Re: Concert Pitch (a second try)

[Paul Scott]

Ian Hulin wrote:
> Hi all,
> O.K here goes, I've pruned some bits out where we were getting into 
> acoustics, and tweaked a few bits.
>
> Cheer
> Ian Hulin

(snip)
>   Transposing instruments are named according to the fundamental 
> (known           on some brass instruments as the pedal) note.
>
> On a woodwind instrument this is normally the note obtained with all 
> holes covered without over-blowing or use of speaker keys. On a brass 
> instrument it the note obtained with most relaxed embouchure and the 
> slide extended fully
That should be not extended at all for trombone (1st position).
> or all valves open.
True.

For woodwinds this description is not at all practical partly for the 
extension reason you mentioned below.  Not counting the B foot on a 
flute or the low A on many baritone saxes the only woodwind I know of 
that has a C for its full length is the flute.  Saxes and oboes start at 
Bb.  Clarinets in their lower register (no over-blowing or speaker key) 
start at written E or Eb.  A better might be a certain equivalent seven 
finger on each of these instruments except for bassoon which could be 
considered an F instrument (similar to an F recorder).
> Individual instruments vary this principle by having extensions at 
> bottom end of the instrument, but a simple case like the tenor 
> recorder shows the basic principle.

I agree that C recorder is an excellent place to start but most of the 
normal woodwinds have more notes at the bottom than a C recorder.  I 
would suggest leaving the fingerings or the physics out of this with the 
possible exception of the seven finger C mentioned above but even that 
is probably too complicated.
> To make matters more complex, some instruments are transposing 
> instruments, but their players actually play from parts written at 
> concert pitch.  Orchestral trombone and tuba players do this, while 
> trombone players in brass bands treat their parts as if written for a 
> true transposing instrument in Bb.

There are also orchestral bass clarinet parts written in bass clef so 
that the transposition is a second rather than a ninth.

Paul Scott