Utilising Music Written for Other Instruments

[2nd tenor]

Some time back I was looking for music to play for pleasure and development at home. At the time I struggled to find much in the way of unaccompanied music but someone suggested the Bach Cello Suits to me. For what it’s worth I use Larry Clarks arrangement/version and think it great - jolly hard in places but those parts/pieces that I have mastered have given me much pleasure and satisfaction.

I wonder if anyone else uses any other such unaccompanied music for pleasure and/or development at home, and if so what pieces or compilations are used, please? Classical music is what interests me most and, if it helps, I can ‘read’ bass clef - though proficiency is another matter.

 

[Jack E]

There is a music notation programme which I use, called Crescendo; it's fairly basic, but (from memory) I think it cost just over twenty quid. If you write a piece into it in bass clef, and then right click on the bass clef sign at the start of Bar 1, that brings up an options menu, which lets you shift the whole piece into treble clef.
Here's a link to their website:

Music Notation Software to Write Your Own Music Score Easily

Download music writing program free to create, view and print music notation. Intuitive interface makes composing music notation easy. Arrange pro quality sheet music.

www.nch.com.au

HTH, and best regards,
Jack

 

[MissBraz]

Hey 2nd Tenor,

I use anything I can get my hands on to play for pleasure and development and don't limit myself to any specific genre.
Round where I live there is an Oxfam book shop and they get given so much music that people just want to get rid of I pick up all sorts in there.

 

[pbirch]

here is something that will keep you amused for hours, the Petruuci on line library has masses of public domain music you can down load for free, enter a search term such as bass aria, and you will find loads of things you can work on

 

[2nd tenor]

I use anything I can get my hands on to play for pleasure and development and don't limit myself to any specific genre.
Round where I live there is an Oxfam book shop and they get given so much music that people just want to get rid of I pick up all sorts in there.

Thank you for that idea, much appreciated. I suspect that I’ve been slightly blinkered in the past in that I’ve assumed that if it says Trumpet on the cover then it’s no use to someone who plays (say) a Flute and vice versa. Having said that some of the ‘wood wind’ instruments have a rather large range and that might complicate matters - if so I’ll try to fudge something that works for me. I believe that some of the string instruments can and do play more than one note at a time, but I guess that if I can identify the melody note (in the chord) then the tune is still extractable (loosing the chord might not matter that much). For my intended purpose (unaccompanied playing) I suppose that ignoring the key of the instrument that the music was written for isn’t actually an issue (just observe the key of the music as written).

As it happens one of my local charity shops does have a sheet music section; my past trawls through through that section found predominantly keyboard music there, but there was some other stuff too. I’ll go and have another look in that shop, and in a few other charity shops too, to see what I can find now. I doubt that I’m anywhere near as good a player as you, but have you found any particular music that works well for you and for your Tenor Horn?

 

[2nd tenor]

here is something that will keep you amused for hours, the Petruuci on line library has masses of public domain music you can down load for free, enter a search term such as bass aria, and you will find loads of things you can work on

Thanks, I’ve just had a quick look at that resource. My first impression was that there’s certainly stuff there for the skilled and experienced player. Perhaps things for me to work towards playing in the long term or, alternatively, to now break down into very short sections and then work at technique. H’mm, I’ll have to do some thinking and see how best to use this higher (than me) skill level resource - really good to know about it though and I hope it will help other readers too.

 

[MissBraz]

As it happens one of my local charity shops does have a sheet music section; my past trawls through through that section found predominantly keyboard music there, but there was some other stuff too. I’ll go and have another look in that shop, and in a few other charity shops too, to see what I can find now. I doubt that I’m anywhere near as good a player as you, but have you found any particular music that works well for you and for your Tenor Horn?

Not very often we agree and see eye to eye 2nd tenor ha ha !!
To be honest i was much the same as you - saw that it was for a different instrument and thought i cant use it, I also pick up song sheet music - yes sometimes it is not adaptable, but even so, it will develop range and will be something you haven't played before so whats to lose!

In reference to keyboard or piano music, generally that is in 4 parts traditionally Soprano, alto , tenor bass - try running it through with sop part and then alto and even then you could really test yourself and try and improve bass clef reading - yes you probably wont use it in the brass band - but what have you got to lose?

I generally go for trumpet or woodwind - mostly because it helps improve my upper range.
I note in your first post you said that classical music interests you most - so maybe look at getting some pop or jazz that puts you out of your comfort zone. That can only help and improve sight reading.