Apres un Reve/solo tuning- help!!

velvetkevorkian · #1 12-09-2004, 06:50 AM

ok, i just got an arrangement of faure's "apres un reve", with piano part. it recommends i tune to F#/B/E/A- is this solo tuning? i'm not sure...
anyway, i noticed that the bass and piano parts are in different keys- the bass is in F (1 flat) and the piano is in G (1 sharp). does this mean to play it on normal tuning i would have to transpose either the bass part up a tone or the piano down a tone?

so to summarise, if the bass part is written in solo tuning, is it written at concert pitch? uif not, how is it?

help, my heads going to explode soon!
cheers Kyle

Wil Davis · #2 12-09-2004, 08:53 AM

You're correct - F#, B, E, A is "solo" tuning, and is used to make the bass brighter, and easier to be heard, a distinct advantage when being used as a solo instrument. You could say that a bass tuned thus is now "D" transposing instrument (i.e. you play what is written as a "C" and you will hear a "D" - cf. with a Bb transposing instrument - e.g. tenor sax).

So, getting back to your piece of music. The piece is in "G" (piano tuned to concert pitch where you play a "G", you hear a "G"), so in order to be in tune with the piano, the music for your solo-tuned bass will need to be written in the key one whole tone lower, than the music for your piano.

Conversely if you re-tuned your bass to concert tuning, and wanted to play the F transcription, now both bass and piano would need to play the piece in F.

The reason for transposing instruments, is to avoid having to learn a new fingering system for each instrument. Think back to your original question. With the transcriptions and the tunings you describe, you should be able to play the bass part without having to learn a new fingering system for your bass.

A long description, but I hope it makes sense to you…

- Wil

Matt Ides · #3 12-09-2004, 12:54 PM

Because of the solo tuning you are now going to play everything one step down (your fingered Bb is going to sound C, ect.).

As wil said this is done so you don't have to relearn new fingerings. Yes, it seems weird but actually makes sense.

Just retune and play.

velvetkevorkian · #4 12-10-2004, 08:25 AM

...i hate transposition...
and the piece is for my national youth orchestra scotland audition, for which i have to play 2 pieces, the other of which is not in solo tuning, so i didn't really wanna have to sit in the middle of the audition and retune. i think i'll see if i can scan it into finale and transpose the piano part into F.
ta folks!