(Adapted from 100 LAST Orchestration Tips, planned for release in late 2026) The clarinet’s lack of 2nd-partial overtones on the octave above can make woodwind harmony feel lighter and brighter; and yet has implications for underlining the 3rd partial at an octave+5th higher. Mozart’s first significant exposure to more qualified clarinetists of his day was…
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When creating a full score in concert pitch, always use bass clef on bass clarinet staves for the conductor’s convenience (while of course issuing a transposed part in treble clef). Never use 8vb treble clef or tenor clef. Some exceptions may apply for very high notes, but rarely require concert pitch treble clef. Before launching…
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(Adapted from 100 LAST Orchestration Tips, planned for release in late 2026) Despite claims of its obsolescence, C clarinet is still employed in a limited way by section players and soloists. However, it is by no means an escape valve for anti-transposing composers. As a social media moderator of orchestration topic for the past 15…
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(Adapted from 100 LAST Orchestration Tips, planned for release in late 2026) Despite the emphasis by orchestration manuals on the clarinet’s odd-numbered overtones, both in character of tone and in overblowing, even-numbered overtones also play a key role in the shaping of the clarinet’s unique timbre. There is no question that odd-numbered partials dominate the…
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Welcome to the Orchestration Online Alto Clef Reading Course, designed to quickly and permanently improve your ability to recognise any note on a C-clef, and to understand the context of its scoring for relevant instruments and voices. Use this page as a home base while you take the course, accessing the different units from the…
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FINDING A USEFUL SYSTEM When I was just about 14, I switched over from the violin to viola in my junior high school orchestra class. Part of this was to simply take on a new challenge, as we seldom learned anything above 1st or 2nd position – but mostly it was because my hand size…
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Note: make sure to read my first tip in this course on Alto Clef concerning Pitch Recognition, download the flashcard PDF files, and test yourself thoroughly before undertaking the drills in this tip. Now that you’re completely familiar with the pitches defined by alto clef, it’s time to do some scoring – not using a…
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If you’re new to reading the alto clef, but you’ve taken the time to drill yourself on Pitch Recognition and Scoring, especially after studying the posts I linked in this sentence, then you’re ready to take on some practical information. Which instruments use alto clef, and how does the alto staff relate to their ranges…
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If this is your first look at my Alto Clef Reading Course, jump back to the my first two sections on Pitch Recognition and Scoring, and then read the companion chapter to this one on Score-Reading Viola. Of course, if you’re very well-versed in reading alto clef and viola parts, but you just want more…
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This represents the final post in my series, “Alto Clef Reading Tips and Drills.” Make sure that you’ve first studied my posts on Pitch Recognition , Scoring, and fully studied the materials in Score-Reading Viola and Score-Reading Alto Trombone. Then you’ll be ready to take the last step in fully developing your comprehension when picking…
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