Is it harmful to learn the treble clef as well?

[LBS-bass]

Most of us who took music classes in grade school would have learned treble clef first; very few start on a bass instrument, though pianists will quickly add the bass clef in their lessons. There's nothing wrong with knowing both. Three flats is three flats in either clef, you will know what key you are in, regardless.

This is coming from someone who learned treble clef early and played by ear pretty much since, so take it with the grain of salt it's worth. I'm working to become better at reading bass clef now, but I don't think early instruction on treble clef has hurt me there. As someone mentioned, it can be confusing for a while until you remember to always double check.

 

[gln1955]

Six-year-old piano students do it all the time.

You never know when someone might hand you something to play written in treble clef.

 

[Sid Fang]

The G clef is the devil's douche bag, a thing of unspeakable evil. Learn it, and you may end up homeless and friendless, playing flutes and ukuleles.

 

[sawzalot]

I started on piano so I read both, but back when I was a kid learning to read I was taught one at a time.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Very harmful... The treble clef is a gateway clef that can lead to harder, more dangerous clefs.

 

[BarfanyShart]

No, of course not .. . But I did struggle with sight reading in bass clef when I was young after switching g from sax to bass in HS. I didn't get good at it until I was thrown into the section of a very demanding college orchestra.

 

[joe vegas]

be fluent in both. there's tons of amazing music out there that's only available in treble clef. instead of transposing, it's much more efficient to be able to read it all down.

 

[Alik]

Dont do it...
You'll morph into a keyboard player.
Then you have to get a cape...etc.
Bad juju.

Yeah, that actually happened to m.....err, my friend, yes, a friend of mine.
In a totally unrelated subject, anyone has bought from Capes R us recently? Asking for a friend

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hi Basstalkers,

Im a musician thats been struggling to learn reading sheet music for most of my playing life. Started out on guitar and read mostly tabs and some sheet music. Lately I´ve only studied bass and bass clef.

The problem is, I have started practising some etudes i treble clef, and I mix it up so much. I dont notice Im off until things starting to sound awkward and then I realize Im in the wrong key or clef. Some of it actually sounds cool in both clefs tho.

Has anyone experienced the same? Should I stick to one clef or just continue with both, hoping that I get better at reading both clefs?

have a nice day,
Espen

No. I will say this, you play a brass instrument, switching clefs can be an issue. Brass insturments are mostly Bb (French horns are excused), but in treble clef, the music is transposed to the key of C. For instance, a baritone horn in an open position is Bb concert. The same note if play if played in the treble clef a C. See? Who the heck came up with this anyway?

Seriously, you don’t have to worry about it on the bass. It is concert tuned. A “C’ is a “C” regardless of the clef.

 

[bassliner50]

It can stress your kidneys. Be careful. Stay well hydrated while learning treble cleff.

 

[jamro217]

I tried singing in the F and G clefs and ended up with a cleft tongue. Very dangerous indeed. Was able to talk out of both sides on my mouth at once. Considered a career in politics. Then it healed. Playing bass in both both clefs isn't quite as treacherous. Easier done if you have a shorty. Tune it up a fifth and you're off to the races.

 

[drumvsbass]

Higher frequency radiation, definitely bad for you.

 

[eddododo]

No. No it is not

 

[Papageno]

Presumably this is not your priority, but an additional benefit of being fluent in several clefs is that you can read on the fly music written for transposing instruments.

For example, your alto sax player friend hands you out some treble clef sheet music he/she is playing. As alto sax is an Eb instrument (meaning that when a C is written on the staff it actually sounds an Eb), it can be nightmare to transpose this on the fly. Unless you notice that you can just pretend it is written in bass clef, mentally adding 3 flats in the key signature (you have to pay attention to some accidentals though). Someone who does not know the bass clef would be stuck.

Similarly, knowing the tenor clef allows you to read music written in treble clef for Bb instruments (mentally adding 2 flats on the key signature).

 

[MichelD]

Since the Covid isolation started I decided to improve my reading of both. I needed to be able to read bass clef better so I can study walking bass lessons in several books I had and I needed to read treble clef better to hopefully read the melodies of jazz standards I'm playing with jam buddies.

I found a beginner's book for recorder in a free book box and started working on my treble clef skills.

I can now slowly read through the melodies of Summertime, Autumn Leaves and Sugar Moon and of course some simple folk melodies out of the book like Drunken Sailor and Scarborough Fair.

 

[5StringBlues]

Aye, a treble clef tried to take out me spleen once , it did!

Don't turn your back on 'em!

 

[SteveCS]

...
You can safely ignore C clefs.

...provided you have no interest in reading music written with them...

 

[bobba66]

Treble is trouble. In the future, all music will be performed on trombone.

 

[54321BASSOFF]

It's all good. Think of it like cross training in sport, fusion cooking, painting with a different palette, or what have you. Not as hard as speaking backwards or mirror writing right to left from the bottom of a page backwards and reading it that way or playing it backwards...on your head...on trombone.

 

[BrotherMister]

...provided you have no interest in reading music written with them...

Tenor clef does make a rare appearance in theatre parts for both electric bass, Evita comes to mind instantly and there are a few more counters I had with it in theatre land. Treble clef sometimes crops up in them as well. Tenor is slightly more frequent, but still rare, in music written for double bass.