NOTATIO

Schonbergian wrote: 06 Sep 2026, 21:25 I think the clef makes sense only in choral scores where soprano, alto, and tenor are all written in the treble clef (as opposed to soprano, alto, and treble clefs), only because it helps the tenor staff to stand out more clearly amid a sea of treble clefs.…

Yes; and perhaps just as much so for many solo voices in a dramatic piece in which the vocal parts in the score may be arranged other than in pitch order, and perhaps some voices may take on multiple roles (as in the screenshot).

Magnus Johansson wrote: 04 Sep 2026, 06:42
Thanks, Dirck, for the examples. I believe the octave clefs for piccolo and contrabass came later than the "guitar clef"; Kurt Stone is an early advocate.

Right. And they aren't common at all for Orchestral Bass or Piccolo to this day...they never have been TMK.

You will see scores that do it for Guitar in more pop styles use it with Electric Bass too.

What would be interesting is to see the parts.

I can see, for a conductor, who might not be all that familiar with guitar, using an 8ve clef so they know it sounds an 8ve lower than written. But any good conductor should know the rest of the standard orchestral complement.

But in the part, the player doesn't really need to see it!

David Ward wrote: 07 Sep 2026, 10:57

Yes; and perhaps just as much so for many solo voices in a dramatic piece in which the vocal parts in the score may be arranged other than in pitch order, and perhaps some voices may take on multiple roles (as in the screenshot).
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I think this is probably the most reasonable way to use it - to help differentiate ranges in a score that might not otherwise be clear.

Since it's the character's name, and not the voice range!

LSL2026 wrote: 07 Sep 2026, 17:36

Magnus Johansson wrote: 04 Sep 2026, 06:42
Thanks, Dirck, for the examples. I believe the octave clefs for piccolo and contrabass came later than the "guitar clef"; Kurt Stone is an early advocate.

Right. And they aren't common at all for Orchestral Bass or Piccolo to this day...they never have been TMK.

I have never said treble clef ottava alta and bass clef ottava bassa are generally common.

LSL2026 wrote: 07 Sep 2026, 17:36 You will see scores that do it for Guitar in more pop styles use it with Electric Bass too.

The very important guitarist and editor Karl Scheit used the treble clef ottava bassa consistently from 1943 onwards for his editions of classical music published by both Universal Edition and Doblinger.