Re: tenorized treble clef

[Simon Albrecht]

Am 27.07.2014 16:30, schrieb Janek Warchoł:
> Hi,
>
> LilyPond has a treble clef with added C-clef-like stuff:
>
> { \clef "tenorG" c' }
>
> (http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/lilypond-user/2013-11/msg00661.html)
> However, it seems to me that these added lines should be positioned
> half a staff-space lower.  After all, C clef indicates the position of
> middle C:
>
> { \clef "tenor" c' }
>
> The way we have it right now, the extra "claws" point to d instead of
> c.  I see that the engraved example provided in the thread linked
> above has this positioning, but I think that's a mistake on the
> clef-punch manufacturer's side.  What do you think?
I think there is a misunderstanding here which originates in a logical 
inconsistency of this design:
For all I know, this clef has only been in use in France in the first 
half of the twentieth century (examples I have seen are from the late 
1930’s), and quite exactly in the shape that Lily now reproduces, with 
the “claws” pointing to the fourth line (counted from the bottom), as 
they do with the tenor clef. However, the “claws” are not actually 
indicating the position of the middle (or any other) c, but rather serve 
as a mere reminiscence of the specific tenor clef and the reader is 
supposed to conclude that the following notes are in a tenor register, 
that is, an octave lower as with a normal g clef. And indeed it is 
confusing and, strictly speaking, wrong that the g and c clefs mixed in 
this shape contradict each other.
So, nothing wrong in Lily’s adaptation there, only I have my doubts if 
it’s really a good idea to reactivate this clef, except for nostalgia 
reasons ;-)

Best regards, Simon