To: "VOCALIST" <vocalist>
Subject: Becoming a B flat instrument - was--Re: Perfect Pitch was: Arias Transposed
Date sent: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 18:32:34 -0500
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

John wrote:
<<, but am I in danger of becoming
a Bb instrument myself? ie, all the musical notation I am reading is
written for Bb and I am singing along with my Bb instrument, so
when I see a C I think in terms of a tenor sax C, not a concert pitch
C.>>

John, I understand this also, having learned to play the cornet (another B
flat instrument) around age ten and then playing it all through high school
and a while beyond.

Yes, I think you must be very careful. Because I learned a B flat
instrument at such an early age I identified the cornet (or "B flat) C as C,
without thinking or even realizing there are "other" C pitches. I haven't
played my cornet (now using a trumpet when I do play) in years, but
sometimes when I'm having trouble I think of the equivalent note on the
cornet/trumpet.

For example, I just tried to remember the B flat on the cornet, wanting to
sing an A. I sang what I remembered as the B flat, went to the piano--and
matched it (perfectly!). (I'm also getting pretty good at thinking a pitch
and singing that pitch without thinking of the cornet/trumpet pitch.) So,
you just have to remember that when you look at music written in C, to read
it in C or be willing to spend an extra step mentally transposing, so to
speak, back into the correct pitch.

Also, you might search the archives because this subject was discussed about
a year or two ago.

Nancy