Mnemonics for Tenor Clef
I've been transcribing orchestral arrangements into MuseScore, and have encountered my first Tenor Clef.
I searched online for "Tenor Clef Mnemonic" and other help-with-tenor-clef queries, with no hits.
I seem to infer that by the time students and performers encounter the Tenor Clef, they're well beyond needing mnemonics to identify and play notes, or perhaps it's just a simple transposition that doesn't require a new mnemonic.
I, however, am just typesetting scores, and would like to get the notes entered correctly on the first try or so.
So, are there any common mnemonic phrases in use for the Tenor Clef?
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This isn't exactly a mnemonic, but I've always found it helpful to think of common chords being notated in a clef. Once I have those images in my mind, I learn the pitches very quickly.
It's very convenient in alto clef. In that clef, a clear IV–V7–I in C is just "bottom three lines," "spaces," and "top three lines":
We can adapt a similar process for tenor clef, but now in A minor:
I came up with my own mnemonic, having recently encountered some automotive-themed phrases for learning the Alto Clef.
Dodges, Fords And Chevs Everywhere (for the lines)
Ethanol Gas Breaks Down (For the spaces)
Yeah, I know not the best, but even this would have gotten me on my way had it come up in a search.
Tenor clef
lines: Ditch Frank And Come Eat
spaces: Eat Green Beans Derick
Treble clef
lines: Every Good Boy Does Fine
spaces: FACE
Bass clef
lines: Good Boys Do Fine Always
spaces: All Cows Eat Grass
Alto clef
lines: Frogs And Cats Eat Grass
spaces: Good Boys Do Fine
I usually think of a similar thing to leftaroundabout. But toggle or switch the treble clef
(in my mind's eye) with the alto or tenor clef.
treble clef C is at three spaces up.
tenor clef C is one step up, four lines up.
alto clef C is one step down for C, 3 lines up.
Then you just transpose or know that the sound is one octave below.
So the idea is that the old note (from treble clef) is always one away or next to the new note
(in alto or tenor clef).
So treble to tenor (if you switch clefs in mind's eye):
C is D, D is E, E is F, etc.
treble to alto is:
C is B, D is C, E is D, etc.
It's following the order of the alphabet and should be very easy to navigate:
you have this skill already.
I don't see the point of learning a mnemonic for this as you will know the treble clef.
If you can read piano parts from a grand staff, all you need to do is remember that the "clef line" is middle C. Read the lines above that as the bottom of a treble clef staff, and the lines below as the top of a bass clef staff.
This works for all the C clefs - soprano, mezzo, alto, tenor, and baritone.
Working with orchestral scores, you usually get familiar with the alto C clef (used by viola) first before you see the tenor - but YMMV of course.
Making up ones own mnemonics is probably easier in the long run, as they're more personal. I do that with guitar string names - like Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears, although I prefer going 1st string to 6th.
Since the tenor clef moves C to the second line down, the letter names, rising, are D F A C E - same as treble clef spaces, with D underneath. 'D(e)face' comes to mind. And the spaces are similar to treble clef lines, E G B D, as in Every Good Boy Deserves...quite good, as a lot of us can't decide an apposite final word for the lines on treble clef...
The most practical single fact to remember about the tenor clef is that it's a fifth above the bass clef, i.e. one sharp further in the circle of fifths.
This is particularly useful for cellists, who can read tenor clef simply by playing as if it were bass clef, but everything one string higher, but also in general transposing by a fifth should be particularly well-practiced as it's the tonic-dominant relationship and because several wind instruments are in F or B?.
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