Just wondering the reason behind the need of having the alto and tenor clefs when the treble and bass clefs are already so popular. Aren't we creating confusion here? Any thoughts?
The reason is very simple. In the past ledger lines were pretty rare. Not only the music did not have the range it has nowadays, as notes lying outside the staff were dealt with by moving the whole staff up or down. Hence the several different clefs. It is simply an alternative way to cope with too high or too low notes, without resorting to ledger lines.
Nowadays we only use the G clef (treble clef) positioned on the second line – indicating that notes placed on the second line are G, and the F clef is positioned to make the forth line an F. However, in the past, there was also a G clef that was positioned in the first line – and therefore the first line became a G (instead of E), and there was an F clef positioned in the third line – making the third line an F (instead of the usual D).
You may think that all these different clefs create confusion. That is because you are used to ledger lines. An earlier composer would think exactly the opposite: being thoroughly trained on different clefs, he would be completely confused and aghast at the idea of ledger lines.
The C clef is the most moveable of them, assuming positions in the third (alto clef), and fourth (tenor clef) lines (although in the past it could have been positioned in the first and second line as well). The line where the C clef is positioned is always middle C.
If the original poster is still around, it is simplicity itself to read in any clef. All that is required is that one thinks in terms of a big staff of 11 lines, where the top five lines is the usual treble staff, the bottom five lines make up the bass staff, and an
imaginary line is drawn between them. This line only appears (as a ledger line) when middle C is located on it, both on the G clef and on the F clef. Of course, once you use one of the C clefs, this imaginary line become real: it is the line the C clef is on. To read in any clef you simply slide mentally this big 11 line staff up or down as necessary. I have detailed this in this thread, Have a look if you are interested.
https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=display;num=1081187434Best wishes,
Bernhard
Topic: ~theory and different clefs~