Clef
Clef (Latin clavis, pt clave, chiave Italian, English / frz: .. Clef = "key" ) are used in music to define the grading system, what pitch represent the five staves. Each key has a reference tone for it, from its position, the position of the other tones derives the meaning of score lines into place only by the key. The different clef represent different pitches for each instrument and each voice type, there is a suitable key.
- 2.1 C- key
- 2.2 F- Key
- 2.3 G- key
- 2.4 Γ - key
- 2.5 19th century
Today's conventional keys and their application
Treble clef
The now common use treble clef (English treble clef ) is a G- key, which determines the g ' on the second ( counted from the bottom ) Note line. It is used for female voices, violin, high wind instruments, the soprano instrument of the viola da gamba - family ( treble viol ) and the right hand on keyboard instruments, sometimes for the notation extremely high layers at low instruments. Furthermore, the treble clef is in some deep wind instruments that are related to a soprano instrument, transposing used: in the family of saxophones, the clarinet and the tenor horn to change without rethinking the instrument can. So reads and accesses a tenor horn player, for example, the same as on the Flugelhorn in B ♭, the tone sounds only take a second, a ninth deeper. For men traded voices an octave deeper in principle be sung, as they are listed.
In the so-called Swiss notation for trombone choirs and brass bands in Switzerland, the treble clef is used consistently for all instruments in B ♭ transposing instrument, also for tuba, baritone horn and trombone.
The Baroque also common French violin clef assigns the g ' the bottom line.
Alto clef
For the Viola ( Viola ), the alto instrument of the viola da gamba - family ( Altgambe ) and alto trombone is often also prescribed " Viola key " called alto clef. The c ' here is on the third line.
Tenor clef
The tenor clef is used and for the bassoon passages in a higher position at low stringed and wind instruments such as the tenor trombone, cello ( which is the tenor - bass instrument of the viola da braccio - family). Landmark is the c ' on the fourth line.
Bass Clef
The bass clef is an F- key ( ie, on the line between the two points ) determines the small f on the fourth line from the bottom. It is used at low men's and women's voices and the low strings (cello, double bass, electric bass and bass instrument of the viola da gamba family), low brass (bassoon, tenor and bass trombone, tuba, baritone horn, euphonium) and some percussion instruments (timpani). In keyboard instruments, the left hand is usually quoted in bass clef, in the organ and the pedal.
Historical
As Guido of Arezzo 1025 invented the line system for the notation of music, he used to identify the semitones a c or f, with which he marked the most colored line, among which there was the half-step. Depending on the melody played by these clefs were placed in the square notation later on one of its four staff lines in order to avoid the necessity of auxiliary lines.
C clef
The resulting C- code were further used later and are named to this day according to the singing voices for which they are suitable. Only their appearance has changed. On the picture you can see: (a ) Old C- key; ( b ) Soprano or Diskantschlüssel; ( c ) Mezzo soprano clef; ( d) the alto clef; ( e) tenor clef ( f ) Baritone key.
F- key
Almost simultaneously with the C- key for deeper voices was the F- key indicating the small f and whose shape can be traced back to the capital letter F ( a). The first F- keys were still lying on the centerline, were thus actually baritone key (b). Later, the bass clef used today prevailed, which defines the second line from the top as an F- line (c). General to be displayed f is flanked by the two dashes of F. These horizontal lines were reduced to one point in the F- keys, the sound f is therefore between the two points.
G- key
With the advancement of music, especially with the notation of instrumental music that was partly outside the human vocal room, a new, higher key of G key was needed (invented in 1200 ). The term " soprano clef " should be avoided, since a C- key with the same name and as the G- key was used primarily for the notation of violin parts. The shape of this " treble clef " evolved from the handwritten letter G of the displayed tone g ', which a hook was attached, the ( the d ") could have resulted from a cursive d on the corresponding line, or in the tradition of old manuscripts serves as an ornament.
Γ - key
On old sheet music for keyboard instruments, you can often find a line system with eight or more lines, where all keys have been drawn, much as the picture shows. The lowest mark is a Greek gamma, with the times the big G was marked. This Γ - key for particularly deep layers did not stick.
19th century
The treble clef sat down with time as the universal clef for high positions through and solved in most cases from the C- key. Only for the notation of vocals were soprano, alto and tenor clef until well into the second half of the 19th century, the standard, such as in this reproduced Choral Score by Johannes Brahms.
Chiavetten
Clef, which lie on a different line than usual, are called Chiavetten. The various C- key have evolved from this tradition, but also in the other keys, the dislocation was usual. So our modern bass clef is actually emerged from a Chiavette the baritone key. In French baroque music one often finds the G clef on the bottom line (French treble clef).
In J. S. Bach is sometimes found Chiavetten well as support for transpositions, as in the following excerpt from his " Magnificat ", in which, quoted an oboe d'amore, whose sound is a third lower in the French violin clef ( b ), which, apart from the sign, the same picture as in the sounding notation (a):
Octave higher key
Where to earlier Chiavetten used to avoid auxiliary lines, one uses today an italic, lowercase 8 above or below the key to display a octave in either direction. The octave higher down treble clef, for example, is common especially for the tenor voice. Often, however, this is no longer given the 8, because tenor voices that are listed with the treble clef, are usually already sung an octave lower than written. Less often these keys are also used for instruments that anyway transpose by one octave, eg guitar ( down oktavierender treble clef), piccolo and soprano recorder ( oktavierender up treble clef) or bass ( down oktavierender bass clef ). Sometimes one finds a 15 ( a rare 16), which requires displacing two octaves (the first one octave with the first tone, the second octave then come seven notes thereto).
Tablatures
For guitars and other plucked instruments, there is the possibility to record tablature instead of conventional notes. In this case, a vertical "TAB" is usually written, instead of a key. It is then not necessarily used five staves, but a line for each string of the instrument (in the case of the guitar that is, six lines). With numbers on the lines indicated, in which fret the string in question is to grip.
Has its origins tablature notation in the old lute works of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. To date, lutenist playing often not in accordance with modern notes, but by - old or edited - tablature.
Clef for diatonic harmonica
The diatonic accordion has wechseltöniges instrument as a special notation. This includes a private key, which looks similar to the example as a lowercase h The clef and the notation for train and pressure are of the appropriate type of instrument and the publisher dependent.
Drum key
For percussion instruments usually one of the two key pictured is used. There are various conventions which row represents which instrument. For details see the article drum notation.
Representation in Unicode
The Unicode encodings for the clef can be found in the Unicode character block notation