts exactly - twin boy sopranos?

QUOTE (freda_bloogs @ Dec 28 2004, 11:44 PM)

Are you sure??? Is there such a thing as tenor clef then?

there's definitely a specific tenor clef - looks like an alto clef but the middle C is on a different line. I forget where. maybe the second line down? cellists use it, I believe...

Yes, the middle C is the second line down. I saw a double treble clef on Sibeluis and wondered what it meant!

I think I am going to find out when you'd use a double treble clef!

Apparently a neutral clef is ideal for two different sizes of tom toms!

Haven't got round to finding out what a double treble clef is for!

what do you mean by a double treble? do you have a pic??

Here you go!

Hmm. Weird. I've no idea!

I have no idea either!

Me neither ... maybe for a very special piece!

"for this pieces you must play two treble instruments concurrently"

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"for this pieces you must play two treble instruments concurrently"

Is that at the same time? If so, you woul dhave to have a big mouth!!

I used to have a party trick, aged about 10, of playing two recorders at the same time. Lack of extra fingers was the biggest problem...

Heheh! I still cannot think of why one would use a double treble clef!

Generally, it was used by older publishers to signify the octave treble clef. A good example of this is the sheet music of three kings (Cornelius). I believe that the solo is written using this clef. These publishers also tended to use a mirror image of a quaver rest to signify a crochet rest,which could get confusing.

Hope this helps

QUOTE (baroquebassoon @ Jan 3 2005, 09:22 PM)

Generally, it was used by older publishers to signify the octave treble clef. A good example of this is the sheet music of three kings (Cornelius). I believe that the solo is written using this clef. These publishers also tended to use a mirror image of a quaver rest to signify a crochet rest,which could get confusing. Hope this helps

Ahhh... that makes sense.

I have come across the alternative crotchet rest - can be very confusing when you first encounter it, but OK once you're used to it.

Doesn't the alternative crotchet rest show up in some AB theory book? I remember being told not to use it by my theory teacher...

Ive seen that rest before, in some old choir music, and someone explained to me what it was, i don't remember coming across it in theory, but i probably did!

QUOTE (baroquebassoon @ Jan 3 2005, 09:22 PM)

These publishers also tended to use a mirror image of a quaver rest to signify a crochet rest,which could get confusing.

I used to do my quaver rests the wrong way round, think I still do actually! Anyway, my teacher tried to get me out of the habit before I did grade 5 theory, so that I wouldn't loose stupid marks. I did them the right way in the exam, but now I've gone back to doing them backwards. My crotchet rests are just squiggles, I can't draw them!

I couldnt draw crotchet rests to save my life.

Draw the line of it first, and then thicken the solid bits...

apologies for them being drawn on non-manuscript paper in crappy biro!

the first one shows the four strokes needed - 3 are straight lines, the third is curved.

the second shows all those lines joined together.

the third shows them with the thickened sections.



crotchet rests look really complicated, and so lots of people just think they can't draw them, whereas if you break it down it isn't nearly as hard as you think to draw a passable rest. even with a naff biro without manuscript paper, you can see what it is supposed to be. and with practice you can make them as neat and pretty as the printed ones.

I don't draw those ones backwards (I don't think!) but mine don't look anything like yours! Well they do a bit now that I've sat and drawn them for a bit! Yes, I'm incredibly bored, at least we've got school tomorrow!

I just think of mine as "z"s with a tail. That might help.

I was taught to think of them as 'z's with 'c's on the bottom... does that help?

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I was taught to think of them as 'z's with 'c's on the bottom

Me too! It does help!

Thanks! That is helpful!

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ Dec 29 2004, 11:50 AM)

there's definitely a specific tenor clef - looks like an alto clef but the middle C is on a different line. I forget where. maybe the second line down? cellists use it, I believe...

Yes 'cellists, double basses, bassoons, trombones, tenor viols and tenor singers until some time in the 19th century, when someone invented octave treble. The C clefs are named soprano (bottom line), mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor and baritone, though the last is rare; baritone clef was invented when the stave had only four lines, so it is more usually an F (commonly known as bass) sign on the middle line. F on the top line gives you a rare clef that I have heard called sub-basso. G on the bottom line is French violin clef.