Re: Music Glossary - 1.64 Concert Pitch (2.12.2)

[demery]

On Fri, Apr 3, 2009, "Anthony W. Youngman"
<address@hidden> said:

> Sorry, reading this was painful

agreed.

> 1.64 concert pitch

Ensembles must agree on a temperament and a pitch standard if they are to
be tuned agreeably.  Equal temperament is usual for the full orchestra
with winds, piano, and strings which plays repertoire in a full range of
keys.  The pitch of the A above middle C is the conventional reference
point.  

A=440 Hz has been the practice for many orchestras over the past several
decades, but in recent years some are creeping sharper, even to A=445; on
the theory that it is good to have the violins sound brighter, tho it
leaves the woodwind section rather challenged, as it is difficult (and
expensive) to adjust some winds sharper.  Other reference pitches have
been used historically, and sometimes different places had variant
practices.  Many ensembles specializing in music from historical periods
will employ other reference pitches, and may also employ non-equal
temperaments.


> 1.311 transposing instrument

Some instruments play in a range which is awkward to transcribe useing the
common G and F clefs, too many ledger lines is challanging to read. 
Octave-transposing clefs provide one solution to this problem.

Some instruments are used in different sizes to accomodate play in
particular ranges; the playing techniques are often close enough that
skill on one carries over to the others, and so some members of the
orchestra will play a variety of instruments which differ in size and
fundamental pitch.  The challenge of reading for each of several
instruments is eased when the parts are written transposed.  As an
example, the Soprano C clarinet is the reference for the family. Music for
it is written a sounding pitch.  Music for the lower-pitched Bb clarinet
is written transposed upward by a second, the player reads the same as for
a 'C' instrument, it plays a second lower than the written pitch.  This
practice is a great convenience for the orchestral player, but does make
for confusion to anyone ignorant of the practice, perhaps while reading
the orchestral score. 

-- 
Dana Emery