Key Signatures and Clarinets

Hey everyone,

I recently started studying this John Williams score to try and learn what I can from it. I find that the only real way to learn is to type it up on Reason and watch it build up slowly and then be like "Wooooow!"

Anyway, one thing I noticed is that he uses no key signature, even though the song is blatantly not in C.

Second thing, I started out thinking "OMG look at all of these amazing complex harmonies", then I realized, "Wait, clarinet in Bb, horn in F... " - when I worked it out it turned out all the instruments were actually playing the same melody.



Anyway, I'm just curious about key signatures being used at the same time as writing for a clarinet in Bb. Wouldn't this really complicate things?

For example, I'm in Db. To play an F on the clarinet I would have to notate it as a G, yes? So I would have to write out an Ab, and because the A is already flat from the key sig. it would be Abb=G, yes?

This just seems really complicated. Is this how it is or am I way off?

Cheers.

P.S. Fuck key signatures, I think I like the Williams way

you would write your clarinet IN the key signature that is a second away.

If your piece is in C, then your clarinet part would be written in D.

so to hear an F# concert, in your score in C, your clarinet would be written in D, and you would have a written G#.

Don't think about literal chromatic transpositions... when preparing a clarinet part (or any other transposing part for that matter - Horn in F, English Horn, Bb trumpet) you write it so that the notation is as simplified as possible.

Originally Posted by Chris

For example, I'm in Db. To play an F on the clarinet I would have to notate it as a G, yes? So I would have to write out an Ab, and because the A is already flat from the key sig. it would be Abb=G, yes?

if your concert score is in Db, then your clarinet part will be written in Eb (a second higher).
to hear an F concert, you will write a G.

there is no need for double flats or other such complex alterations.

Thanks, that's very clever, just did a little experimentation with it and slowly getting my head around it.

You can also these days simply write everything "as it sounds", even with transposing instruments. But I guess it depends on who you're writing for.

All my scores are in C (with the exception of instrumentations of existing tonal pieces). Most conductors prefer that anyways in not traditionally tonal works. Only my parts are transposed.

Originally Posted by Gardener

All my scores are in C... Only my parts are transposed.

I'm the same way - I always work in a concert-pitch score.

I find key signatures are misleading and cumbersome. AND amateur performers will often ignore them altogether.

To be contrary, I always work in transposed scores. Because if I am seeing the notes the player is seeing, I know how they will sound, how difficult they are to produce, and how difficult the player's part actually is.

I've seen too many people who write music for ranges, and not for instruments. There's a disconnect between writing the music and orchestrating the music for these people, when I feel that the two are completely intertwined.