Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Bass on the treble clef
- Thread starter La Faro
- Start date
Yes, you are correct.
Two other popular ways to notate high notes are:
- Stay in bass clef and use an "8va" symbol to indicate the passage should be played an octave higher than usual.
- Use tenor clef.
Yes. If you have a 2-octave (24-fret) neck, the high C at 24 would be notated for bass as 2 ledger lines above the treble clef.
It's interesting, with the high c string, the treble clef kind of just is that string.
You are completely right in your assumption, bass sounds an octave lower than written.
The open E-string on a bass produces E1 at 41.2 Hz. Middle C (The one on the first ledger line above the bass clef) is usually C4 at 261.6 Hz, but your open C string plays C3 at 130.8 Hz. So you sound an octave lower than the standard notation.
Or you could do what I have done, and converted my 6 string bass to piccolo tuning, so I can play the bass clef at concert pitch now. My high C string is just a m3rd lower than a guitar's high E string.
I love doing this -- I have an Ibanez Volo. What is the scale of your new bass? 34"?
Yea, bass music is written an octave higher than it sounds, as folks have been saying, and you OP implied too, I think. For bass clef, I mean.
You can switch to treble clef when ever you want though... lowest note on a violin is written as the G below middle G in the treble clef... which (using the bass guitar standard of "this instrument sounds an octave lower than the music is written...) is also the same note (But sounding an octave lower, as always) as open G string of a bass guitar. The ACTUAL note would have to be played on the 12th fret of G string on a bass to sound like an open G on a violin, though.
So really, since most notation for treble clef comfortably goes down 2 ledger lines below middle C, you could say that your top two strings are quite easy to transcribe for using treble clef.
It does sort of amaze me that way way back when double bass was invented, they didn't come up with a new clef just for it so it was true pitch. But this system of it sounding an octave lower certainly makes it easier to learn.... and after all, it's called the "double bass" for a reason... which is the true ancestor of our electric bass guitars.
You can switch to treble clef when ever you want though... lowest note on a violin is written as the G below middle G in the treble clef... which (using the bass guitar standard of "this instrument sounds an octave lower than the music is written...) is also the same note (But sounding an octave lower, as always) as open G string of a bass guitar. The ACTUAL note would have to be played on the 12th fret of G string on a bass to sound like an open G on a violin, though.
So really, since most notation for treble clef comfortably goes down 2 ledger lines below middle C, you could say that your top two strings are quite easy to transcribe for using treble clef.
It does sort of amaze me that way way back when double bass was invented, they didn't come up with a new clef just for it so it was true pitch. But this system of it sounding an octave lower certainly makes it easier to learn.... and after all, it's called the "double bass" for a reason... which is the true ancestor of our electric bass guitars.
Yes, 34". Sire P7. It's meant to be delivered on Wednesday, so I should get it by the weekend.
Hence the reason the classical instrument is called "double bass."
Which gives you, ironically enough, the ability to play guitar music... at least aside from the high B and E string tuning although you could change your C to a B and just skip the high E string parts I guess... ok now I think I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill lol
Yes. Same holds true for guitar.
Just to be clear....
If the written note is A440, the guitar or bass reading the same note will play A220.
And me, taking my usual liberties would play the bass at A110 , an octave lower but same fret position as the guitar.
When I play treble clef on bass, I select the octave based on the range of the piece.
Years ago, I posted a thread suggesting we could do away with the bass clef and just use the treble clef with a number over the clef indicating the relative octave. For piano, it would be 0. For guitar,-1, for bass, -2.
That way,you would only need to learn one clef.
That way,you would only need to learn one clef.
