Hi, I am in my cities youth orchestra. There are 3 levels and I am at the second one. I want to move up to the third level. I am just starting to learn how to read trouble clef in thumb possition and just got my solo. As I'm looking at it near the end, it goes into tenor clef. Is that much different from bass clef? I am trying to learn this for march for solo and ensomble. How long will do you think this will take to learn? Thanks, Shae
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Double Bass Prelude Suite 1
- Thread starter ShaeSmetana
- Start date
I think this belongs in the Music subforum, not in Basses (which is concerned with the instruments themselves). But you get points for "Trouble clef." 
- Aug 1, 2005
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- Private Inventor - Bass Capos
IMO, you don't need to stress too much about the other clefs at this level. A professional player can sightread all clefs easily, but for the student you only see the other clefs in solo works and occasionally short sections in some orchestra parts. In both cases if you are shedding the stuff like crazy in the practice room like you should be, you will memorize the notes soon enough, so not being able to sightread them fluidly isn't something to worry about. If the clefs are such a mystery that you are having trouble even getting started learning the parts, then you should book some extra time with your teacher. I was a terrible sightreader as a teen. At some point the problem just went away. I don't remember when.
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Dear ShaeSmetana,
The tenor clef eliminates leger lines, so (in theory) the music is easier to read. Since middle C is written on the fourth line, instead of one line over the staff, everything you read is a fifth higher. In other words, the note on the top line of the staff is now the E on the G string, instead of the A on the G string.
The tenor clef eliminates leger lines, so (in theory) the music is easier to read. Since middle C is written on the fourth line, instead of one line over the staff, everything you read is a fifth higher. In other words, the note on the top line of the staff is now the E on the G string, instead of the A on the G string.
Tenor clef from bass clef is up a 5th, alto clef is down a tone from treble, note wise this is, obviously you need to know what octave you are in.
