Important information for winds, brass, and percussion regarding Part Assignments for Semester 2 repertoire
(string players may disregard this message)
Greetings Wind, Brass, and Percussion players!
Please see your seating assignments for our semester 2 repertoire here. We will have seating auditions 2nd semester, so consider these assignments somewhat fluid (though you should practice them as if you will perform on these parts).
AN IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING TRANSPOSITIONS FOR BEETHOVEN FOR CLARINET, HORN, AND TRUMPET:
Beethoven Symphony 7 uses parts for older instruments that have interesting transpositions. Players in Beethoven’s time would have adjusted their instruments to play in the given key, or in some cases could have used a different instrument altogether (for instance, a trumpet pitched in D, or an A clarinet).
Using our modern instruments (trumpet and clarinet in Bb, horn in F), we need to read this music differently in order to sound the proper pitch. Please take the time to carefully go through each note in your part of the Beethoven and make sure you are sounding the right pitch on your instrument. I recommend writing in the notes you will actually play on your instrument into your parts in you are not familiar with transposition. This is a rich, rewarding topic that many of you will want to explore with your private teachers (and you should).
Here is a basic guide for BEETHOVEN:
CLARINETS: Your parts for Beethoven are pitched in A (La). If playing a Bb clarinet, You will need to read each pitch a half step LOWER than written. For instance, your first note at rehearsal C is a written G. You will need to play this pitch as an F# on a Bb clarinet.
TRUMPETS: Beethoven parts are written for Trumpet in D (Re). If playing on a Bb trumpet, you will need to read each pitch a Major 3rd HIGHER than written (4 half steps higher). For instance, your first note at rehearsal C is a written pitch of G. You would need to play this pitch as a B natural on a Bb trumpet.
HORN: Beethoven parts are pitched in E (Mi). You will need to read each pitch a half step LOWER than written. For instance, your first pitch at Rehearsal C is a written C. You will need to play this pitch as a B natural.
Have a great break everyone and please reach out if you have questions!
Jack.